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12 Times Mariska Hargitay Proved Just How Connected She Is to Olivia Benson
Make no mistake — the mythic Mariska Hargitay is every bit as inspiring as SVU's Olivia Benson.
For over two decades, Mariska Hargitay has captivated audiences as the endlessly badass Olivia Benson, the unflinching detective-turned-captain on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. But what sets Hargitay apart from many television talents is how seamlessly her off-screen persona aligns with the iconic character fans have come to know and love.
Boasting a shared dedication to helping survivors and a radiant warmth, few will deny the striking parallels between Benson and Hargitay. Hargitay doesn't just embody empathy while assisting survivors in the squad room as Benson — she weaves those qualities into her day-to-day life, championing causes that mirror Benson's crusade toward justice. Just a few years after she started playing the detective on SVU, Hargitay trained as a rape crisis counselor and started her nonprofit organization, the Joyful Heart Foundation, in 2004. Inspired by the fan letters she received after SVU became a smash, it took little time for Hargitay to realize the show was more than a procedural thrill — it was a lifeline for many viewers who saw their own struggles reflected in the story.
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Hargitay's activism often echoes the fierce determination of Benson, who always fights tooth and nail for justice on behalf of survivors on SVU. That's why we're looking back at a few times when Hargitay truly blended the lines between television and reality.
1. "I have three passions in life: work, motherhood — I've wanted to be a mother since I was 2 feet tall — and Joyful Heart. People say, 'Oh, it's so great, you're helping all these people.' And I say, 'You know what? I'm starting to think Joyful Heart is the most self-serving thing I've ever done.'"
After receiving fan mail confiding in the SVU star about their sexual assault experiences, Hargitay began noodling ways she could help. "I didn't know what to do," Hargitay explained (via Joyful Heart). "I was like, wait a minute, everyone, I'm an actor on TV! And Joyful Heart was my answer and my way of giving back. I wanted to shine light on this darkness because sexual assault, in particular, is something people don't talk about."
Through Joyful Heart, Hargiaty has worked to provide resources, healing programs, and advocacy for survivors. One of her biggest initiatives was addressing the nationwide backlog of untested rape kits, the End the Backlog initiative. Hargitay has testified twice in front of Congress about the rape backlog crisis, never backing down from raising awareness of the epidemic.
"[Starting the Joyful Heart Foundation] was my moment of saying enough to the shame, suffering, and isolation of rape survivors," Hargitay explained in 2011 (via Enough Project). "Joyful Heart runs retreat and community programs to heal, educate, and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. We are also seeking to engage in a cultural conversation that will shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues."
2. "Sexual violence persists not because of something unchangeable in our human condition. It exists because power structures are in place that allow it to happen. Those power structures are so pervasive that no one is immune from them. They breed thoughts like 'I must have done something to cause this.' And our society agrees: 'Yes, you brought this upon yourself.' That is false and it must change. The violence ends when the power structure changes."
In January 2024, Hargiaty published a piece via People exploring her own experience with sexual assault, laden with thought-provoking commentary on how we view sexual violence and survivors. Even while reflecting on her own harrowing experience, Hargitay channeled her passion toward flipping harmful power structures on their head to eliminate the shame surrounding sexual violence.
3. "We all have a story. We all are carrying so much internally that other people can't see."
Whether through the hundreds of SVU episodes she has filmed or the countless lives she has helped through Joyful Heart, Hargitay knows better than most that everyone carries their own baggage, so we shouldn't be quick to judge. While speaking at a 2024 Hope for Depression Research Foundation event, Hargitay spoke about extending grace toward those we may not know could be struggling (via Yahoo).
4. "Talk about it. Get the taboo off the survivor and put it on the perpetrator where it belongs. The stigma belongs on the perpetrator. The way we talk about it is the way we shed light on it. We bring it out into the conversation because then it brings a survivor out of isolation. And that is one of the hardest parts about being a survivor, is isolation."
Benson has been the voice of reason within the squad room for nearly three decades, encouraging victims to come forward with their stories to see justice served. It's no wonder that Hargitay echoes the sentiment in real life, sharing with TODAY co-anchors in October 2024 that the taboo should never placed on the survivor, and by speaking out, we prevent isolation and put the blame where it belongs: the assailant.
5. "It's impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter, that what happened to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors more compassionately, more holistically, with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what healing means."
While delivering a speech at Variety's 2024 Power of Women Event, Hargitay spoke out about reversed convictions amid Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction being overturned. Hargitay spoke of her resilient allegiance to survivors, a conviction that could never be reversed.
6. "Risky to let women speak? You're damn right it is. Too many women speaking brings change."
In another highlight from Variety's 2024 Power of Women Event, Hargitay reminded haters that women tend to move mountains when they get to talking.
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7. "Having the character, Olivia Benson, listen — that was so powerful. People used to call me the accidental activist. I didn't take this job on SVU to do this work. But I think I was meant to do this."
The road toward justice often begins with someone speaking up, but as Hargitay explained in a March 2020 interview with People, people also need to listen. Benson has provided that open ear for decades on SVU, leading Hargitay to educate others on the power of listening to survivors.
8. "All these women need is to be believed. They need to be respected and seen and heard and have somebody go, 'I'm so sorry.' And that person needs to be held accountable."
As she explored in her March 2020 People interview, Hargitay emphasizes the importance of giving survivors a platform to tell their stories and the power of believing their testimony. The battle of these survivors being forced to earn credence isolates the survivor and delays perpetrators from being held responsible for their horrendous actions.
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9. "I'm in this very unique place of being a total badass. I know my worth, I know my power, I know what I have to offer, and I'm totally comfortable with my vulnerability, with all the ways I still feel like a little girl. That's a really peaceful place to be."
Part of Benson and Hargitay's shared loveability is their unapologetic confidence — they get work done. Hargitay understands her strengths and never fails to show her true colors, a sentiment she shared during her September 2024 chat with Interview Magazine. Hargitay knows her power and isn't afraid to use it.
10. "I think that vulnerability — I've been preaching for years — is my superpower. I think that it just saves so much time."
Hargitay's connection to Benson runs much deeper than her longstanding activism. Much like her character, Hargitay radiates a warmth and empathy that leaves a lasting impression, embracing a vulnerable lifestyle that she believes leads to more productivity. In an October 2024 interview with People, Hargitay explained how she dons her vulnerability like a cape, owning it like an emotional powerhouse.
11. "I look at what I respect in other people and I respect the whole person. I don't want just one part. I want all of them. We have great parts, and scared parts, and badass parts, and brave parts, and little parts. So for me, recognizing that I'm a whole person and not one thing, and so is everyone else."
Many would agree that, like Benson, Hargitay has become a beacon of kindness for fans and survivors far and wide. That's largely thanks to the respect she delivers to everyone. As revealed in her October 2024 People interview, Hargitay views people as a kaleidoscope of possibilities rather than one-dimensional, leading her to connect with others more effectively.
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12. "[Benson is] deeply in me. I was just saying the other day I don't know anymore where Mariska ends and Olivia starts. They're just becoming so enmeshed and entwined, and I think that's a good thing."
While speaking to E! on the set of SVU back in 2017, Hargitay reflected on playing Benson for as long as she has, proudly owning the notion that she has become more and more like the SVU detective throughout the years. Hargitay's commitment to justice and healing is a grand reminder that art can often imitate life — and that Hargitay isn't just playing a hero on TV — she's living it daily.
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
