Jennifer Love Hewitt Eyed as New SVU Lead as Mariska Hargitay Signs Deal to Return
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Sources tell Deadline that the 32-year-old actress is in talks to play the show's female lead in its upcoming 13th season.
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Mariska Hargitay, 47, is signed on for the upcoming season, although Christopher Meloni, 50, has yet to strike a deal with NBC.
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According to the site, Hargitay's character, Detective Olivia Benson, will continue to solve sex crimes for the first 13 episodes. Then her character will be promoted to a higher position and a new detective, presumably played by Hewitt, would take her place. Hewitt was a guest star on the show in fall 2010.