Kelli Giddish Quits Law & Order: SVU After 12 Season Runs As Det. Amanda Rollins: “One Of The Greatest Joys And Privileges Of My Life”
- The 42-year-old actress will star in the show’s 24th season this fall
- She took to Instagram to confirm she was leaving the series
- Giddish started playing Det. Amanda Rollins on the show’s 13th season in 2011
- “Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life,” said Giddish
Kelli Giddish announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that she is leaving Law & Order: SVU ahead of season 24 of the NBC crime drama this fall.
The 42-year-old actress who began playing the role of Det. Amanda Rollins said during the show’s 13th season in 2011 that she wanted “to address the chatter [she’s] seen online and let everyone know that this will indeed be the case [her] last season on Law & Order: SVU.’
A Cumming, Georgia native, said that she has been “very fortunate to have been a part of the Law & Order family for the last 12 years” and that “playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of [her] Life.’
The Latest: Kelli Giddish, 42, announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that she is releasing the series Law & Order: SVU ahead of season 24 of the NBC crime drama this fall. She was photographed on set in NYC earlier this month
She continued, “There’s just no other character on television like Rollins. She’s grown and changed, and so have I. I started on this show in my late 20’s and am grateful to have had the privilege of spending so many of my adult years with Rollins in my life.
In her statement, Giddish thanked the show’s creator, Dick Wolf, star/producer Mariska Hargitay, executive producer Peter Jankowski, executive producer Warren Leight, NBC and Universal Television.
Giddish also thanked her “co-stars, every single member of the crew and all the writers here for our incredible collaboration over the past 12 years.”
She added: “I’m so excited to take all the things I’ve learned during my time at SVU and apply them to whatever comes next…. #SVU.’
Giddish, who began playing the role of Det. Amanda Rollins said during the show’s 13th season in 2011 that she wanted “to address the chatter [she’s] seen online and let everyone know that this will indeed be the case [her] final season of Law & Order: SVU’
Candidly: Giddish thanked show creator Dick Wolf, star/producer Mariska Hargitay, executive producer Peter Jankowski, executive producer Warren Leight, NBC and Universal Television in her statement; seen in a promotional image for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Earlier this month, Giddish was seen on set with Mariska Hargitay in NYC
Insiders told Entertainment Weekly that the final episode starring Giddish will air midway through the upcoming season of the show.
The Rollins character will go through a traumatic event in the upcoming year of the series, insiders told TV Line.
Addressing fans upset by the news in the comments section of Giddish’s post, David Graziano, the new showrunner for the long-running series, praised the actress for her talent and professionalism.
“Perhaps take a moment to consider the idea that things are more complex than they appear in a world of emojis and tweets,” he said. “All I can say is Kelli handled it with the incredibly stylish way.
Insiders told Entertainment Weekly that the final episode starring Giddish will air midway through the upcoming season of the show
“She is without a doubt one of the finest industry professionals I have come across in my 24 years as a television writer. I am saddened by her impending departure. It will be my lucky day if I ever get to write for her again.”
Giddish made her first appearance on the show in the show’s eighth season in the 2007 episode Outsider.
News of Giddish’s departure from the show comes as NBC announced it would air a three-hour special in September integrating all three active Law & Order series – the original show, SVU and organized crime.
Other fluctuations in the shows include the departure of Anthony Anderson for season 22 of Law & Order, Mehcad Brooks joining the show’s cast, and Molly Burnett being added to the cast of SVU.
