Mariska Hargitay Reflects on Her Record-Breaking 21 Seasons on NBC’s Emmy-Winning Drama Series and Bringing Assault to the Front Page
On a humid September afternoon in Manhattan, Mariska Hargitay stands in a park, surrounded by the crew of NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” as they film yet another gripping episode. Amid the bustling activity, a nanny approaches Hargitay, handing over a 1-year-old girl in Gucci sneakers for a photo. “Her mother loves you,” the nanny says, a sentiment echoed by more nannies and their charges who gather around. “I watch you every night,” says another.
You wouldn’t trust just any TV star with your baby, but Hargitay, now 55, has earned that trust. “People can hand me their babies all day long. That’s just one of the perks of my job,” she says with a smile. It’s a job she’s held for a long time – 21 seasons as of September 26, making “SVU” the longest-running TV drama ever, surpassing even Dick Wolf’s original “Law & Order.”
Hargitay’s portrayal of Olivia Benson, who has risen from detective to lieutenant, has profoundly impacted both her career and personal life. She met her husband, Peter Hermann, on the show in 2002, and together they have three children. In 2004, she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, advocating for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“She quickly realized that telling these stories and depicting the journeys of survivors was more than a good part, it was also a great responsibility,” says SVU showrunner Warren Leight. Hargitay has earned eight Emmy nominations for her role, winning in 2006. This year, she’s also nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy for the HBO documentary “I Am Evidence,” which she produced, shedding light on the scandalous backlog of untested rape kits across the country.
Hargitay has become an icon of empathy, her influence extending beyond the screen. She began directing in 2014 and became an executive producer on “SVU” in 2016. Today, she is one of the highest-paid actor-producers on television, earning a reported $450,000 per episode. “When I walk down the street and people say, ‘I knew what to do because of watching your show,’ that’s what I’m most proud of,” she says.
Recalling her journey, Hargitay remembers receiving the pilot script titled “Sex Crimes” and feeling an immediate connection. “I always thought that I would go into comedy, that’s what I loved. But then I read it. And I went, ‘Wait, this is what we’re going to talk about every week?’ I felt so passionately about it.”
She immersed herself in the role, doing ride-alongs with real SVU detectives and hanging out at precincts. Early in her casting, Dick Wolf invited her to an event for the Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program at Mt. Sinai, an experience that deeply affected her. “I learned that one in four women will be assaulted by their 18th birthday. I did a 40-hour training to become a rape crisis advocate. I wanted to play this character in a different way, not as a woman in a man’s world.”
Fan letters started pouring in, revealing stories of abuse and gratitude. “These women were disclosing their stories of abuse. I was just absolutely floored. The themes of the letters were shame and isolation and so much suffering. I have boxes full of them. I actually hired rape crisis counselors to help me respond.”
Her advocacy extended to addressing the backlog of rape kits, a focus of the Joyful Heart Foundation. “How is it possible that there’s evidence and we’re not testing? My head exploded when I found out in 2009 about it. My number one priority was to get everyone to be as outraged as I was.”
Reflecting on the #MeToo movement, Hargitay sees it as a celebration. “Twenty-one years ago, nobody wanted to talk about these issues. Now, everywhere you look, people are talking about sexual assault and sexual violence. Women are turning the light back on. There’s so much healing in justice.”
Despite the challenges, Hargitay remains passionate about her work. “The show is challenging, it’s exhausting, it’s a marathon. And there are hard days and there are days when I’m like, ‘You know what? I might be done.’ And then there are days when I get on my knees and I say, ‘Thank you, God.’”
As “SVU” continues to break records, Hargitay takes it year by year. “When I’m done, I’ll know it. But I’m not yet. I still get nervous, still get super excited. I grew into boss lady, and I like it. I like it and I’m good at it.”
Her journey, marked by dedication and resilience, has not only shaped her career but also made a significant impact on the lives of many. “I’m engaged and excited and still very much in it. So 21 years ago, I never in a million years would have dared to dream.”
MILESTONES OF A DOMINANT DRAMA
1999
- “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” premieres Sept. 20 on NBC to 14.1 million viewers, growing to 17.1 million by the 15th episode.
2004
- Hargitay forms the Joyful Heart Foundation while on her honeymoon with husband Peter Hermann in Kailua-Kona.
2005
- In her Golden Globe acceptance speech, she thanks her dad, Mickey. She wins her first Emmy in 2006, earns a second Globe nomination in 2009, and scores two more Emmy nods, the last in 2011.
2008
- Robin Williams appears on the show and earns an Emmy nomination, one of SVU‘s 16 for guest stars (five, including Cynthia Nixon and Ann-Margret, have won).
2014
- Hargitay directs her first episode, “Criminal Stories,” for its 16th season. She is named an executive producer on the series in 2016. “I grew into boss lady, and I like it,” she says. “And I’m good at it.”
2015
- Hargitay stars alongside Ellen Pompeo in the video for Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood,” one year after Swift names one of her cats Olivia Benson. “What could be better than that?!”
2019
- “I Am Evidence,” an HBO documentary Hargitay produced about untested rape kits, is nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy (awards are Sept. 24).