Marsika Hargitay roasted Nicole Kidman’s viral AMC ad during the opening monologue at the 2026 Emmys.
The “Law & Order: Special Victims” star’s opener got off to a rocky start Monday with a pre-taped video of her singing Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” which she changed the lyrics to to pay homage to this year’s nominees.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson made a cameo, as well as Jennifer Coolidge.
The highlight of her monologue was when she poked fun at Kidman’s 2021 ad for AMC Theaters, which has inspired countless memes and spoofs thanks to the earnest monologue the “Big Little Lies” star delivers in the commercial.
Hargitay started reciting her own version of the monologue as dramatic music started playing in the background, along with a bright light glowing behind her that mimicked the commercial.
“At the end of the day, we come to TV for magic — to laugh, to cry, to care,” she told the star-studded audience.
As the crowd started laughing, Hargitay continued her over-the-top monologue.
“Because we need that, all of us,” she said, pretending to choke up. “That indescribable feeling we get when the light begins to dim, dazzling images on the silver screen, sound that I can feel.”
The camera then cut to Kidman in the audience, who playfully interrupted her.
“Mariska, come on. That’s mine,” she said. “That’s my bit, you can’t do that.”
As Kidman continued to playfully interrupt her, Hargitay cracked, “Zip it movie lady, it’s TV’s turn tonight.”
Hargitay, 62, is the first woman to host the awards show in 15 years. She poked fun at that fact during the monologue, joking that she only got the job because Tina Fey and Amy Poehler said no.
One of her more memorable jokes was also her pretending she didn’t know how to pronounce the word “finale” — because “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” never had one — which had the audience cheering.
The actress talked about preparing for her opening monologue in a recent Q&A with the Hollywood Reporter.
“I have not only watched past monologues, I’ve built mine out of everything that killed in the past 78 years,” she said. “It’s been focus-grouped, and it works. Word-for-word, no updates. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
She also shared, “The night is about celebrating this incredible thing that we’re all so fortunate to be able to do: Tell stories that move people, entertain people, make people laugh and cry and everything in between.”
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“Humor and laughter are deep, vital, indispensable parts of who I am, and I feel very lucky that I have this opportunity to bring all of myself to the party.”
The star-studded audience Monday included Zendaya, Keke Palmer, Jon Hamm, Poehler and more.
As for who’s nominated this year, HBO drama “The Pitt” leads the pack with 25 nominations, while “Hacks” came in second with 24.
Apple TV’s summer hit horror/comedy “Widow’s Bay” comes in third, with 19 nominations for its debut season. “Pluribus” also had a strong showing, with 18 nominations, while “Beef” had 16 and “DTF St. Louis” had 13.
To be eligible for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, shows needed to have aired between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
“The Pitt” — starring Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy, Taylor Dearden and more — is expected to dominate at this year’s ceremony, which is no surprise given that it cleaned up at last year’s Emmys and this year’s Golden Globes.
The Emmys “In Memoriam” segment will also be heartbreaking this year, with the show expected to honor Hayden Panettiere, James Van Der Beek, Catherine O’Hara, Chuck Norris, Dolly Parton and more.
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