Throughout her decades on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mariska Hargitay has rocked tons of chic hairstyles as Olivia Benson. From her long locks today to spiky short hair in the early ‘00s and a fun jet-black bob, Hargitay has always looked stunning.
In 2003, for example, Hargitay took a page out of Reba McEntire’s book when she attended a charity event in Los Angeles and wore her short hair gelled straight back. At the time, the Emmy-winning actress had some blonde highlights in her hair and managed to achieve an enviable amount of volume up front.
Mariska Hargitay attends the First Annual Share the Beat benefit on September 20, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Chris Hatcher/Getty Images
Mariska Hargitay doesn’t put herself “in a box” when it comes to style
Two decades after she rocked that chic hairstyle, Hargitay told Allure in 2023 that she’s loved mixing it up with her hair over the years and has learned what she likes best on her.
“I love to play around and try new looks, but I’ve definitely had some hair crises over the years,” she told the magazine. “I had short hair for a while, and then I hated having to grow it out. We didn’t have the styling right, and I made some mistakes with the color too. I was trying stuff out and didn’t have the experience with hair or the attention to detail that I have today. Now I know immediately what works and what doesn’t, but it took me some time to get there.”
Hargitay added that she thinks all her hairstyles also fit in well with Benson’s character arc, though, interestingly enough, her now-iconic pixie cut happened by accident. “I think part of Benson’s hair journey has been her growing into herself,” she told Allure.
Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) appears in Season 22 Episode 1 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Photo: NBC
Whether it’s her hair or her outfit, Hargitay told The Cut in 2023 that she doesn’t like “putting myself in a box in any way” when it comes to her personal style. “That’s a gift that my father gave me. He was like, ‘They don’t tell you; you tell them. Don’t let anyone define you.’ That’s my shtick,” she told The Cut. “That applies to fashion, too. Sometimes at seven in the morning, when I’m taking my kids to school, fashion is just putting something on where I won’t embarrass myself. I’ll go safe, and I’ll just throw on a pair of jeans and a groovy robe and shoes that I know are cool. But as I get older, I take more risks, and I think the biggest thing is, How do I feel in this?”
As always, whether she’s doing school drop-off or taking down bad guys as Olivia Benson, Hargitay is always serving up inspiration.
