From the moment she first read the script for Law & Order: SVU. Mariska Hargitay felt deeply connected to it and to Olivia Benson. "I couldn't believe they were dealing with sexual assault on television," she says. I loved that there was this empathetic character. How strong she was.
My manager at the time said, ‘Mariska, it’s very dark. You’re funny and light and joyful. I don’t think the material is going to resonate for you.’ I called him back and said it couldn’t resonate more. It felt right on every level.”
That was just the beginning of what Hargitay calls her “parallel journey” with the NYPD Special Victims Unit detective at the heart of the hit NBC series, which returns on Jan. 18 for its 25th season, making Olivia the longest-running character on a prime-time drama in TV history. “There’s a thing, WWOBD—What would Olivia Benson do?” says Hargitay, 59. “The fans would always talk about it, and one day it hit me: I also have those moments where I’ve sort of slipped into her. If there’s a crisis, I just take over and lead like that. Being strong and fearless. It’s sort of this perfect feminist story. I’ve lived it on SVU and in my own life.” When Hargitay started on the show in 1999, she was second on the call sheet to costar Christopher Meloni, who had more experience. “I was trying to catch up,” she says. Just as her character rose through the ranks to become squad captain after Meloni’s departure in 2011, so did Hargitay as she became SVU’s lead. “As I became more comfortable with the character,” she says, “you saw this powerful woman emerge.”
Denne historien er fra January 22, 2024-utgaven av People US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 22, 2024-utgaven av People US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Real- Life WeightLoss Drug Diaries
SIX TRUE STORIES OF WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE TO BE ON GLP-1S LIKE OZEMPIC AND MOUNJARO: THE SIDE EFFECTS, HOW THEY RESHAPE PEOPLE'S OUTLOOK ON FOOD AND THE SURPRISING WAYS THEY CHANGE LIVES
Ruby Franke's Daughter Speaks Out - SURVIVING A HOUSE OF HORRORS
IN A NEW MEMOIR, SHARI FRANKE OPENS UP ABOUT THE ABUSE SHE AND HER SIBLINGS SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF THE INFAMOUS UTAH YOUTUBE MOM AND HOW SHE'S REBUILDING HER LIFE.
PAMELA ANDERSON & JAMIE LEE CURTIS - 'We Can Get Through Anything Together'
THE LAST SHOWGIRL COSTARS ON BECOMING FAST FRIENDS, BEING UNDERESTIMATED IN HOLLYWOOD AND THE JOYS OF GOING MAKEUP-FREE.
THE REAL NATALIA GRACE
HER DOCUSERIES THE CURIOUS CASE OF NATALIA GRACE INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO THE UKRAINIAN ORPHAN ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT HER AGE. NOW, IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, SHE WANTS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Princess Kate's Christmas Return
THE PRINCESS OF WALES'S HOLIDAY HOMECOMING WAS A TOUCHING MOMENTNOT JUST FOR HER, BUT FOR THE MANY WHO HAD BEEN AWAITING HER COMEBACK AFTER A DIFFICULT YEAR.
BLAKE'S BATTLE GOES PUBLIC
BLAKE LIVELY ACCUSES HER IT ENDS WITH US COSTAR AND DIRECTOR JUSTIN BALDONI OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ORCHESTRATING A SMEAR CAMPAIGN.
Wendy Williams Makes Rare Appearance Amid Dementia Diagnosis
Wendy Williams showed up for her son Kevin Hunter Jr.'s graduation from Florida International University on Dec. 19 in her signature style: She wore a silver \"W\" necklace and used a motorized scooter with a Louis Vuitton-monogrammed cup holder.
Harris Dickinson Pushes Boundaries in Babygirl
Prior to his breakthrough in the 2017 drama Beach Rats, Harris Dickinson held a number of odd jobs: folding clothes in the basement of a Hollister clothing store, playing a pirate at children's parties and delivering newspapers, among other gigs.
Ethan Slater's Ex-Wife Breaks Silence on His Relationship With Ariana Grande
Ethan Slater's ex-wife Lilly Jay has publicly opened up about their split in July 2023, amid his romance with his Wicked costar Ariana Grande following her separation from her ex-husband Dalton Gomez.
Jodie TurnerSmith Claims Joshua Jackson Hasn't Paid Child Support
In court documents filed on Dec. 23, Jodie Turner-Smith alleges that her ex Joshua Jackson has not paid child and spousal support since October 2023, when she filed for divorce.