<p id=”par-1_30″><em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/law-and-order-svu/”>Law & Order SVU</a> </em>has had a <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/law-order-svu-difficult-episode-changed-mariska-hargitays-dna.html/”>profound impact on Mariska Hargitay</a>. So much so that some of her character, Olivia Benson, has rubbed off on her in real life.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-mariska-hargitay-always-asks-herself-this-one-question-wherever-she-goes-thanks-to-law-amp-order-svu”>Mariska Hargitay always asks herself this one question wherever she goes thanks to ‘Law & Order SVU’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Law-Order-SVU-Mariska-Hargitay-1.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order SVU’.” class=”wp-image-3719046″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Mariska Hargitay | Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_54″>Hargitay has always been very candid about how Olivia Benson has helped shape her as a person. <em>SVU</em> helped encourage hurt women around the country to reach out to Hargitay to tell their stories. This would inspire the actor to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/svu-star-mariska-hargitay-helped-solve-real-life-crimes.html/”>start her Joyful Heart Foundation</a>, dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence and abuse.</p>
<p id=”par-3_33″>But recently, Hargitay shared that her experience as Benson raised her awareness towards crime as well. Speaking on <a href=”https://www.interviewmagazine.com/television/whats-the-crime-rate-mariska-hargitay-by-selena-gomez”>Interview</a>, Hargitay revealed the one question that’s always on her mind wherever she goes.</p>
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<p id=”par-4_42″>“When I started the show, I wasn’t aware of how deeply it would go into me,” she said. “My husband Peter is always like, anytime I go anywhere, my first question is, ‘What’s the crime rate here?’ So it’s on the brain.’”</p>
<p id=”par-5_57″>But Hargitay confided that she initially found herself affected by the show’s premise in a negative way as well. The fact that <em>SVU</em>’s stories would be ripped straight from real news headlines was one of the many features that attracted her to the show. But the side-effect was those stories could be a little overwhelming at times.</p>
<p id=”par-6_76″>“There’s been times when I didn’t know how to protect myself, and I think I was definitely a victim of secondary trauma from being inundated with these stories and knowing that they were true. Those were the parts that I didn’t know how to metabolize, just because of the sheer volume of it. That’s also why I started Joyful Heart [Foundation], so I would feel like, well, at least I’m doing something about it,” she said.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-mariska-hargitay-went-from-having-no-power-on-svu-to-being-a-boss”>Mariska Hargitay went from having no power on ‘SVU’ to being a boss</h2>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/svu-star-mariska-hargitay-helped-solve-real-life-crimes.html/”>
‘SVU’ Star Mariska Hargitay Stepped Up to Help Solve Real-Life Crimes </a>
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<p id=”par-7_50″>Both Hargitay and Benson have come a long way since their debut on <em>SVU</em>. Hargitay used to share the top spot with co-star Chris Meloni in the beginning. After Meloni’s departure, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/law-order-svu-mariska-hargitay-faced-doubt-lead-show.html/”>Hargitay anchored the show</a>, becoming the face of the popular spin-off. In the series, Benson experienced a similar transition.</p>
<p id=”par-8_98″>“That’s been the gift of the character—she has evolved so much, going from detective to sergeant to lieutenant, and here I am now as captain, which is a completely new skill set from being a detective,” Hargitay said when reflecting on the character’s growth. “And I’ve actually grown up in front of the country, became a parent, gone from being equals to, ‘Oh, now I’m your boss and have seniority.’ It’s a very interesting thing that we do, because it’s hard to be the boss. It’s hard to be in charge when you don’t want things to change.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_23″>Nowadays, Hargitay feels she is a far cry from the rookie she was in her thirties when she first put on Benson’s badge.</p>
<p id=”par-10_81″>“So different,” she said. “I was not the boss and I had no power. I was also overwhelmed and scared and kind of looked up to everybody. It was more of a patriarchal society 25 years ago. They set the rules in their universe and we just showed up in it. But as I grew and evolved, both as Mariska and as Olivia Benson, I think my favorite part is that as I evolved, I didn’t give away pieces of myself.”</p>
<p id=”par-11_32″><strong><em>How to get help:</em></strong><em> In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. </em></p>
<p id=”par-12_13″><em>For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, follow </em><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/showbizcheatsheet/”><em>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram</em></a>.</p>