The two SVU icons were having way too much fun together at a recent event in Los Angeles.
Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni never fail to make a statement on the red carpet.
On February 27, the two Law & Order: Special Victims Unitlegends attended the 76th Annual ACE Eddie Awards in Los Angeles, California, and cameras captured another example of their world-famous chemistry on display for all to see. Hargitay and Meloni were dressed to impress in their black-tie best, of course, but Meloni couldn’t resist having a little fun on the red carpet with his longtime friend.
For starters, photographers snapped an adorable and hilarious candid moment of Meloni rubbing his nose on Hargitay’s temple in a gesture that clearly made the SVU sweetheart laugh on the red carpet as they posed for photos. The duo never passes up an opportunity to be their authentic, silly selves.
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay attend the 76th Annual ACE Eddie Awards at UCLA Royce Quad on February 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
In fact, “silliness” seemed to be the theme of the night at the ACE Eddie Awards. In a video shared on X of Hargitay and Meloni posing for photos, the Law & Order: Organized Crime star quipped on the red carpet, “We’re actors, we don’t have a thought in our head.” Hargitay then quickly chimed in with a zinger, jokingly referring to themselves as “talking meat.”
In another video, the two could be seen giggling while photographers snapped even more pictures of them — it really looked like Hargitay and Meloni had just as much fun at the ACE Eddie Awards as they did at the 2025 Emmys!
It shouldn’t surprise any longtime fan that laughter is a big part of their adorable real-life friendship — after all, Hargitay once called it their “love language.”
Mariska Hargitay talks about her “love language” with Chris Meloni
During her October 2025 appearance on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, the 62-year-old SVU star spoke about her enduring bond with Meloni — and revealed that their shared sense of humor is a big reason why they’re so close.
“I have this personality, and Chris and I… both have that sense of humor, that sense of play, sense of risk,” Hargitay explained to Amy Poehler.
Taking it a step further, Hargitay added that Meloni’s “hard teasing” strengthened their bond, comparing it to growing up with two brothers.
“Hard teasing, I learned that from, well, Chris Meloni was my teacher,” Hargitay continued. “This guy played so rough and was the first person that busted balls so hard. But I did grow up with two brothers, so I was like, ‘Oh? Oh, is this how we do it?’ And we were so rough on each other. But then it became truly our love language.”
