Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/GettyIce-Tis known for his succinct one-liners onLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit, and he’s just as straight-to-the-point when he discusses his real life — including the pain of losing a very close friend.The star has the distinction of being the longest-running male actor on television thanks to his performance as Sergeant Fin Tutuola onSVUfor 23 seasons. And he’s coming off a huge month in which he turned 65,performed at the Grammysandreceived a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.But just two days after he was celebrating in the streets of Hollywood, he learned his dear friend and longtime costarRichard Belzerhaddiedsuddenly at age 78.“After that great week, coming off the star ceremony, I partied with all my friends in L.A. — ‘Ice, you brought a star back to the hood!’ — it was a great night,” he recalls. “Woke up, Belzer passed away. And it just crushed me.“Law & Order/YoutubeIn the wake of Belzer’s death, the “jewel” of wisdom he shared with his social media followers was an especially poignant one.“I did a quote after that, and I said, ‘Whenever you’re having a good time, really enjoy it. Don’t feel guilty about partying, having that moment, because pain is guaranteed,'” explained the rapper, who is parlaying the “Ice Cold Facts” he shares on social media into a new podcast calledIce-T’s Daily Game.“It’s sad but true,” he continues. “The pain of life is inevitable. We’re going to lose people. People are going to be sick. Happiness is rare. I’m happy right now, but I’m talking about that moment where you’re just happy, you’re partying and you tend to feel guilty sometimes. That moment, enjoy that to death, because the pain is coming. Suck those moments up.“Ice’s wisdom, he says, comes from “licks” he’s gotten over the course of his life, and he advises, “Things you’ve gone through — it’s never a loss. It’s always a lesson.“Courtesy iHeartPodcastsThedad of three(who is married toCoco Austin) also has plenty of guidance for his kids, too.“All my kids, my son, he gets [Ice Cold Facts] every day. My grown daughter. AndChanelis going to live amongst the wisdom,” he says.The same goes for hisSVUcostarMariska Hargitay.“I taught Mariska one thing,” he shares. “I learned that you have to learn how to say no sometimes.“He continues, “Mariska’s a very giving person and it can make you sick worrying about other people and not taking care of yourself. I believe that a lot of times people need to use that word ‘no.’ We keep each other sane.“Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay pose for a photo.Todd Williamson/NBC via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Law & Order: SVUairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, and the iHeartPodcasts and Audity podcastIce-T’s Daily Gamedrops new episodes every weekday.
Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Ice-Tis known for his succinct one-liners onLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit, and he’s just as straight-to-the-point when he discusses his real life — including the pain of losing a very close friend.The star has the distinction of being the longest-running male actor on television thanks to his performance as Sergeant Fin Tutuola onSVUfor 23 seasons. And he’s coming off a huge month in which he turned 65,performed at the Grammysandreceived a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.But just two days after he was celebrating in the streets of Hollywood, he learned his dear friend and longtime costarRichard Belzerhaddiedsuddenly at age 78.“After that great week, coming off the star ceremony, I partied with all my friends in L.A. — ‘Ice, you brought a star back to the hood!’ — it was a great night,” he recalls. “Woke up, Belzer passed away. And it just crushed me.“Law & Order/YoutubeIn the wake of Belzer’s death, the “jewel” of wisdom he shared with his social media followers was an especially poignant one.“I did a quote after that, and I said, ‘Whenever you’re having a good time, really enjoy it. Don’t feel guilty about partying, having that moment, because pain is guaranteed,'” explained the rapper, who is parlaying the “Ice Cold Facts” he shares on social media into a new podcast calledIce-T’s Daily Game.“It’s sad but true,” he continues. “The pain of life is inevitable. We’re going to lose people. People are going to be sick. Happiness is rare. I’m happy right now, but I’m talking about that moment where you’re just happy, you’re partying and you tend to feel guilty sometimes. That moment, enjoy that to death, because the pain is coming. Suck those moments up.“Ice’s wisdom, he says, comes from “licks” he’s gotten over the course of his life, and he advises, “Things you’ve gone through — it’s never a loss. It’s always a lesson.“Courtesy iHeartPodcastsThedad of three(who is married toCoco Austin) also has plenty of guidance for his kids, too.“All my kids, my son, he gets [Ice Cold Facts] every day. My grown daughter. AndChanelis going to live amongst the wisdom,” he says.The same goes for hisSVUcostarMariska Hargitay.“I taught Mariska one thing,” he shares. “I learned that you have to learn how to say no sometimes.“He continues, “Mariska’s a very giving person and it can make you sick worrying about other people and not taking care of yourself. I believe that a lot of times people need to use that word ‘no.’ We keep each other sane.“Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay pose for a photo.Todd Williamson/NBC via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Law & Order: SVUairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, and the iHeartPodcasts and Audity podcastIce-T’s Daily Gamedrops new episodes every weekday.
Ice-Tis known for his succinct one-liners onLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit, and he’s just as straight-to-the-point when he discusses his real life — including the pain of losing a very close friend.
The star has the distinction of being the longest-running male actor on television thanks to his performance as Sergeant Fin Tutuola onSVUfor 23 seasons. And he’s coming off a huge month in which he turned 65,performed at the Grammysandreceived a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
But just two days after he was celebrating in the streets of Hollywood, he learned his dear friend and longtime costarRichard Belzerhaddiedsuddenly at age 78.
“After that great week, coming off the star ceremony, I partied with all my friends in L.A. — ‘Ice, you brought a star back to the hood!’ — it was a great night,” he recalls. “Woke up, Belzer passed away. And it just crushed me.”
Law & Order/Youtube
In the wake of Belzer’s death, the “jewel” of wisdom he shared with his social media followers was an especially poignant one.
“I did a quote after that, and I said, ‘Whenever you’re having a good time, really enjoy it. Don’t feel guilty about partying, having that moment, because pain is guaranteed,'” explained the rapper, who is parlaying the “Ice Cold Facts” he shares on social media into a new podcast calledIce-T’s Daily Game.
“It’s sad but true,” he continues. “The pain of life is inevitable. We’re going to lose people. People are going to be sick. Happiness is rare. I’m happy right now, but I’m talking about that moment where you’re just happy, you’re partying and you tend to feel guilty sometimes. That moment, enjoy that to death, because the pain is coming. Suck those moments up.”
Ice’s wisdom, he says, comes from “licks” he’s gotten over the course of his life, and he advises, “Things you’ve gone through — it’s never a loss. It’s always a lesson.”
Courtesy iHeartPodcasts
Thedad of three(who is married toCoco Austin) also has plenty of guidance for his kids, too.
“All my kids, my son, he gets [Ice Cold Facts] every day. My grown daughter. AndChanelis going to live amongst the wisdom,” he says.
The same goes for hisSVUcostarMariska Hargitay.
“I taught Mariska one thing,” he shares. “I learned that you have to learn how to say no sometimes.”
He continues, “Mariska’s a very giving person and it can make you sick worrying about other people and not taking care of yourself. I believe that a lot of times people need to use that word ‘no.’ We keep each other sane.”
Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay pose for a photo.Todd Williamson/NBC via Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Law & Order: SVUairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, and the iHeartPodcasts and Audity podcastIce-T’s Daily Gamedrops new episodes every weekday.
source: people.com
