Mariska Hargitay is an American actress born on January 23, 1964. She is best known for her role as Detective Olivia Benson on the long-running television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Hargitay's performance has earned her critical acclaim and several awards, including an Emmy Award. In addition to her acting career, she is an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, founding the Joyful Heart Foundation.

"I'm living every ten-year-old boy's fantasy. The other day, Chris and I had this big scene where we had to pull out our guns, and I was thinking, 'Here we are in New York City - a place where every actor wants to be - and we are literally playing cops and robbers. How great is that?'"



"When my body is strong, I feel stronger inside. I feel more capable of handling emotional situations. Usually I'm more of a inside-out person, but this was a great case of me from the outside in."



"I think people were expecting me to be that kind of glamorous sexpot. So they were always, Wow you're not what I expected."


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"Yes. I did more research than I ever wanted to and saw some things I wish I didn't. I went on ride-alongs, spent time with Homicide, Cold Case, and SVU detectives, hung out in subways learning how to spot pervs and pick-pockets, viewed an autopsy, went to a police firing range, and witnessed court cases and I read, read, read."

