Mariska Hargitay Traces 'Very Close' Friendship and 'Chemistry' with Christopher Meloni Back to Their JointSVUAudition

Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay.Photo:CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty There’s no secret toMariska HargitayandChristopher Meloni’s “good chemistry” — just an instant connection that traces back to their very first audition together.Before stepping into their iconicLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitroles as Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, Hargitay, 60, and Meloni, 63, were just two actors — and total strangers — in an audition that quickly turned into a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Hargitay explained in a new interview withToday.

Marissa Bode Slams 'Aggressive' Comments About HerWickedCharacter's Disability as 'Gross and Harmful'

Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode in ‘Wicked’.Photo:Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures The 24-year-old actress — who plays Nessarose, sister toCynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, in thebox-office hit movie musical— condemned the insensitive and hateful remarks that have been directed toward her character in a new video shared a week afterWickedhit theaters on Nov. 22. “It is absolutely okay to not like a fictional character,” Bode said. “I am going to be admitting my bias in the way that I have a lot of different feelings on Nessa than a lot of you do, and that’s totally fine.

Marissa G. Muller

Education:University of Iowa Marissa G. Muller is a former senior writer and editor at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2023.She joined PEOPLE in 2023.Before joining PEOPLE, Marissa was a senior pop culture editor at BuzzFeed from 2019 to 2022 and an editor at Condé Nast from 2016 to 2019. She was also a freelance writer for Vice and The Fader. Marissa G. Muller is a former senior writer and editor at PEOPLE.

Mark Ballas Leaned on Derek Hough During 'Really Heavy Time' After Wife's Miscarriage DuringDWTSSeason

Derek Hough and Mark Ballas on “Dancing with the Stars.".Photo:Disney/Eric McCandless Disney/Eric McCandless Mark Ballassays he leaned onDerek Houghwhen his wife had a miscarriage while he was competing onDancing with the Stars. Ballas, who shares a 13-month-old son,Banksi Wylde Ballas, with his wife,BC Jean, shared that they welcomed their son a year after suffering pregnancy loss during the dancing competition’s 31st season, where he was teamed up withCharli D’Amelioand took home theMirrorball trophy.

Mark Consuelos Has Wardrobe Malfunction on Live TV: 'Did Anybody Notice That?'

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.Photo:ABC ABC Mark Consuelosmight want to check the mirror before going live on television from now on!During the Wednesday, March 12 broadcast ofLive With Kelly and Mark, Consuelos, 53, andKelly Ripa, were surprised to discover that the zipper to his pants had been down while cameras were rolling.“We’ve got a huge show today, and I mean huge,” Ripa, 54, said with almost perfect comedic timing as the daytime talk show began.