All the Ways Mariska Hargitay Is a Real-Life Olivia Benson
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Mariska Hargitay has blessed the world with the fierce Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU for almost 20 years! Even if you haven't religiously watched every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on NBC, then you've probably binged marathons on the USA Network or Ion Television. (I know I have and still do.)
During her time playing Olivia, Mariska met her husband, Peter Hermann. She filmed in the final stages of her pregnancy and has continued to kick ass in her groundbreaking role since becoming a wife and mother. And while Mariska might only play a lieutenant on TV, the star has personified Olivia in her real life with all of the charitable work she has done to raise awareness of sexual assault. We're taking a look at all the ways Mariska and Olivia are one, so keep scrolling — and prepare to have your love for her grow even more.
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She Founded the Joyful Heart Foundation
Mariska started the organization in 2004 after a trip to Hawaii. It provides support for sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse survivors.
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Just Like Olivia, She Has Adopted Children
Mariska and Peter were already parents to their son, August Miklos Friedrich, but in 2011, they were looking to expand their family and turned to adoption. In April of that year, Mariska and Peter adopted a baby girl named Amaya Josephine, and six months later, they adopted a baby boy named Andrew Nicolas.
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She Wants to Change Public Policy Surrounding Sexual Assault
On the show, Olivia has taken on cases that have shed light on the backlog of hundreds of thousands of rape kits in the United States, and it's something Mariska is also passionate about. In 2010, she spoke in front of a House judiciary subcommittee urging members to take action, and she has continued to speak publicly about it.
So She Produced a Documentary to Shed Some Light
Her documentary I Am Evidence, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017, takes a look at the history of how sexual assault cases are processed and the widespread problem of untested rape kits in the United States.
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She Speaks Multiple Languages
On Law & Order: SVU, Olivia has spoken to both victims and perps in Spanish, and that's all Mariska's doing. The 54-year-old has shown off her multilingual skills in different episodes of the NBC series.
One of Her Best Friends Is Christopher Meloni
The star and Christopher Meloni were costars on Law & Order: SVU for over a decade. They have remained close friends after Christopher quit the show in 2011.
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She and Joe Biden Have Worked Together on and Off Screen
Mariska and the former vice president of the United States worked together in a season 18 episode to talk about the issue of backlogged rape kits. In real life, the two have come together numerous times to shed light on sexual assault in the US. Biden was even honored by Mariska's Joyful Heart Foundation in 2015 for his commitment to stopping domestic violence and sexual assault.
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She's a Spokesperson For the No More Campaign
Mariska, along with other famous faces, has appeared in ads for the campaign, whose mission is to change the way society sees sexual and domestic assault by raising public awareness.