On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mariska Hargitay has a way of getting perps to feel guilty. It turns out it happens in real life too.
Melissa McCarthy has revealed that she was “guilted” by Hargitay to take part in an epic public appearance to support the injured Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress…and it’s all tied to a text.
Mariska Hargitay’s Injury and McCarthy’s Response
Over the Fourth of July weekend, Hargitay revealed she had slipped on wet pavement while attending a Hamptons screening of Black Widow. It left her with a broken ankle that she’s spent the summer recovering from.
A few weeks later, Melissa McCarthy became a viral sensation by being seen standing by a Wienerschnitzel in Los Angeles holding a sign before oncoming traffic saying, “Honk if you’re praying for Mariska Hargitay’s recovery.”
The Emmy-winning actress posted it on her Instagram with the line, “If you can’t produce quality care for your friend after ankle surgery, the next best is obviously standing outside Wienerschnitzel with a sign.”
Hargitay herself loved the show of support, sharing the video with the line “above and beyond” while tongue-in-cheek asking for “takeout.”
Why did Melissa McCarthy make this sign?
On Monday’s episode of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, while promoting her new Hulu dramedy Nine Perfect Strangers, McCarthy explained that the reason behind the stunt was that she felt guilty over not responding fast enough to Hargitay’s texts.
“She rolled her ankle and it was like a really severe break. And she’s a really good texter and I’m terrible. Sometimes I … put my phone in my purse for three days, and then people are like, ‘Where are you?’ She sent me a really funny text just like, ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’m just here in a lot of pain, recovering.’ I guess you’re too busy to respond to my texts.” And so I was like, ‘Okay. Game on.’
So now, I have to make it seem like, ‘This is why I didn’t get back to you, because I was petitioning prayers.’ And so we literally jumped in the car and ran over — as you do in Burbank — to Wienerschnitzel. And I just jumped up and down and cars honked, and I think they were like, ‘What?'””
Fallon praised McCarthy for the honks, although the actress admitted she wasn’t sure if drivers “were thinking, like, ‘get well Mariska’ or if they were like ‘get out of the way.'”
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit producers have acknowledged the injury will be written into the show. Hargitay was back filming the upcoming Season 23 on crutches.
McCarthy remains busy as besides Nine Perfect Strangers, she’ll be playing a fake Hela in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.
It’s funny how a simple missed text talk inspired McCarthy’s show of love for Hargitay.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 23 premieres at 8/7 EST on September 23 on NBC. Nine Perfect Strangers premieres on Hulu on August 18.