Mariska Hargitay and Nicole Kidman at the 2026 Emmys. Getty Images (2) Sorry Nicole Kidman, Mariska Hargitay is making it clear that Sunday night is TV’s turn at the 2026 Emmys.
In the Law & Order: SVU star’s opening monologue, she spoofed Kidman’s beloved AMC Theatres ad.
Hargitay said: “No matter how we watch, and even though we’re worlds apart, we’re all still holding a bit of that communal light. And at the end of the day, we come to TV for magic, to laugh, to cry, to care because we need that, all of us — that indescribable feeling that we get when the lights begin to dim, dazzling images on the silver screen. So that I can feel…”
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Kidman then interrupted, saying, “That’s mine. That’s my bit. You can’t do that.”
She added, “That is actually my line!”
“Zip it, movie lady. It’s TV’s turn tonight,” Hargitay quipped.
Though Kidman is, of course, a movie star, she is also no stranger to television, having starred in numerous series over the years, including this year’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Lioness season three.
Elsewhere in her monologue, Hargitay joked about SVU series creator Dick Wolf: “Over the years, there have been a lot of jokes about his name, which is so unfair because Dick Wolf isn’t even his real name. His real name is Richard Penis.”
She opened the monologue with a pre-recorded sketch that showed the actress steaming her ball gown next to Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Hargitay and Brunson have a longstanding friendship, having bonded over Brunson watching SVU with his dad growing up. Hargitay has also become a courtside staple at Madison Square Garden, including at this year’s NBA Finals, which saw the Knicks win.
Hargitay also noted that she is the first female host of the Emmys in 15 years.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter leading up to the 2026 Emmys, Hargitay spoke about how she was preparing for the hosting gig.
“I have not only watched past monologues, I’ve built mine out of everything that killed in the past 78 years,” she said. “It’s been focus-grouped, and it works. Word-for-word, no updates. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
She added that she hopes the hosting gig will lead “to whatever’s next” and that it’s exciting not to know what that is yet.
“That’s the way my bucket list works. It’s not a list of things to check off, it’s a way of going deeper into life,” she said.
The 2026 Emmys took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. See the complete winners list here and red carpet arrivals here.
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