Ice-T sparks concern with 'Law & Order: SVU' injury gag
Ice-T may be in need of an ice pack, or at least his TV counterpart Detective Fin does.
The Grammy-winning rapper and actor, who stars as Odafin Tutuola on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," teased his return to the long-running crime drama in a playful Instagram post on July 31. Ice-T, who joined the iconic NBC series in 2000, shared a photo of his character sporting a gnarly black eye and cut lip.
"Back filming SVU and the first scene I shoot…." Ice-T wrote in the post's caption, using an expletive before quickly reassuring fans, "It's in the script."
Viewers won't have to wait long to see what crime-fighting adventures Det. Fin and the rest of the "SVU" gang, which includes show leads Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, have been up to in the streets of New York City.
Season 27 of "SVU" is expected to launch on Sept. 25 alongside the Season 25 premiere of flagship series "Law & Order," according to the official NBC website. New episodes will air on Thursdays and be available to stream on Peacock the following day.
During an October 2024 interview with The Guardian, Ice-T, who initially made a name for himself in the rap scene of the late 1980s and early '90s, reflected on his unlikely "Law & Order" stint after appearing in crime dramas such as "New Jack City," "Mean Guns" and "Sonic Impact."
"They called me to do four episodes, and it just kept on giving, 25 years later," Ice-T, 67, told the British outlet. "Hip-hop was doing this paradigm shift away from acts like me, Public Enemy and Ice Cube into this weird other world where I wouldn't have survived."
He added, "So, maybe it was like a lifeboat pulling up next to me. Like, OK: Time for you to change your main hustle. It's been a good ride, and it keeps me contained — when you're a musician and only a musician, you got a lot of free time, and that free time can get you in trouble."
Ice-T's black eye photo prompts playful concern on social media
In the comments section, Ice-T's realistic "SVU" make-up for his character's injury had some of the rapper-actor's famous peers reaching for their own emergency alert.
"Man, before I read the caption, I was about to come to the house with Uncle Tony 😂❤️," Premium Pete wrote.
"OG! I immediately start thinkin', 'Oh ... We about to crash out,' " Big Court commented. "I ain't about to post what went through my mind. 🤦🏾 Glad it's make-up though. 😂😂😂"
"Had me worried for a second — excellent work by the makeup team," Alycia Miller wrote. "I am glad it's just for SVU! ❤️"
"Was getting ready to launch missiles..🫡," King T wrote, while Edwin Robinson II added, "I was about to send the prayer angels down… 😂😂😂"