Mariska Hargitay feared the worst when she received an unexpected call from one of NBC’s top executives.
The 62-year-old Law & Order: SVU star will host the 2026 Emmy Awards next month, but she initially wondered whether the network was calling with bad news about her job.
During an appearance on Today on Thursday (August 13), Mariska recalled her reaction when the NBCUniversal Television chairman Pearlena Igbokwe contacted her backstage.
“I thought, ‘Oh, I should answer this. Am I getting fired?” she shared.
Instead, Pearlena asked Mariska to host television’s biggest awards show. Mariska said she initially believed the offer was a joke and struggled to understand why she had been selected.
“I’m not a comedian, and it’s historically comedians,” she explained, adding that she was shocked by the invitation. “It was probably the farthest thing from my mind that I thought she was gonna say, so I actually was kind of shocked. But I said, ‘Listen, I’m about to go on [stage]. Let me think about it.’”
Mariska was preparing to take the stage for Every Brilliant Thing, which recently marked her Broadway debut, so she asked for time to consider the opportunity. After thinking it over during the weekend, she ultimately decided, “Why not?”
The Emmy winner will be the first woman to host the ceremony in 15 years. Jane Lynch was the most recent woman to take the job in 2011.
Mariska previously called the opportunity a “great honor” when her hosting role was announced in July.
The 78th Emmy Awards will air live on Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
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