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Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay Trivia and Quotes

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Trivia

  • Mariska & JHF are recipients of the Peace Over Violence Humanitarian Empowerment Award. The Awards were held on Nov.6th at the Beverly Hills Hotel. []
  • Didn't have any dialogue when she appeared in the movie The Perfect Weapon. []
  • Mariska was honored by The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)at the 2009 Rays of Hope Awards Gala on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington, D.C. at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. She was honored for her efforts in raising awareness about cancer survivorship issues. []
  • Mariska is the recipient of 2 GRACIE Awards for 2008. One is an Individual Achievement Award as Outstanding Female Lead in a Drama Series and the other is Outstanding Portrait/Biography for her E!True Hollywood Story. []
  • Mariska attended the New York Women's Bar Association Annual Award Ceremony on 6/5/08 []
  • Mariska participated in TISCH ON STAGE, the annual gala benefiting NYU's Tisch School of Arts. The event was held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Nov.17th, 2008. []
  • Mariska was the keynote speaker at DAY ONE'S 35th Annual Anniversary Luncheon on Nov.13th, 2008 at The WESTIN PROVIDENCE in Providence, Rhode Island. DAY ONE was established in 1973 to provide services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and other violent crimes as well as educating the public throughout Rhode Island. []
  • Mariska was toasted at the Joyful Heart Foundation dinner on Oct.26th, 2008. She co-hosted the event along with Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence during the Grand Opening week of the Bon Appettit Super Club & Cafe. []
  • Mariska attended the Directors Guild of America Honors Awards on Oct.16, 2008. Dick Wolf, creator of the Law & Order franchise was one of those honored. []
  • Mariska attended the The Princess Grace Awards Gala on 10/15/08. []
  • Mariska attended The New Yorkers For Children Fall Gala on September 16, 2008. []
  • Mariska attended The Premiere of the Dark Knight on July 14 2008. []
  • Another of the causes that Mariska supports is the Girl Scouts of America. She was a Brownie when she was a girl; Naomi Judd was her troop leader and Wynonna Judd was one of her best friends. They attended school together from kindergarten through the third grade. []
  • Mariska attended The Joyful Heart Foundation gala on May 20, 2008. []
  • Mariska attended the premiere of The Love Guru on June 11, 2008. []
  • Mariska attended The Memorial Sloan Kettering Krebs Charity Event on May 29. 2008. []
  • Mariska has donated personal clothing articles to QLu, a website that auctions celebrity personal items to raise funds and awareness for each celebrity's preferred charity. Some of the items she had donated included an orange VINCE cargo pants, a white Soho Mommy tee, a plum Juicy Couture tee, a pair of Indigo J Brand jeans, a Juicy Couture hoodie/pant, a lemon VINCE Layered tee and a Soft C&C tee/boxers set. Mariska's preferred charity is her own The Joyful Heart Foundation. []
  • In the 2008 American Idol finale, the Love Guru, AKA Mike Myers, greeted people by saying Mariska Hargitay. []
  • Mariska attended the premiere of the movie The Children of Huang Shi on April 18, 2008. []
  • Mariska donated her very own Double Layer Nike Tee and also her Nike Jersey to Qlu to help raise money for JHF []
  • Mariska attended NBC Experience Event on May 12, 2008. []
  • In 2007, Mariska appeared in a Got Milk? advertisement with her son, August. []
  • Mariska teamed up with Johnson's Celebrity Hand-Me-Down Auction and donated August's Adidas track suit and sneakers. []
  • Mariska has donated her Armani Couture Embroidered Top and her Stella McCartney Wool Silk Pant to QLu. []
  • Mariska has donated her Lucien Pellat-Finet cashmere tee, William Reid camel hair sweater and her Giorgio Armani 2008 lambskin Top-42 to QLu. []
  • It states in What People Earn issue of Parade magazine that Mariska earns $7 million. []
  • Mariska donated her very own Seven for All Mankind Jeans to QLu, which she partnerd with to raise money for her foundation. []
  • Mariska donated her Strenesse Gabriele Strehle Dress and partnerd with QLu. to raise money for her foundation. []
  • Mariska attended the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards and presented an award to Barbara Walters for Outstanding TV Journalism My Secret Life-A Story Of Transgender Children 20/20. The awards were held on March 17, 2008 in NYC. []
  • Mariska partnered with QLu to raise funds and awareness for her organization Joyful Heart Foundation. To help raise money she donated her own personal Chloe Cords []
  • Mariska is an activist who founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, a group dedicated to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. []
  • Mariska attended the 2008 Skating with the Stars held at Central Park's Wollman Rink. The event raised $275,000.00 to benefit figure skating in Harlem. []
  • Mariska created a Hargiteam t-shirt to wear at the Revlon Run/Walk campaign and is selling them on her website. (2008) []
  • Mariska was the first woman from the Law & Order franchise to be nominated for an Emmy Award and subsequently win. []
  • Mariska has partnered with Redbook and Safe Horizon to create The Hope Shining Campaign. (2008) []
  • Mariska appeared on the cover of Redbook Magazine for the April 2008 issue. []
  • Mariska accepted the Texas Film of Fame Award on behalf of her Mother Jayne Mansfield on March 7, 2008 []
  • Mariska was one of People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2006 []

  • Mariska became good friends with Maria Bello when she was on ER.

