Ice-T Reveals The Guest Star He Was Most Starstruck By On "SVU" - Exclusive
It would be a fool's errand to try and tally up all the celebs that have walked onto the set of "Law & Order: SVU" since its beginnings in 1999, with so many fleeting appearances by stars who have appeared as activists, victims, the falsely accused, serial killers, and shady lawyers (ahem, Bradley Cooper). In fact, Esquire has compiled a partial list, including Amanda Seyfried, Zoe Saldana, Sarah Paulson, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Ice-T has his own list, too. The rapper and actor has learned a thing or two about guest stars in his 22-year stint as "SVU's" Fin Tutuola.
"What I've noticed is that all the people who are really made — meaning those people that are real stars — are the nicest people in the world. They have nothing to prove. They're who they are. If you don't know, that's your loss," Ice-T reflected in an exclusive interview with Looper's sister site, Mashed. "When you catch an attitude, you usually catch it from new artists who feel they don't think you know who they are or how important they are. They're throwing a bunch of attitude around. You're like, 'Get over yourself, all right?'"
Yet, speaking of the revolving door of A-listers who have joined him, Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, and Peter Scanavino for an episode, there's one star in particular that stands out to Ice-T.
Ice-T's favorite 'SVU' guest star was from the Rat Pack
If you were watching "SVU" on October 10, 2006, you caught the episode that left Ice-T starstruck. (That would be Season 8, Episode 4, for all of you hardcore fans searching madly through the digital archives.) In that episode, actor and comedian Jerry Lewis guest-starred on "SVU" as a rape and murder suspect that was living on the streets. Ice-T remembered being captivated by him. "I think my favorite [guest star] out of everybody who I was most [starstruck by] was Jerry Lewis, because Jerry Lewis is from the Rat Pack," the actor exclusively told Looper's sister site, Mashed. "I grew up watching Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin back in the day. To be with a legend of that caliber — [and] he loved Richard Belzer – to work with him, and for him to even know who I was, was big."
So, what was Lewis like on set? "He's the best," Ice-T dished. "He was a real comedian and a master of an art form. You know what I'm saying? It's like, there's very few comedians that could even try to ... stand toe to toe with Jerry Lewis in his prime."
You can next catch Ice-T on "Law & Order SVU's" upcoming episode, "And the Empire Strikes Back," which airs on February 24. You can also catch the actor on the back of your Cheerios box. Ice-T thinks exercise and eating healthy can be fun, and it's simple as enjoying a bowl of Cheerios and your exercise of choice. Readers can experience his Cheerios "Pour Your Heart Into It" workouts firsthand through his workout series accessible through the QR code on the back of limited-edition happy heart shape boxes of Cheerios, which come in Honey Nut Cheerios and yellow-box original Cheerios, as well as its Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate, and Strawberry Banana flavors.