On Oct. 20, 2000, Ice-T made his debut as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola on the long-running series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
By the time the role came around, Ice-T had already tried his hand at playing a cop, taking on the role of Scotty Appleton in Mario Van Peeble's classic 1990 film, New Jack City. In that role, he played a cop who wanted to avenge his mother's death at the hands of the infamous Nino Brown. His role as Fin in SVU features him as a dedicated, hard-nosed cop as well, though a little more conservative.
Not only is SVU the longest-running primetime drama series of all time, but Ice-T is also the longest-running male actor in a TV series for his role. In February 2023, Ice-T received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"He is universally liked by his compatriots," legendary show creator Dick Wolf said, adding that he hopes to work with him for another 25 years.
Maybe he will, because Law & Order: SVU has been renewed for seasons 25 and 26. In an interview last year, Ice-T said he'll be down with the show forever.
"I'm trying to stay with the show until they decide it's over."