Mariska Hargitay Reveals How ‘Law & Order SVU’ Is Always on Her Brain Wherever She Goes
Law & Order SVU has had a profound impact on Mariska Hargitay. So much so that some of her character, Olivia Benson, has rubbed off on her in real life.
Mariska Hargitay always asks herself this one question wherever she goes thanks to ‘Law & Order SVU’
Hargitay has always been very candid about how Olivia Benson has helped shape her as a person. SVU helped encourage hurt women around the country to reach out to Hargitay to tell their stories. This would inspire the actor to start her Joyful Heart Foundation, dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence and abuse.
But recently, Hargitay shared that her experience as Benson raised her awareness towards crime as well. Speaking on Interview, Hargitay revealed the one question that’s always on her mind wherever she goes.
“When I started the show, I wasn’t aware of how deeply it would go into me,” she said. “My husband Peter is always like, anytime I go anywhere, my first question is, ‘What’s the crime rate here?’ So it’s on the brain.’”
But Hargitay confided that she initially found herself affected by the show’s premise in a negative way as well. The fact that SVU’s stories would be ripped straight from real news headlines was one of the many features that attracted her to the show. But the side-effect was those stories could be a little overwhelming at times.
“There’s been times when I didn’t know how to protect myself, and I think I was definitely a victim of secondary trauma from being inundated with these stories and knowing that they were true. Those were the parts that I didn’t know how to metabolize, just because of the sheer volume of it. That’s also why I started Joyful Heart [Foundation], so I would feel like, well, at least I’m doing something about it,” she said.
Mariska Hargitay went from having no power on ‘SVU’ to being a boss
Both Hargitay and Benson have come a long way since their debut on SVU. Hargitay used to share the top spot with co-star Chris Meloni in the beginning. After Meloni’s departure, Hargitay anchored the show, becoming the face of the popular spin-off. In the series, Benson experienced a similar transition.
“That’s been the gift of the character—she has evolved so much, going from detective to sergeant to lieutenant, and here I am now as captain, which is a completely new skill set from being a detective,” Hargitay said when reflecting on the character’s growth. “And I’ve actually grown up in front of the country, became a parent, gone from being equals to, ‘Oh, now I’m your boss and have seniority.’ It’s a very interesting thing that we do, because it’s hard to be the boss. It’s hard to be in charge when you don’t want things to change.”
Nowadays, Hargitay feels she is a far cry from the rookie she was in her thirties when she first put on Benson’s badge.
“So different,” she said. “I was not the boss and I had no power. I was also overwhelmed and scared and kind of looked up to everybody. It was more of a patriarchal society 25 years ago. They set the rules in their universe and we just showed up in it. But as I grew and evolved, both as Mariska and as Olivia Benson, I think my favorite part is that as I evolved, I didn’t give away pieces of myself.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
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