Law & Order: SVU is the latest show to go through an overhaul with two main cast members set to leave after season 26.
Multiple outlets confirmed on Tuesday, May 6, that Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez, who portray Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva, respectively, are leaving the NBC series at the end of the current season.
Pisano, 38, originally joined Law & Order: SVU in season 23 while Martinez, 34, came on board during season 26. While the show has not been renewed yet, NBC is expected to pick up Law & Order: SVU for more episodes after Michele Fazekas was announced as the series’ first female showrunner.
Law & Order: SVU, which premiered in 1999, follows detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sexually-based crimes. The legal drama stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Peter Scanavino and Kevin Kane and has faced multiple cast changes throughout the years.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been going strong since 1999, but not all of its major characters have stayed throughout its long run. In fact, the only remaining original cast member from the show’s first season is Mariska Hargitay, whose character started as detective Olivia Benson and has since become the captain of […]
Hargitay, 61, for her part, exclusively told Us Weekly she has no plans to stop playing Captain Benson.
“I’m obviously not done with SVU and I have so much responsibility there still, which is keeping me artistically challenged. It’s challenging. In the meantime, I also have had these incredible moments,” Hargitay shared in May 2024 about remaining on the show since its 1999 premiere. “I’m really happy and fulfilled with my life right now. So, we’ll see what comes. But as of right now, I’m very happy on the ride.”
Before season 26 kicked off in October 2024, Ice-T, 67, promised that it would be one to remember. “We’re very excited about going into season 26,” he told Us in June 2024. “I think last season we caught a whole other wind of fans, and everybody got in it, and the ratings were great. I don’t see any reason why SVU can’t go 30 [seasons].”
As Law & Order: SVU faces cast changes, several other procedurals are navigating surprising exits and onscreen deaths. ABC’s 9-1-1 started the trend last month when Peter Krause‘s character Bobby was killed off after eight seasons. Fire Country followed one week later with both Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke leaving after three seasons on the hit CBS series.
“I had no idea ever. It was a complete shock,” Arcila, 35, exclusively told Us in April, revealing she discovered her exit while filming the season 3 finale. “The minute that they told me [Gabriela wouldn’t return as a main character], I accepted it. I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to put Gabriela in this beautiful little drawer of fulfilled dreams and let the universe take over.’”
NBC later surprised viewers with Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett reportedly leaving Chicago Fire after season 13. Meanwhile, on CBS’ Elsbeth, Carra Patterson confirmed she would be stepping down as a series regular. She is expected to return in a guest star capacity after playing fan-favorite character Kaya since the show premiered last year.
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