Mariska Hargitay reveals youngest son’s baffled reaction to mom’s fame and fan encounters

Mariska Hargitay has spent the last 25 years captivating audiences as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU. With the show’s 25th season premiere and her 60th birthday, she has plenty to celebrate. Despite her long-standing fame, her youngest son, Andrew, is still getting used to his mom’s iconic role.

In an interview with People, Mariska opened up about her career, personal challenges, and her feelings about turning 60. She shared a charming anecdote about Andrew, who, at 12 years old, isn’t fully aware of his mother’s legendary status.

Mariska and her husband, Peter Hermann, who met on the set of SVU where Peter played defense attorney Trevor Langan, have three children. Their eldest son, August Miklos, is 17, and they adopted Andrew and his sister, Amaya Josephine, 12, in 2011, just four months apart.

Speaking about Andrew’s understanding of her work, Mariska revealed, “He thinks I play a cop on TV, end of story.” She added, “He asked, ‘Why does everyone say I love you’ when we’re walking down the street?”

While Olivia Benson is her most famous role, Andrew recently discovered another part of Mariska’s career that fascinated him. She voiced the character Tenar in the English version of the Japanese fantasy anime film Tales from Earthsea (2006). Mariska recounted the moment with fondness, “I did this movie so many years ago, I just did a little voiceover, no big deal. And then my son, who loves anime now, he found out that I was in this movie. He said, ‘What? You’re in this movie?’ And we sat and watched it. He just thought it was the coolest thing.”

She continued, “For him to see me in this movie that he loves, he said ‘Mom, it’s such a cool character.’ It was this moment of, had I known that, almost 20 years ago, that I would have this moment with my son that was so bonding and sacred, I just sat there going, ‘I don’t know that life gets better than this moment.’”

Reflecting on her life, Mariska added, “That’s what’s exciting about life, that in many ways, we’re getting ready our whole lives for things. Because I keep learning things are worth the wait.”

As Mariska Hargitay celebrates her milestones, she continues to inspire with her dedication to her craft and her heartfelt connections with her family. Her journey is a testament to the beauty of life’s unexpected joys and the enduring impact of her work.