For more than 25 years, Mariska Hargitay has been a steady presence in our living rooms as Detective Olivia Benson, the compassionate heart of Law & Order: SVU. But long before she became one of television's most beloved characters, Hargitay knew exactly what she wanted to do: help people feel less alone.
Over the years, she's done that both on and off screen. Through her Joyful Heart Foundation and advocacy work to help eliminate the national rape kit backlog, she's transformed the trust viewers place in Benson into real-world action. And lately, she's shared even more of her own story.
In My Mom Jayne, the documentary she directed and produced about her mother, Jayne Mansfield, Hargitay takes a closer look at her family's complicated story, and revisits her parents' lives and legacies through a new lens. This summer, she brings that same vulnerability to Broadway in Every Brilliant Thing, a one-woman show about resilience, connection, and finding joy in difficult moments.
Another project close to her heart is Investigating Myeloma, a Bristol Myers Squibb campaign inspired by her father Mickey Hargitay’s experience with multiple myeloma, the second most common blood cancer. Through the campaign, Hargitay hopes to raise awareness of the disease and the research that's helping shape its future.
We recently caught up with Hargitay to talk about grief, healing, Broadway, Olivia Benson, and the self-care practice that changed everything.
You've played Olivia Benson for more than two decades. What's it been like to watch viewers build such a deep relationship with her?
It’s been extraordinary. I can't believe it, and at the same time, because I've done it for so long, it feels completely natural. All I ever wanted to do, since I was a little girl, was inspire people. One of my mottos in life is that it's our vulnerability that makes us stronger.
I've been in this very privileged situation where people share their stories with me. It's been beautiful to remove the shame and isolation and stigma that can come with it: to put the blame on the perpetrator, and to remind people that this was not their fault, that someone did something to them that should never have been done. It's this incredible sisterhood, and I get to be a part of it.
Your documentary, "My Mom Jayne," meant that you got to know both of your parents better after they were gone. What was that like?
Once I got curious about them, I understood why they did what they did, and how loving so many of their decisions were. I understood that I was loved, all these things I hadn't felt before. When we come from a place of fear, things close down quickly. But when we come from an open place, and we give ourselves and others room and stay curious, there's potential for so much healing. I came out the other side with prayers answered and a new nervous system. It gave me so much internal space. I feel like a different person now, because I don't carry it anymore.
You're making your Broadway debut in "Every Brilliant Thing," a one-woman show. What's it like to be on stage every night versus acting for the camera?
This play is about a young girl who tries to deal with her mother's suicide attempts. Like my film, it touches on difficult things. But we all carry something. That's what bonds us.
It's one of the most rewarding things to be in community, literally in dialogue with a group of people. It's a conversation back and forth, and it's so beautiful. It’s also terrifying, I won't lie. I've never done anything like this, and not only is it my first play, it's a one-woman show on Broadway.
In television, you're with your crew and your acting team, and it's safe. This is something so foundational, almost prehistoric [about] the role of storyteller in a group of people. It's how we feel more connected, how we learn, how we grow. And it's different every night. There's an intimacy to it that is profound.
There's something poetic about TV's most trusted detective now investigating the disease that took your dad. What made you want to turn your lens on something so personal, and why now?
I'm not scared of anything personal. My dad was my hero. He was my North Star, and our family went through so much with his diagnosis. The way he walked through it was incredibly heroic to me: graceful and gracious. He modeled how to go through life, and quite frankly, how to live it. He taught us so much. So when they called and asked me to partner up, I don't know that there's anything else I'd want to talk about more, because it's so meaningful to me. It was an honor and a thrill.
What's so inspiring is the new research. They didn't have this 20 years ago. Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer — about 36,000 people will be diagnosed this year. Because it affects so many people, I want them to know there's hope.
What do you most want people to take away if they or someone they love faces this diagnosis?
So many times people who get a diagnosis like this retreat. They go into fear. But the strength is from community. It’s from our loved ones rallying around us and not pulling away. I [also] want people to know what conversations to have with their doctor.
What's so great is that the landscape for this disease has changed so much. It's an exciting time, and there's so much hope out there.
Do you have a secret to balancing well-being and self-care?
One of the things that shifted everything for me: I used to just power through whatever I had to do. I still do, but in a very different way now. I take little mini breaks, and most importantly, I pay attention to my body. If I can feel myself getting activated or upset, I stop and I listen. I say, ‘OK, I'm right here. I hear you. I see you.’
I acknowledge my feelings as if they were little children who need attention. If I start to get upset, I tell myself, "I'm not abandoning you. I'm not going to push through and ignore you. I'm going to stop, pay attention, and say, ‘we've got this.’ It's been a game changer. Quite profound, really.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.