No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you: Ice-T’s Fin Tutuloa has been pretty MIA on season 27 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — and there’s a reason.
“It’s just basically business,” Ice-T, 67, explained to TMZ in an interview published on Monday, November 24, of his prolonged absence on the NBC series. “They brought Kelli [Giddish] back, and at the end of the day, they couldn’t really keep both of us on full-time, as far as budget-wise.”
Ice-T noted that NBC producers gave him a heads-up about the casting change, and he signed off on more limited screen time.
“They said, ‘OK, Ice, we’ll have you come in and out this year,’” he claimed, noting, “Everybody wanted Kelli back. [Plus], we’ve got new cops and stuff like that.”
Ice-T — who has played Fin since season 2 alongside OG SVU star Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson — assured fans that his limited role this season doesn’t mean he’s walking away completely.
“I’m not leaving the show. I’m more concerned with going to season 28,” he said, hinting that next season he’d be back in full force.
Ice-T recalled the SVU team telling him, “This year they said, ‘Ice, we’re going to work you a little less.’ Everything was cool with me. I understood.”
Ice-T has Mariska Hargitay’s back on and off screen. In Us Weekly’s exclusive clip from the new episode of Law & Order: SVU, Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) — lovingly known as Fin — proves that he’s there to protect his captain and good friend Olivia Benson (Hargitay). Aimé Donna Kelly’s character, IAB Captain Renee Curry, is […]
However, Ice-T did question whether the smaller role signified the beginning of the end for his character.
“I said, ‘Are you getting rid of me?’” he revealed. “They said, ‘No way. We can’t imagine Law & Order without you.’”
Ice-T noted that Fin’s absence has caused a stir among the viewers — but that’s a good thing.
“I’m kinda glad the fans are upset. What if I was missing and nobody cared? That would be something to worry about,” he quipped.
Kelli Giddish and Ice-T. Ralph Bavaro/NBC
During the season 27 premiere, Fin was jumped by two assailants who stole his firearm and left him injured in the hospital. After working off camera on physical therapy, fans saw his return to the squad room during the November 13 episode titled “False Idols.”
Although his coworkers — which now include Giddish’s Amanda Rollins, who returned in October — were happy to see him back, Benson (Hargitay) was worried it was too much too soon.
While investigating a case on his first day back, Fin began second-guessing himself. During the final moments of the episode, Fin admitted to Benson that getting jumped was still on his mind, saying, “I just think I need a little bit more time before I come back. Just to get my head around it.”
Benson agreed, telling him, “Take all the time you need. There’s always, always going to be a place here for you.”
Even Ice-T thinks Law & Order: Special Victims Unit characters Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler deserve a love story. “Y’all haven’t hooked up yet at all?” Ice-T, 65, quipped to costar Mariska Hargitay during an interview for Entertainment Weekly published on Monday, February 5, about Benson and Stabler’s onscreen relationship. “Close, right? Almost a kiss?” […]
The conversation seemed to hint at another prolonged absence for the character. While Ice-T confirmed he isn’t full-time this season, he told TMZ, “I’m going to be sprinkled throughout this season.”
Despite working less for the NBC procedural, Ice-T had nothing bad to say about the show.
“I’ve been on this show for 27 years. I’m not going to say nothing negative about that show. They’ve taken care of me for so long. I just want to get to season 28,” he explained to the outlet.
In the interim, Ice-T said he’s been working on other projects, including music.
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about earthquakes,” he joked. “I’ll be OK. I’m a hustler. You give me some free time, I [will] find a free dime.”
Us Weekly has reached out to NBC for comment.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit returns on NBC Thursday, January 8, at 8 p.m. ET.
