<p id=”par-1_40″><em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/law-and-order-svu/”>Law & Order SVU</a> </em>has helped give Mariska Hargitay a platform where she could change lives, much like <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mariska-hargitay-talks-about-law-order-svu-and-how-it-changed-her-life.html/”>the show changed hers</a>. Her passionate championing of women’s rights especially have led some to wonder if Hargitay is a feminist. It’s a label she wondered about herself.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-what-mariska-hargitay-thought-of-the-word-feminist”>What Mariska Hargitay thought of the word feminist</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” fetchpriority=”high” width=”1200″ height=”1012″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Mariska Hargitay, dressed in black, walks in a park while filming an episode of ‘Law and Order: SVU'” class=”wp-image-3653251″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=593&h=500 593w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=1024&h=864 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=768&h=648 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=415&h=350 415w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=200&h=169 200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=601&h=507 601w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-and-Order-SVU.jpg?w=71&h=60 71w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 10: Mariska Hargitay is seen at the film set of the ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’ TV Series on April 10, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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<p id=”par-2_52″><em>SVU </em>features Hargitay’s Olivia Benson often solving a variety of crimes. This includes domestic cases and crimes against women. Her reaction to the <em>SVU </em>fanbase inspired her to create the Joyful Heart foundation, which is dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence in real life. In an interview with <a href=”https://bust.com/mariska-hargitay-cover-law-and-order-svu-anniversary/”>Bust</a>, given the actor’s activism, Hargitay was asked if she considered herself a feminist.</p>
<p id=”par-3_70″>“Sure, sure I do,” she said. “I’m all about and for women. But do I call myself that? Well, other people call me that, and I welcome the title, but as opposed to what? You see what I’m saying? Opposed to what? I’m a personist. Am I a feminist? Yes. Do I promote and support women? You bet I do. Do I think that women’s voices need and deserve to be elevated? Yes. Yes. Yes.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_9″>But her overall focus seemed to be on uniting everyone together.</p>
<p id=”par-5_23″>“What I’m not interested in is a divide,” she said. “What I’m interested in, is figuring out through heart, through compassion, through non-judgment, and through tolerance, how we can get closer together.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_15″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-many-awards-has-mariska-hargitay-won-for-law-order-svu.html/”>The golden globe winner</a> was also aware that sometimes being labeled a feminist isn’t always a compliment.</p>
<p id=”par-7_90″>“There’s a lot of toxic masculinity,” she said. “But I’ve been called [a feminist] in a very derogatory way. People have said, ‘Oh what are you, one of <em>those</em>?’ Because they’re scared of it. They’re scared of losing power. People don’t understand compassion is power. I feel like a very powerful person. But I feel powerful probably not because of the reasons people think that one is powerful. I feel like compassion is my superpower. I feel that empathy is my superpower. I feel that curiosity is my superpower. I feel like connection is my superpower.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-mariska-hargitay-called-playing-olivia-benson-the-perfect-feminist-story”>Mariska Hargitay called playing Olivia Benson the perfect feminist story</h2>
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<iframe title=”Mariska Hargitay Answers Fan Questions About SVU, Being Benson & More!” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/uVOU_wWRXGk?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-8_24″>Much like Hargitay, her <em>SVU </em>character Olivia Benson has also grown and evolved over the years. Fans have seen her go from co-lead, to the face of <em>SVU </em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/chris-meloni-couldve-returned-law-and-order-years-earlier-right-circumstances.html/”>after Meloni’s exit</a> in 2011. </p>
<p id=”par-9_44″>They’ve seen her open up more about her past, and her continued resilience in the face of traumatic situations. They’ve even seen Benson promoted in rank at her job, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mariska-hargitay-believes-the-best-approach-to-motherhood-is-compassion.html/”>and exploring motherhood</a>. Celebrating 25 years of <em>SVU</em>, Hargitay couldn’t help look back at her character’s journey in an interview with <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r7Slk8CCLk&ab_channel=TODAY”>Today</a>.</p>
<p id=”par-10_32″>“It’s so beautiful to have the privilege to actually watch the evolution,” she said. “As I see it and look back, Olivia Benson is sort of a perfect feminist story because we actually see this woman grow into her power.”</p>
<p id=”par-11_15″>Likewise, Hargitay acknowledged that she’s grown just as much as Olivia Benson has over the years.</p>
<p id=”par-12_32″>“It’s been incredible,” she said. “I was just thinking the other day, because it’s hard to process — everyone’s saying, ’25 years, 25 years.’ I am so grateful for this time in my life, to be present.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-mariska-hargitay-felt-motherhood-would-make-olivia-benson-more-complex”>How Mariska Hargitay felt motherhood would make Olivia Benson more complex</h2>
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<iframe title=”Mariska Hargitay on Being the Longest Running Female Character in a TV Drama” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/DB9D09TG9ao?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-13_23″>The subplot about Olivia Benson’s motherhood was an arc that Hargitay advocated after becoming a mother herself. But the showrunners of <em>SVU </em>were initially reluctant to follow through the idea.</p>
<p id=”par-14_76″>“I think that Dick [Wolf] and the powers that be were concerned, obviously, for me being a mother because they didn’t want anything to detract from my job. And yet, this is life. People do both, and we have to figure it out. And I believe there was an earlier story [in season 9] <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/law-order-svu-mariska-hargitay-reveals-adoption-story-show-turned-down.html/”>where I wanted to adopt</a>, but was turned down for that reason — it’s understandable that the job would be too dangerous,” Hargitay told <a href=”https://ew.com/mariska-hargitay-ice-t-law-and-order-svu-memorable-guest-stars-8559686″>Entertainment Weekly</a>.</p>
<p id=”par-15_30″>So, when Hargitay finally got to tackle the story of motherhood within <em>SVU</em>, she was more than thrilled. It didn’t just provide the opportunity to add more depth to Benson. It also demonstrated how working women around the world multi-tasked.</p>
<p id=”par-16_47″>“I was so interested in making the character more complex in that beautiful way that women multitask and do so many jobs,” she said. “It was important to show that — what women do — and the real work. Because being a parent, I think, is the most important thing that we do in our lives.”</p>
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<p id=”par-18_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-19_15″><em>For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWmTM34h0-P7FcCwuA6h6sw/videos” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel</a>.</em></p>