Mariska Hargitay Directs "Law & Order SVU" Airs Wednesday

Hamptonite Mariska Hargitay‘s second directorial effort on NBC’s long running Law & Order Special Victims Unit airs this Wednesday at 9 p.m.

Hargitay, who has played now-acting commander of the NYPD’s sex crime unit, Sergeant Olivia Benson for 16 seasons, made her directorial debut in last year’s Season 15, Episode 18 “Criminal Stories,” guest starring Alec Baldwin.

On Wednesday, Hargitay again works on and off camera in SVU‘s Season 16, Episode 12 “Padre Sangunguero.” The episode focuses squarely on Detective Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) and his relationship with estranged father Nicolas (played by guest star Armand Assante), who is marrying a much younger woman. A fight breaks out at his father’s wedding and when Nicolas is arrested, Amaro becomes a witness in a case that “could expose family secrets and tear his family apart,” forcing him to choose between the badge and his family honor, according episode details on the “All Things Law and Order” blog.

Created by Dick Wolf, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is the longest-running primetime drama currently on television. Hargitay won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her work on SVU in 2005 and she was nominated again for the same honor in 2009. She also won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for SVU in 2006, and was nominated for that award in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Fun Fact: Fans of Dude Where’s My Car? (starring Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott) might be tickled to learn that Hargitay has a brother named Zoltan.

Watch the preview for Law & Order Special Victims Unit, Season 16, Episode 12 “Padre Sangunguero” below.