This past year, Mariska Hargitay celebrated 60 years of living, 25 years of playing detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 20 years of blissful marriage to former costar Peter Hermann and 20 years of affecting change via her Joyful Heart Foundation. There were also trips to Japan and the Paris Olympics and as we head into the blur of the holiday season, the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner also just sent her 18-year-old son off to college and saw her two youngest become teens.
“It is exhausting,” Mariska says of her embarrassment of riches during an intimate sit-down cover story interview for FIRST, on sale now (Get your copy here). “My job is demanding. I’ve worked 15 hours a day for many years. It’s getting better, but I recently shot three shows in two weeks! It’s a lot to hold in your head, especially as this year has just been milestone after milestone.”
With the holiday season about to make life even more hectic for all of us, Thanksgiving taps right into Mariska’s secret to enduring her most challenging days.
“Through having the father and the mother that I had,” she says, referring to former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, “I can power through anything, but the thing that really keeps me going is I understand just how lucky I am. I live in gratitude. I sit and think about how I’m just so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had and that I’m doing something I love, every day.”
Her role as Olivia Benson and advocacy work
After joining the Dick Wolf procedural Law & Order: SVU to tell stories that matter, Mariska was floored by the statistics around sexual assault and domestic violence.
“I decided to become a rape crisis counselor so that my character brought that compassion and empathy to being a cop,” Mariska recalls, but the more she learned through police ride-alongs and the personal stories viewers shared with her, the more overwhelmed she felt. “Launching Joyful Heart Foundation was my answer. We are about healing, education, and pushing for survivor-centered reform.
“For the last 10 years, we’ve focused on eradicating the rape kit backlog,” she adds. “Women go through an hours-long retraumatizing exam after being raped, and the kits are not even getting tested. I was so enraged to find out these kits were rotting in police storage facilities. I thought this was the best place where I could actually move the needle, and now we’re changing laws. It’s exciting!”
Partnering on the Purple Leash Project
Mariska has now also partnered with Purina and RedRover to raise awareness for the Purple Leash Project.
“48% of domestic abuse survivors delay leaving because shelters won’t take their pets,” she marvels. “No survivor should choose between their own safety and the safety of their pet. And our pets can be our lifelines, so they are working to help shelters become pet-friendly. It’s a beautiful initiative.”
To help shine a light on this issue, Purina teamed up with ‘Fearless Girl’ artist Kristen Visbal to create “Courageous Together” – a statue Mariska helped unveil that reflects a survivor and her beloved dog taking the first step away from their abuser and toward a brighter future, together.
Staying grounded amidst ‘SVU’ drama
When life – or Olivia’s drama on Law & Order: SVU – gets her down, Mariska’s advocacy work certainly helps lift her back up, but she is also happy to take all the support she can get.
For emotional strength, Mariska says she turns to “God, endorphins, my husband, my children, my team, and my relationships. Peter is my North Star and my emotional rock, my kids bring me so much joy I can’t see straight, and I’m in the rare position of having known my coworkers for such a long time that it isn’t just a work relationship anymore. There’s so much love.”
With Olivia Benson’s suit and badge recently donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Mariska also receives a lot of love on the streets for the iconic character she plays.
“On the street, on the train, on the plane – everywhere I go, I feel the love,” she shares. “People are happy to see Olivia Benson, and that’s a joy. To know your work is being received like that, and that you’re bringing happiness and peace and safety to people, is a pretty spectacular feeling.”
Her wellness routine at 60
“I do a bunch of brain games that they say will keep you sharp, like little hand exercises where I tap my fingers,” Mariska says. “Being engaged and having to learn lines also helps, because the brain is just a muscle, right?
“And as we get older, you cannot over-emphasize the importance of heart health, which contributes to brain health,” she adds. “Exercise is key. I also eat and sleep well. That last one’s hard. Somebody told me to stretch before bed, and that helps. So does putting down the phone earlier – another tough one!”
How she found ‘new lightness and freedom’
“I’ve worked so hard on letting go of things that don’t matter and being smart enough to focus on what’s important,” Mariska says. “That, and working on myself, is one of the greatest things of all. People are scared to excavate all that terrain inside, but when we have the strength to look at the hard parts, we find self-compassion. We find this new lightness and freedom. I’ve done a lot of inner work, and it’s paid off.”
The product that changed her life and favorite snack
As a self-professed “product girl,” Mariska reveals, “One of the things that changed my life is that Ogee Contour Stick. There’s a highlighter, contour, and rouge. You put it on, rub it in, and you’re good to go. It makes applications super easy.
“My favorite snack is a watermelon salad with cucumber, feta cheese, mint and a citrusy dressing,” she says. “I have it at least three times a week. It’s super hydrating and makes me feel like I’m getting a treat.”
Her Broadway and talk show dreams
When Mariska signed onto Law & Order: SVU in 1999, she’d vamped on Falcon Crest, done a stint on ER, appeared in the Seinfeld pilot and was building a nice resume. The former beauty queen was working to make a name for herself beyond being the daughter of bombshell Jayne Mansfield and one-time Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay.
25 years later, she has certainly done that – with the help of Olivia Benson! – but the 60-year-old beauty still has her eye on other professional adventures.
“I love making documentary films and loved making I Am Evidence, so I hope to do more of that,” Mariska tells FIRST. “I think about doing a talk show. I think about doing a one-woman show on Broadway. I think about just being on Broadway! I think about doing a comedy…”
In the meantime, Captain Benson’s drama on Law & Order: SVU season 26 is keeping her busy.
“What we’re trying to do is hold up a mirror to society and right now, there’s so much division, strife and polarization in America,” Mariska tells FIRST. “Law & Order: SVU, hopefully, can be an antidote for that and bring people together. No matter what side you’re on, this season is about justice and goodness.
“Plus, we’ve got Kelli Giddish back for some episodes (as Amanda Rollins), and that’s huge! It’s going to be a great season.”
To read Mariska’s full interview pick up the latest issue of FIRST for Women, on sale now!
