A look at Mariska Hargitay’s character in ‘Law and Order: SVU’ as actress pauses shoot to help lost child who confused her for real cop

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, star Mariska Hargitay paused her shoot to help a lost child who confused her for a real cop reunite with her mother. Per a report by PEOPLE, the star, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on the show, said the incident took place on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

Hargitay, who was in her costume as an on-duty law enforcement officer, was shooting at Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park when a child approached her after seeing a police badge on her belt. The little girl did not notice the production crew and cast, including her on-scene partner, Ice-T.

The 60-year-old actress did not think twice and helped the child relocate her mother. As a result, the shoot for the final episodes of the show's 25th season was halted for about 20 minutes.

---

Mariska Hargitay's character Olivia Benson is the commanding officer of the Manhattan SVU unit

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) is a spin-off of Law & Order, a police procedural drama that first premiered in September 1999. The show is based in NYPD's 16th precinct, with the SVU squad looking into the dark side of the New York underworld, investigating and prosecuting various s*xually oriented crimes, and crimes against the elderly and children that require specialist handling.

Mariska Hargitay has played Detective Olivia Benson on the show since 1999, appearing in its pilot episode, Payback. The show was originally centered around the detective pairing of Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni, and Olivia Benson. She became the squad's commanding officer in the 17th season and the captain in the 21st season.

Benson is a hard-charging detective with empathy who becomes emotionally invested in cases. In a February 2007 interview, the show's producer and writer, Neal Baer, described her character as "the empathetic, passionate voice for these victims," contrasting her with fellow detective Stabler, who reflects "the rage we feel, the 'How can this happen?' feeling."

Benson, who was born after her mother was s*xually assaulted, was also almost a victim of assault herself on the show. She is often deeply sympathetic to victims of similar crimes, is quick to believe their stories, and often comforts abuse victims. Her ability to sympathize with the victims has often proved a tremendous asset in several cases.

She has a strong hatred for r*pists, domestic and child abusers, and pedophiles, which she never hides. During a 2013 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mariska Hargitay remarked on many considering her character a role model.

"I get letters saying, 'I want to do the right thing like Olivia. I want to be strong like Olivia. My friend did this, but I didn't do it because of Olivia.' For me, when a television show has that kind of positive effect on young people, it is great. I think it is a good thing that we are shedding light on darkness. I think it is a good thing to make teenage girls aware," Hargitay stated.

As of season 24, Mariska Hargitay has appeared as Benson in 538 episodes, making her the longest-running prime-time live-action character of all time.

---

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit recently became the longest running primetime live-action series on American television after it began airing its 25th season in January 2024. Both Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T celebrated the moment while revisiting moments from the show with Entertainment Weekly on February 5, 2024.