The Reason You'll Be Seeing Less Ice-T On Law & Order: SVU

We should all be so lucky to have Ice-T's job security. Since the second season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" premiered in 2000, Ice-T has been a full-time cast member on the show, transforming from detective to sergeant over the years. However, while Ice-T doesn't plan on bidding farewell to "SVU" just yet, fans should probably get used to seeing much less of Sergeant Fin Tutuola going forward. So, why are Ice-T's hours on the police procedural's set being slashed?

When "Law & Order: SVU" entered its 27th season, it marked the full-time return of actor Kelli Giddish as Sergeant Amanda Rollins. While Giddish had been a main cast member from Season 13 through Season 24, she was relegated to part-time status for Seasons 25 and 26. With that in mind, while Ice-T was happy to see his co-star make such a big comeback, he also confessed that it put a strain on the show's budget. According to the rapper-turned-actor, the network simply couldn't afford to pay both him and Giddish full-time salaries. "Everybody wanted Kelli back, and we've got new cops and stuff like that," Ice-T told TMZ, adding, "I'm gonna be sprinkled throughout this season."

While Ice-T has thoughts about Sergeant Tutuola's eventual goodbye, the actor made it clear that he's not going anywhere yet, and hopes to stick around until at least Season 28. If it puts your mind at ease at all, the show's creators apparently feel the same way. "I said, 'Are you getting rid of me?' They said, 'No way. We can't imagine 'Law & Order' without you,'" Ice-T shared with TMZ. As for some of the guest roles fans wished would turn into permanent roles, considering the budgetary cuts, viewers shouldn't get their hopes up.

During his chat with TMZ, Ice-T also stressed that he harbors absolutely no ill will toward the crew behind "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." After all, while the reduction in his screentime (and thus, his pay) in Season 27 isn't exactly ideal for him — or fans of "SVU," for that matter — the fact remains that the show has given him steady work for a quarter of a century.

"I've been on this show for 27 years. I'm not gonna say nothing negative about that show, they've taken care of me for so long," Ice-T said, adding, "So don't worry about me ... I'll be all right." He also acknowledged that, while some fans have been vocally critical of his role being reduced, he certainly prefers that to the alternative. "I'm kind of glad the fans are upset, because what if I was missing and nobody cared? That would be something to worry about, but the fact that the fans wanted to see a little bit more Fin, that's good," he said.

Regarding the financial situation, while Ice-T's salary for "SVU" Season 27 is going to be lower compared to previous seasons, rest assured, his work on the show from the past two and a half decades all but guarantees that he'll be making a sizable bag from the show for years to come. As the rapper explained on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in 2022, his jaw dropped when he saw his first residual check, something he had never received from making movies. So he'll be fine; as Ice-T once rapped, "When you get the money, you get the power."