Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay Had An Intense Role On Another Groundbreaking Cop Drama

Before putting on the badge for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Mariska Hargitay had a Bonnie-and-Clyde moment when she appeared in Carroll O'Connor's second hit series, "In the Heat of the Night." She had a guest spot as a character named Audine Higgs on Season 1, Episode 8, "...And Then You Die." 

"In the Heat of the Night" ran for eight seasons and was set in the fictional town of Sparta, Mississippi, focusing on the strained relationship between Chief Bill Gillespie (Carroll O'Connor) and Detective Virgil Tibbs (Howard E. Rollins Jr.). The groundbreaking cop drama faced several hurdles when it aired, including being dropped by NBC after five seasons for attracting an older audience. CBS eventually picked it up for more seasons, including four TV movies.

The police drama focused on the duo's growing partnership, instead of deepening the tensions between them. The series was adapted from the 1967 film of the same name starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Although Hargitay's time was short-lived on the crime drama, it let her take on a very different role than what she would become known for. Whereas Detective Olivia Benson plays things by the book, Audine stood on the wrong side of the law.

In Season 1, Episode 8 of "In the Heat of the Night," Mariska Hargitay's Audine Higgs robs and murders a store clerk with her convict boyfriend, Lester Sproles (Will Bledsoe). Audine and Lester carry on with their killing spree as Chief Gillespie and Detective Virgil investigate the incident. The case becomes personal for Virgil when the couple abducts his wife, Althea (Anne-Marie Johnson). Lester's reckless behavior drives Audine away, with her managing to escape and ultimately helping the authorities rescue Althea.

Hargitay also played another outlaw early in her career. Before her appearance on "In the Heat of the Night," she starred on the short-lived CBS cop show "Downtown" as a rebellious teen named Jesse. The show focused on LAPD detective John Forney (Michael Nouri) as he recruited four parolees (including Jesse) to help him close cases. Olivia Benson from "Law & Order: SVU" is the longest-running primetime drama character on TV. Hargitay's appreciation for her role hasn't gone unnoticed. Aside from using her platform to support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, the actor also believes that her on-screen persona is inspiring women to share their stories. "This character is, to me, heroic and something that our culture needed, somebody who fought for women and who elevated women's voices and who bears witness to such pain, and there is great healing in that," Hargitay told E! News.