Mariska Hargitay’s journey on Law & Order: SVU has seen numerous intense episodes, but one, in particular, stands out as exceptionally challenging for her.
The Episode That Brought Up Old Pain
Few episodes resonated with Hargitay as deeply as “Something Happened” from Season 19. This episode took a step back from the procedural aspects to delve into the emotional and psychological layers of Olivia Benson.
In this episode, Olivia interacts with a character who reveals her own traumatic past. To gain her trust, Olivia opens up about her own history, which was a demanding task for both the character and Hargitay.
“I think in some way it dredged up all this old pain, and in some ways it was utterly healing and cathartic to even address it, to even bring it from the unconscious to the conscious, right?” Hargitay told E! News. “She spent so much of her time fleeing, sort of pushing that stuff down, rising above, focusing outward, focusing on victims, focusing on her child. She spent so much time proving to everybody that she’s OK and she can handle the things that happened to her, but in this way, one of the things at the end is she’s so broken and so victorious. Because despite these pains, despite what she’s been through, she’s still victorious.”
The emotional toll of the episode lingered for days, affecting her performance in subsequent episodes.
“I was wrecked for about three more days. It was hard for me to switch gears into the next episode,” Hargitay admitted. “My body, my mind, and my soul didn’t have time to recuperate from it.”
The Importance of Exploring Olivia’s Trauma
Despite the difficulty of episodes like “Something Happened” and “Surrender Benson,” Hargitay believes it’s crucial to explore the darker aspects of Olivia’s character.
“I’ve trained myself now. My job is to do the deep dive, tell these stories, and do the next one. It’s the nature of the beast of certainly this kind of television, this kind of storytelling. This one was a deeper dive,” she said.
Hargitay emphasized the importance of continuing to address Olivia’s mental and emotional health, hoping the series would further explore how Olivia deals with her past traumas.
“I think that because Olivia and so many of the characters on our show have been through so much trauma, I really wanted to delve into that a little more,” she told Today. “And we have this idea that, ‘The strong woman, she just deals with it,’ but the way somebody is strong is to be comfortable in their vulnerability. And so I wanted to sort of take this idea that people are like, ‘Oh, they’re just strong, and they just come out strong.'”
For Hargitay, true strength lies in confronting and processing emotions.
“Real strength has to do with feeling the feelings, dealing with them, and moving through them,” she said.
How Mariska Hargitay’s Family Keeps Her Grounded
Playing Olivia Benson for decades has created a strong connection between Hargitay and her character. This role has significantly influenced her personal growth.
“This character has taught me so much. I’ve become a more whole person, a more self-aware person. I want to inspire people to have the strength to look in the mirror, go deep, and know that they can tolerate the pain and get to the other side so they can achieve what they want, especially the peace that they crave,” she shared with The Cut.
However, Hargitay acknowledges the necessity of separating herself from her character. Her family, with husband Peter Hermann, plays a crucial role in helping her detach from Olivia when needed.
“How do I keep them separate? I’m madly in love with my husband,” she said. “He’s my home. I come home and we laugh. My children are my angels. All I ever wanted was to be a mom and to have this family, because mine was broken apart at a very early age, so these things are so sacred to me.”
Mariska Hargitay’s commitment to her craft and her family showcases her resilience and dedication, both on-screen and off.