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  • Mariska was named after her grandmother. Magdolna is the Hungarian form of Magdalene. []
  • Mariska won a 2006 PRISM AWARD for her role in the LAW & ORDER:SVU episode INFLUENCE. The PRISM AWARDS honors members of the entertainment community who take an active role in partnering to address drug abuse in America as well as recognizing individuals from the entertainment industry for their commitment and contributions. []
  • Mariska's favorite athletes are M.J and Tiger Woods. []
  • Mariska joined with Bethenny Frankel to create Guilt-free Chocolate Muffins. []
  • Mariska was born at 5:58 am []
  • Mariska joined with Johnson's baby lotion to create 3 webisodes []
  • Mariska replaced Gabrielle Fitzpatrick in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie as Dulcea, but her scenes were re-shot with Gabrielle Fitzpatrick returning as Dulcea. []
  • Mariska spent half her 44th birthday in Paris and the other half at home with August and Peter. []
  • Mariska dropped out of college just weeks before she was suppose to graduate. []
  • Mariska is 5 feet 8 inches tall. []
  • Mariska's favorite season is Spring. []
  • Mariska's favorite swimming events are 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 50 back. []
  • Mariska's favorite perfumes are Jo Malone's Orange Blossom. []
  • Mariska's favorite brands of shoes are Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choo. []
  • Mariska enjoys watching documentaries and movies. []
  • Mariska had braces when she was 13. []
  • Mariska auditioned for the part of Monica Gellar on friends but didn't get the part. []
  • Mariska's favorite place to eats in NYC is her good buddy Mario Batali's restaurant, Babbo. []
  • Mariska stated on her blog that she carries 6 lip glosses in her purse everyday. They are usually Bigelow Lip Balm Mentha lip shine, Dior Kiss #318 Praline (I wear it on SVU), Chanel's Glossimer line, and Jo Malone's Vitamin E Lip conditioner. []
  • Mariska's favorite shampoo is Karastase. []
  • Mariska's Favorite band is U2. []
  • Mariska takes her son August to work with her every single day. He even has his own trailer, which is connected to Mariska's so that they can be together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. []
  • Mariska has stated on her website that her favorite baby designers are AndiLion Splendid, Childish, Altru, James Perse, and Trunk. []
  • Mariska's favorite places to buy clothes for August are Bu and the Duck and Lucky Wang. []
  • Mariska has stated on her website that her favorite jeans are Tory Burch, J Brand, Seven, Paige and Citizens of Humanity. []
  • Mariska attended Marymount High School, an all girls' school in Los Angeles, California. []
  • Mariska stated on her website that her favorite type of chocolate is Dark chocolate. []
  • Mariska stated on her website that her favorite type of starbucks coffee is Half regular and half decaf cappuccino. []
  • Mariska has had 5 different hairstyles across the course of 8 SVU seasons. She has had 6 including the time she played Cynthia Hooper On ER. []
  • Mariska is Sophia's Godmother daughter to Chris Meloni, Mariska's partner on the show. []
  • While starring on Law and Order: SVU, Mariska has appeared in 10 public service announcements for NBC's The More You Know campaign. Her topics have included prejudice/diversity, child abuse, drinking while driving, emergency planning, family communication, mentoring, monitoring kids' TV viewing, rape, self esteem, and substance abuse. []
  • Mariska was originally chosen to play the part of Dulcea in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, but later left the project during production. []
  • Mariska keeps a photo of her mother, Jayne Mansfield, on the desk of her character, Olivia Benson. []
  • In honor of her official return to the Law And Order: SVU series in Season 8, Mariska Hargitay participated in a live blog with fans after the Nov. 28, 2006 East Coast airing of the episode Choreographed. []
