Joyful Heart in the News

Former Cumming resident Kelli Giddish hopes the third time is a charm.

She first starred in a short-run Fox show called “Past Life” in early 2010. The drama, shot in Atlanta, featured a group of investigators who use repressed memories of past lives to solve crimes. Only five episodes ever aired.

Giddish quickly nabbed a role starring on NBC’s “Chase,” which debuted in September and aired for 18 episodes. Giddish played Annie Frost, a U.S. Marshal tracking down dangerous criminals in Texas. Ratings were mediocre and NBC didn’t give it a second season.

But NBC liked Giddish. Dick Wolf cast her on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” when Chris Meloni stepped down after 12 seasons. She plays Amanda Rollins, a former detective in Atlanta who moves to the Special Victims Unit as an admirer of Detective Olivia Benson, played by Emmy-winning actress Mariska Hargitay.

On tonight’s episode, we learn of Det. Rollins’ gambling addiction. A bookie who discovers what she does for a living gets her in  trouble since she owes him $20,000. “He has leverage,” Giddish said in an interview last week.

Giddish said she’s not intimidated joining such a well-established show. “But it’s definitely challenging,” she said. “The crew and cast are family. You definitely feel like the new kid on the block.”

This is her third law-enforcement “job” in a row: “I can’t complain. I act like a little kid. I don’t let my curiosity be dampened in any way.”

The material on “SVU” is frequently dark, mining the “underbelly of society,” as Giddish said. “I’ve had some really strange dreams,” she said, since starting on the show.

While her character is a fan of Det. Benson, Giddish is an equal fan of Hargitay and appreciates Hargitay starting the Joyful Heart Foundation to help victims of sexual assault. “I’ve learned a lot from her in terms of being proactive and turning things on its head. I have a lot of respect for her and her foundation,” Giddish said.

The loss of Meloni has not helped ratings of the show, which has dropped to its lowest to date, averaging around 7 to 8 million viewers.

Will “SVU” get a 14th season? “I’m hoping it gets renewed,” Giddish said. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t.” And given NBC’s relative sorry state, it probably will.

Giddish visits Atlanta when she can. Her family is still here. She hung out over Christmas. “It was wonderful. I got down there and it was 70 degrees!” She said her brother Eli is back in show business as an accountant and is working on the new Fox Kevin Bacon pilot in town.