Ice T holds the record as the longest-running male actor on TV as Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: SVU.
Ice T is here to stay on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
During a February 2026 interview on Sherri Shepherd’s talk show, the longtime SVU star spoke about his legendary run as Odafin “Fin” Tutuola — and when asked if he’d ever “depart” from his iconic and fan-favorite role, Ice T assured fans he’s here for the long haul.
“I’m ready for the ride,” Ice T said, sharing that he wants to play Sgt. Tutuola for as long as possible with his SVU ride-or-die and longtime friend Mariska Hargitay. “I think that show will go on for as long as Mariska wants to do it,” Ice T said of the star behind SVU’s Captain Olivia Benson.
Ice T then joked about how Fin ended up in the hospital in SVU’s Season 27 premiere. “I mean, this year they beat my a– in the first episode. So I was like, ‘Are y’all getting ready to get rid of me? Am I done?'” he said to laughter from the live audience.
Ice T most certainly is not done with SVU — not by a long shot. While Sgt. Tutuola has been recovering from that brutal attack this season and is only in the squad room “part time” for now, Ice T doesn’t mind the episode shake-ups.
“I’m not complaining about it,” he told Shepherd. “I’m trying to get to Season 28, 29, and 30.” Nobody would complain about that, either!
Benson told Fin to “take all the time you need” to recover on SVU
After Fin was brutally attacked and rushed to the hospital during Season 27’s premiere, he soon learned that his recovery timetable would be… lengthy, to say the least. While he completed physical therapy and returned to work, Fin realized that he still had some issues to work through in an emotional conversation with Benson.
“I just think I need a little bit more time before I come back. Just to get my head around it,” Fin admitted to Benson in Season 27, Episode 7, really wrestling with the fact that he lost his gun in the attack.
At that point, Benson advised her friend to take as much time as he needed to heal, both physically and mentally. “Take all the time you need. There’s always, always going to be a place here for you,” Benson told him.
Fans were happy to see the sergeant back in the squad room a few episodes later during “Fidelis ad Mortem,” with Fin returning to help with a 27-year-old narcotics cold case. “I actually already found a detective who was undercover for narcotics back then,” Benson informed the unit with a smirk as Fin entered the room. The sargeant was greeted with a hero’s welcome — and Fin couldn’t hide his smile.
“It’s part-time for now,” Fin told the squad.
“You look good, glad to have you back,” Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) told him.
As his character continues to heal, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Ice T’s iconic SVU character back on the small screen as Season 27 rolls on.
