The Shocking Full Cast Of Law & Order: SVU Season 27: Who Returned, Who Left, And The Status Of Benson & Stabler In 2025

The longest-running primetime live-action series in television history, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), is back for its monumental 27th season, which premiered on September 25, 2025, and the cast lineup is filled with dramatic, fresh changes. The latest season sees the return of the iconic mainstays, Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T, but the biggest news is the unexpected and celebrated return of a fan-favorite detective, who is now back as a series regular after a significant exit. This update provides the definitive list of the current squad members, new roles, and the actors who have recently departed the Special Victims Unit.

As of December 2025, the new season continues to explore complex cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other heinous crimes, keeping Captain Olivia Benson at the forefront of the police procedural drama. The show's enduring success is inextricably linked to its core ensemble, whose professional and personal lives remain the backbone of the Dick Wolf universe.

The Current Main Cast and Full Biography Profiles (Season 27)

The 27th season of Law & Order: SVU features a streamlined but powerful main cast, anchored by two of the longest-serving actors in television history. Here is the definitive list of the current series regulars and their essential biography details.

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• Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
  • Role: Captain, Commander of the Special Victims Unit.
  • Born: January 23, 1964, in Santa Monica, California.
  • Career Highlights: Hargitay has portrayed Olivia Benson since the show's premiere in 1999, making her the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action series. She won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role.
  • Activism/Philanthropy: She is the founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. She is also a certified rape counselor. Her philanthropic work earned her a spot on the inaugural Time100 list for Philanthropy.
  • Recent News (2025): Hargitay made a notable appearance at the 2025 Emmy Awards alongside her co-stars, celebrating the franchise's 35th anniversary.
• Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola
  • Role: Sergeant, second-in-command of the SVU squad.
  • Born: February 16, 1958, in Newark, New Jersey (Real name: Tracy Lauren Marrow).
  • Career Highlights: Joined the cast in Season 2 (2000). Before acting, Ice-T was a pioneering figure in hip-hop and the co-founder and vocalist of the heavy metal band Body Count. His acting career includes films like New Jack City and Ricochet.
  • Recent News (2025): Ice-T continues to balance his acting schedule with his music career, actively touring and recording with Body Count. He has also been vocal about the "Benson and Stabler" relationship, referring to them as "soulmates" in a 2025 interview.
• Peter Scanavino as ADA Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr.
  • Role: Assistant District Attorney (ADA). Began as a Detective and transitioned to the legal side of the criminal justice system.
  • Born: February 29, 1980, in Denver, Colorado.
  • Career Highlights: Scanavino joined the cast in Season 16. Interestingly, he had a previous guest role on SVU in Season 14 as an entirely different character, Johnny Dubcek. Prior to his acting breakthrough, he took a break from the industry to train and work at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
  • Personal Arc: His character is currently in a relationship with Sergeant Amanda Rollins, a dynamic often referred to by fans as "Rollisi."
• Kelli Giddish as Sergeant Amanda Rollins
  • Role: Sergeant, returning as a series regular.
  • Born: April 13, 1980, in Cumming, Georgia.
  • Career Highlights: Giddish was a main cast member from Season 13 to Season 24, where her character left the squad to become a professor. Her return for Season 27 is a significant and highly anticipated development, with her character being promoted to Sergeant.
  • Recent News (2025): After guest appearances in Season 25 and 26, NBC announced in May 2025 that Giddish would officially reprise her role as a series regular in Season 27. She has stated that the timing of the return "feels right."

The Shocking Return: Kelli Giddish is Back as a Series Regular

The most explosive news for SVU fans in the 2025-2026 television season is the full-time return of Kelli Giddish as Amanda Rollins. Giddish’s initial exit in Season 24 left a major void, as her character—a detective who had overcome gambling addiction and found stability with ADA Carisi—was a cornerstone of the squad.

Her return in Season 27 is not just a cameo; Rollins is back as a series regular and has received a promotion, now holding the rank of Sergeant. This development is expected to dramatically shift the dynamics within the squad room and the courtroom, especially given her marriage to Carisi. The new rank places her back on the front lines, working closely with Captain Benson and Sergeant Tutuola, and directly impacting the procedural flow of the show.

Her character arc will likely explore the challenges of balancing her new role, her continued work on sensitive cases, and her personal life with Carisi, adding a fresh layer of complexity to the long-running show. The decision by showrunners to bring back such a beloved character is a clear indication of their commitment to fan engagement and the topical authority of the series.

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Recent Cast Exits and the Status of the Extended Law & Order Universe

While the return of Rollins is a major addition, the SVU squad saw a couple of notable departures following the conclusion of Season 26. These changes reflect the natural evolution of a long-running police procedural.

Departing Detectives and Connected Entities

• Octavio Pisano (Detective Joe Velasco): Pisano, who joined the cast in Season 23, departed the series after Season 26. His character, Detective Velasco, had become a key part of the investigative team, and his exit leaves a spot open for new detective dynamics.
• Juliana Martinez (Detective Grace Muncy): Martinez, who was introduced in Season 24, also exited the series after Season 26. Her character was a younger, tech-savvy detective who provided a new perspective to the unit.

The Eternal Question: Benson and Stabler (Bensler)

No discussion of the current SVU cast is complete without mentioning the enduring relationship between Olivia Benson and her former partner, Detective Elliot Stabler (played by Christopher Meloni). Meloni returned to the Law & Order universe in 2021 to lead the spin-off series, Law & Order: Organized Crime.

The two shows, SVU and Organized Crime, frequently feature crossover episodes, allowing the "Bensler" storyline to continue its slow-burn development. In 2025, the actors and producers continued to tease the relationship, with Ice-T publicly stating his support for a "Benson & Stabler hookup," acknowledging the intense fan interest in the soulmate dynamic. Fans can expect the emotional and professional ties between Captain Benson and Detective Stabler to remain a central, high-stakes narrative element throughout Season 27.

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The current cast, led by the incomparable Mariska Hargitay, continues to deliver fresh, timely, and emotionally resonant stories, ensuring Law & Order: Special Victims Unit remains the gold standard of the police procedural genre. The Season 27 lineup promises a compelling blend of familiar faces and renewed energy.