Sandrine Holt, known as Simone Martin from Homeland and Gillian Cole from House of Cards, will be joining Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for their 20th season. This won’t be her first time appearing on SVU, though. Back in 2016 (season 17), she played Nora Wattan. In the upcoming season she will play Lisa Abernathy, a clinical psychologist that consults on cases for the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The news that many SVU followers are excited about, however, is her character having a wife and two children. A fan tweeting “Sandrine Holt playing a recurring lesbian character on SVU? I’m here for it!”
Holt will also be joining two others (George Newbern and Dylan Walsh) who will have a reoccurring role in the new season as well. Newbern as a doctor who has a complicated history with Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Walsh as a beverage distributor and a well-respected man by his community.
Additionally, Law & Order: SVU is approaching to be one of the longest-running primetime scripted dramas, next to the original Law & Order (1990) and the much popular western, Gunsmoke (1955). Also, Mariska Hargitay plays the longest-running female character currently on TV in a primetime, non-animated series (Olivia Benson). Back in June she shared some insight of her view on her character and her time on the show with the Hollywood Reporter.
“When I started to play this part, I said, ‘I don’t want to be a female in a man’s world. I’m going to do it the way I would do it, with all of myself. With all of my badassness and empathy and vulnerability and power and really standing in it.’ This has been a beautiful journey for me personally, professionally. I always say compassion and vulnerability are Olivia Benson’s superpower. That’s the message I personally want to give to the world, because that’s what we need more of.”
Many would agree that SVU would not be the same without Hargitay’s beloved role as Olivia Benson. Hargitay also hopes that SVU will surpass 20 years. This show has certainly been hitting a lot of milestones. You can catch the season 20 premiere September 27, on NBC.