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Mariska Hargitay has become synonymous with Law & Order: SVU. For 25 seasons, Mariska, 59, has led the way as Olivia Benson, one of the most beloved TV characters of all time. The show remains the longest-running primetime U.S. live-action series in TV history, and the show’s enduring legacy is largely due to Mariska.
Hollywood Life spoke exclusively with Mariska at the Law & Order: SVU 25th Anniversary Celebration on January 16 and asked her whether or not there’s anything that’s still unexplored with Olivia Benson. “Well, that’s the beauty of it. We’re still exploring,” she said. “We keep going to new places. We keep saying, ‘What haven’t we done?’ And that’s what’s so exciting is that we’re finding these new places and going into uncomfortable zones, but I think that the biggest place to go is inward. And so, that’s where Olivia is going. I think she’s ready to open up a little bit.”
She added, “The theme of this year is healing, so I think that opens up a whole new avenue.”
Over the years, cast members have come and gone from the SVU headquarters, but one person has always been there: Olivia Benson. She is the only original cast member still on the show, followed closely by Ice-T, who joined the show in season 2. Both Mariska and Olivia have made it their mission to be a voice for survivors of sexual violence.
At the event, Mariska was joined by her husband Peter Hermann, whom she met on the set of SVU. The couple has 3 children together. So, have their kids expressed interest in being on the show where their mom and dad met? “Yes!” an enthusiastic Mariska said.
Now that Law & Order: SVU has reached season 25, is season 30 the next big milestone? Mariska weighed in on the show’s future. “I don’t think that far in advance,” she said about the possibility of reaching season 30. “But I’ll give you a maybe. I’m just getting through this year and the next year. I’m definitely in for season 26.” Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.