Earlier this year, Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay found herself in a real-life situation that mirrored her on-screen role. She recently shared the touching story of how she helped a lost girl, and why she believes their meeting was fate.
Mariska Hargitay and the Lost Girl
Hargitay was filming an episode of SVU when a young girl wandered onto the set, unable to find her parents. The actress, embodying both her TV character and her maternal instincts, paused production to assist the child. Many assumed the girl mistook Hargitay for a police officer due to her Olivia Benson attire, but Hargitay believes it was a deeper connection that drew the girl to her.
“I saw this little girl and she just had these big glassy eyes, and she was alone. I don’t think that she thought I was a cop, she was too young for that. I think our eyes connected, and I saw her looking for her mom,” Hargitay recounted during an interview on Live with Kelly and Mark. “So, I just walked over to her and I said, ‘Hey, honey. Are you okay? Where’s your mommy?’”
Hargitay quickly realized the child didn’t speak much English, but she still offered to help find the girl’s parents. The moment was small yet emotional, resonating with Hargitay’s own experiences of feeling lost as a child.
Hargitay’s Real-Life “Cop Mode”
This wasn’t Hargitay’s first time stepping in to help someone in need. She once assisted a pregnant woman who fainted, demonstrating her ability to switch into “cop mode” even off-set. Reflecting on this incident in an interview with Good Housekeeping, she explained how her role as Olivia Benson prepared her for such emergencies.
“I can go totally into cop mode,” she said. “When the pregnant woman passed out, I immediately knew what to do. I yelled, ‘Call 911; get her water.’ Then I started going through all of the questions with her that could answer what might be wrong with her.”
Hargitay also noted that playing Benson had equipped her with skills useful in her role as a mother. “It really prepared me for motherhood, because as a cop, you are in charge of any emergency and you need to stay calm, take control, and get the help and the attention you need to fix it. It’s the same thing with being a parent,” she said.
Continuing to Make a Difference
Hargitay’s portrayal of Olivia Benson inspired her to become a real-life advocate. Many fans of SVU shared their own stories of domestic violence and abuse with her, often disclosing their experiences for the first time. This profound impact led Hargitay to establish the Joyful Heart Foundation, aimed at helping survivors of abuse.
“Sexual assault and domestic violence was something I didn’t know about when I started the show,” she shared in an interview with her organization. “And through all the research that I did to prepare to play this role, I learned the statistics and was so deeply horrified that I wanted to do something about it. I think the biggest eye-opener was learning that one in four women will be sexually or physically assaulted in her lifetime. Then I started to receive letters from victims, many disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time in their lives. Because I was living in this material, I felt that Joyful Heart was something I could actively do to feel like I was part of a change.”
Mariska Hargitay continues to embody the compassionate and heroic spirit of Olivia Benson, both on and off the screen, making a significant impact in the lives of many.
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