Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay shared fun photo of her striking a pose with a fan while filming on location in New York City.
“Had such a beautiful day shooting on location,” the actress captioned the photo on Instagram. “SVU was met with so much love and warmth and excitement! [I love my job.] Just wanted to send a shout out to my friends on old Broadway and 126th.”
Lately, Hargitay has been teasing upcoming episodes throughout her social media. For example, she made reference to upcoming guest stars such as Jason Biggs and Donal Logue.
Mariska Hargitay is One of Glamour’s Women of the Year
Recently, Glamour listed Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay among its Women of the Year. She discussed her life behind the scenes as well as her inspirations and fears. Additional topics of the interview included her minor health struggles and effects of the global pandemic.
“I felt like an octopus being pulled apart in so many directions,” the Law & Order star explained. “Sometimes when you’re in those moments, it’s a lot. And you’re like, ‘How am I going to climb this mountain?’ But here I am today going, ‘It was a kick-a— week.’”
“I think I learned about crisis very young,” Hargitay said, in reference to her mother’s death when she was three years old. “I learned very young that sh— happens and there’s no guarantees. And we keep going. Then we transform it.”
It’s this attitude of growth that allows Hargitay to inhabit the character of Olivia Benson and to be a strong inspiration to her fans.
Law & Order: SVU inspired Hargitay to Make Change
Speaking with TV Insider in 2018, Hargitay revealed that she “had to ground [herself] and be brave” to take on the role of Olivia Benson.
“The show is about the worst things people do to each other in the darkest part of humanity, which means many stories are difficult,” Hargitay explained “But when a child suffers — those hit us hardest.”
Law & Order: SVU inspired the actress to start the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2005. Hargitay “wanted to answer—really answer—those letters, to address the suffering they described, and honor acts of courage they represented.” The foundation provides services such as retreats for survivors and vicarious trauma therapy for professionals.
“At Joyful Heart, we are leading a nationwide effort to enact comprehensive rape kit reform laws across the country,” Hargitay wrote in another Instagram post. “Because behind every kit is a person—a sexual assault survivor—who matters. This [Giving Tuesday], please join us in our work to enact real and lasting change that ensures a pathway to justice for survivors.”
Additionally, the JHF hopes to end the backlogging of rape kits. Hargitay intends to pass rape kit reform legislation in all 50 states. They established this goal after discovering over 225,000 untested kits.
Carrying on Benson’s role as a “champion of healing,” Hargitay uses the platform SVU gave her. Her posts are often positive, and her love of her fans is evident in all that she does.
