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The Miraculous Way Ice T Can Sleep—Yes, Sleep!—While Filming SVU Scenes
The actor is (hilariously) able to catch some Zs in between his cues.
Ice T is a dedicated actor who won't let any amount of fatigue set him back while on the set of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In a recent interview with Access, Ice T's co-star, Mariska Hargitay (Oliva Benson), gushed about what a joy it is to work with him on the show.
"[Ice T] is just an enigma," she said. "How God created this wonderful creature is just so beautiful. [He is] one of the kindest, most gentle human beings ever. I've never in 25 years heard this man complain. One of the most grateful humans beings I've ever met. And funny. And irreverent. And good."
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She then revealed a surprising quirk that Ice T does while filming.
"And I don't know another actor who can be sleeping while we're rolling, and then it gets to his line, and he wakes up, and delivers it like nobody else," she said with a laugh.
Ice T himself then explained how he's able to pull off the the intermittent snooze-fests while still appearing super alert on camera.
"Law & Order has actually gotten that on film," he said. "Back when I was shooting Players, they were shooting this scene, and I was off-camera. But they were talking, and I was listening for my cue. And I would fall asleep, because we were shooting at 2 or 3 in the morning. Sometimes with these shows, we shoot into the night. And I would hear my cue and I would get up and go: 'Well obviously, he didn't ask the police. Let's check the records.' And I'm falling asleep, and I would listen for my cue."
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Mariska Hargitay talks Ice T's impressive work ethic
When Ice T received his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, Hargitay gave a moving speech about what it's like to both act with the rapper on set and be his friend off set.
"You tell the truth, you keep it real, you usually introduce it with, 'So, here's what's up!' You laugh with me every day, we laugh so hard at things that we shouldn't laugh at. You grieve with me during times of sorrow, and you keep things, you keep everything, in perspective. You break it down, and you have been by my side working, learning, living, growing," she added. "And you've never failed me once and you're so deeply gracious and so profoundly grateful. And as Dick [Wolf] said, in 22 1/2 years, I have never, ever, ever heard Ice complain."
