Mariska Hargitay Remembers Being Fired From the Original Power Rangers Movie

Mariska Hargitay is synonymous with Law & Order: SVU and her character Olivia Benson has become a staple of prime time television, recently breaking the record for longest-running prime-time drama. While many see her every week hunting down criminals, her career started off with some very different roles, including one in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. During a recent interview with Seth Meyers, Meyers brought out some photos of one of those early acting gigs, which had her playing the role of Queen Dulcea in Power Rangers. As fans know, that didn't end up working out, and Hargitay vividly remembers being fired from it (via EW).

After Meyers showed the photos of her in costume, Hargitay recalled what it was like on set. "I was so excited because I was going to Australia to play this queen," Hargitay said. "I get there, hair, makeup, prosthetics pieces, walking around like that, feeling pretty good."

"I was there from November and then December, and then we were getting close to Christmas and they had me on hold a lot," Hargitay said. "And finally, around December 21st, I said, 'Hey, guys, this is great, but you kept me on hold too long. I gotta go.' It's Christmas. I think that's only fair. So I fly home in December, and on January 3rd I call them. I'm like, 'Okay, I'm ready.' And they're like, 'Sweetie, you're good. Don't worry about it.' Yes, and they fired me… because I wanted to go home for Christmas and be with my family."

They would end up recasting the role with actress Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, but it's not like Hargitay has hurt for work since then. Still, she did take away a lesson from that whole ordeal.

"Yes, yes, I watch my Ps and Qs on SVU now and when they say 'we need you' I'm like 'I'm there and I'm ready. So far, so good," Hargitay said.

You can catch Hargitay as Olivia Benson every week on SVU, and as for Power Rangers, Shout! Factory recently released a new Blu-ray version of the film, which you can find out more about right here.

Would Hargitay have made a great Dulcea? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things Power Rangers!