Mariska Hargitay has revealed that supermodel Kate Moss turned down a speaking part on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

The 62-year-old actress has played Detective Olivia Benson on 27 seasons of the crime-based TV show, with the 28th series premiering next month.

In a chat with Jimmy Kimmel, Mariska was asked about her recent revelation that a model had turned down the chance to take on a bigger part in the show - and went on to name Kate as the model in question.

Mariska said: "She [Kate] started letting me know that she wanted to be on the show. So, I went to the producers and I told them about it, and we wrote her a part of a madam.

"Then she says, 'No, no, no. I don't want any lines. I just want to be a dead body.' And I went, 'Oh, it's like that.' That's what it's like."

She then laughed: "People don't, sometimes, want to be a part. They just want to be an iconic dead body. I mean, it is iconic!"

Mariska added that she's "always so flattered" by the amount of "superstars" that ask her to cast them on the show, as she said: "It's a thing that people want to play dead bodies on the show."

The screen star previously said that she thought about quitting Law and Order because she didn't want to be considered a "one trick pony".

However, she then realised that she could do both - continuing in the role and also taking on other gigs.

She said: "Do I want to quit now? No. Why? I made a movie while shooting. I did a play for six weeks on hiatus. I'm hosting the Emmys!"

Mariska will be taking the helm of the Emmy Awards on Monday (14.09.26), and said that while she was initially hesitant about taking on the presenting role, she knew that she would regret it if she didn't.

She said: "As long as we can tolerate the uncomfortableness and the fear, feel the fear, and then we do it anyway. What waits for you on the other side is truly extraordinary."