There will be no disorder on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” with series stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni agreeing to new contracts.
They will be joined next season by an additional cast member, Adam Beach of the film “Flags of Our Fathers.”
“I’m thrilled that Chris and Mariska have decided to stay with a show that they’ve made an indelible stamp upon, as we move into our ninth season,” series creator Dick Wolf said Wednesday in a statement.
The actors signed two-year deals with substantial raises that will mean annual salaries of more than $6.5 million each, Daily Variety reported, citing unidentified sources.
That increase will make Hargitay one of the highest-paid actresses in television, the trade paper said.
Wolf declined to discuss details of the contract, said spokeswoman Pam Golum, who confirmed that Beach would be joining the show. He’ll play Brooklyn police Detective Chester Lake, a character he guest-starred as on a recent episode.
Beach also is starring in Wolf’s TV movie, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” set to debut in May on HBO.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is part of NBC’s long-running trio of “Law & Order” series and is the highest-rated. The original “Law & Order” is in its 17th season, while “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” is in its sixth year.
Hargitay and Meloni have been with the show since it debuted in 1999. The actress won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role, while Meloni was nominated for an Emmy.
NBC announced last week that “Special Victims Unit” would return next fall.
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