Mariska Hargitay Speaks About Embracing Motherhood In Mid-Life And Her Journey As Law & Order’s Olivia Benson

In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, Mariska Hargitay reflects on her incredible journey as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU and her fulfilling mid-life surprises. At 60 years old, she shares her thoughts on success, motherhood, and the profound impact of her iconic character.

Mariska’s dream role as Olivia Benson came to life when she was 35, and it was an instant connection. She recalls her first script reading as feeling right on every level. Little did she know that this role would become an integral part of her life for 25 years and counting.

One of the delightful surprises that came later in her life was meeting and marrying her husband, actor Peter Hermann. She became a mother at the age of 42, welcoming their eldest, August, who is now 17. Following August, the actress and Peter adopted Amaya and Andrew, both now 12, in 2011.

“I’m so grateful that I’m an older mom. Grateful that I became successful older. I don’t know if I could have handled it when I was younger,” she admits.

Turning 60 on January 23, Mariska reflects on how age has brought her a deeper sense of presence and appreciation. She acknowledges that she wasn’t as present when she was younger, but as she’s grown older, she has come to accept and appreciate the moments in her life.

In her words, “When I was younger I wasn’t as present but as I’ve gotten older I’ve started to accept and appreciate. And now I’m going to savor this moment. I want to share my lessons and where there is pain that I can fix that really inspires me to lighten the load.”

Mariska’s cosmic connection to Olivia Benson has been a profound source of inspiration for her. She describes the character as having a clarity and a north star to justice, qualities she deeply admires. 

In addition to her acting career, the actress is the founder of the Joyful Heart foundation. Inspired by survivors who credited the show for giving them the courage to report their assaults or abuse, she established the foundation in 2004. Its mission is to support and advocate for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse while working towards positive change.

Speaking of her motivation, she said, “I lived this perfect feminist story. I lived it in many ways on SVU and in my own life. And I’m just so grateful and I want to pay it forward.”