Mariska Hargitay has been playing the role of Olivia Benson on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999, and the character has bled into her real life over the years.
“It’s deeply in me,” Hargitay said about her character during a 2017 interview with E! News. “I was just saying the other day, I don’t know any more where Mariska ends and Olivia starts. They’re just becoming so enmeshed and entwined, and I think that’s a good thing.”
Fans of the show have watched Olivia rise through the ranks from detective to captain of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. In real life, the actress has taken on a role as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence. In January 2024, Hargitay wrote an a powerful essay revealing that she is also survivor after being raped by a friend in her 30s.
“This is a painful part of my story. The experience was horrible,” she wrote at the time. “But it doesn’t come close to defining me, in the same way that no other single part of my story defines me. No single part of anyone’s story defines them.”
Keep scrolling to see Hargitay taking on the role of Benson in real life:
Founding Joyful Heart
Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to raise awareness for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. The actress referred to the charity as “a response” to survivors when speaking at the Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s 18th Annual HOPE Luncheon Seminar in November 2024.
Being There for a Lost Child
In April 2024, Hargitay was filming SVU at the Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park in New York City when a little girl, who appeared to be alone, ran up to the actress. The situation halted production on the show, according to various reports at the time, but Hargitay assisted in helping find the child’s mother.
Assisting Real-Life Sexual Assault Cases
Prosecutor Kym Worthy discovered more than 11,000 untested rape kits in a police department’s evidence room, and Hargitay funded her mission to continue investigations. This was revealed in an August 2024 episode of the “Dateline True Crime Weekly” podcast.
“[Mariska] helped them raise the money to get this done, and it’s having a ripple effect across the country,” podcast host Andrea Canning shared at the time. “It’s making changes everywhere, from police departments to prosecutors’ offices.”
Helping Pedestrians During an Interview
In November 2024, Hargitay proved that her onscreen police training can come in handy for real-life situations. She was being interviewed by NBC’s Willie Geist NYC, according to a Page Six report at the time, when the duo assisted two disabled pedestrians in crossing the street.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