  • Mariska's son's full name is August Miklos Friedrich Hermann. August was from Peter's family and Miklos is Mariska's father's real name. Peter wanted to give the baby 5 names total, but they compromised with 4. []
  • Mariska won the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress a Drama Series. She was also nominated in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. []
  • Mariska was nominated for a Best Actress in a Drama Series Emmy award in 2006 for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. []
  • Mariska and her husband, Peter Hermann, had their first child, a boy, on June 28, 2006 by C-section. Named him, August Miklos Friedrich. August in German means revered and exalted. His name also is for the month of, August, which is when Mariska and Peter married, two years before. Congratulations to the both of them. Baby August was born at 10 pounds and 9 ounces. []
  • Peonies, lillies, and big fat garden roses are among Mariska's favorite flowers. []
  • Mariska's nicknames are Marish and M. []
  • Tiger Woods, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Billie Jean King are some of the athletes Mariska truly admires. []
  • Mariska loves golf and has even graced the cover of Golf for Women. []
  • An avid reader, some of Mariska's favorite books include The Alchemist by Paul Coelho and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. []
  • Mariska's favorite junk food is dark chocolate. []
  • In 2006, Mariska was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series by the Screen Actor's Guild. []
  • Mariska is the youngest of Jayne Mansfield's three children by Mickey Hargitay. []
  • Mariska's favorite place to spend her free time is in Italy. []
  • Mariska appeared on the cover of Redbook in 2005. []
  • In 2004 Mariska was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order SVU. []
  • Mariska founded an organization called the Joyful Heart Foundation. This organization is for women who have been sexually assaulted to swim with wild dolphins in Hawaii as water therapy. []
  • The zigzag scar down the side of Mariska's head was the result of the accident. []
  • Mariska and her two brothers were asleep in the back seat of the car that crashed into a tractor trailer that killed her mother, Jayne Mansfield, and her mother's boyfriend, Sam Brody instantly. []
  • Mariska won the Miss Beverly Hills pageant in 1982. []
  • Mariska can speak 4 different languages fluently. French, English, Hungarian and Italian. []
  • Mariska is allergic to cats. []
  • On the day before the 2005 Golden Globe awards, Mariska and actress Teri Hatcher, who was also up for a Golden Globe, had simultaneously booked appointments at the same beauty salon to have a pedicure done. []
  • In addition to her Golden Globe win in 2005 for Best Actress, Mariska received both Emmy and SAG nominations in 2004. Mariska also received nominations in the show's first season (1999-2000) for Best Actress by the Viewers of Quality Television, for Favorite Actress in a New Series by the TV Guide Awards, and for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series by the International Press Academy. []
  • Mariska is actively involved in numerous charities. In addition to her own Joyful Heart Foundation,, she has worked with the Mount Sinai's Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program, NBC's The More You Know campaign, Safe Horizons advocacy project, Santa Monica's Rape Crisis Treatment Center, Project ALS, Girl Scouts of America, and the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. []
  • According to Celebrity Sleuth magazine, Mariska's measurements are 36-24-36. []
  • Mariska learned to swim at the age of two and later became a member of her high school swim team. []
  • Mariska was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2005. []
  • Mariska attended college at UCLA, graduating with an Arts degree. []
  • Mariska has 3 brothers and 2 sisters, and is close with all 5 of them. []
  • In 2005, Mariska won a Golden Globe award for her role as Detective Olivia Benson. In her speech she recognized her late mother, Jayne Mansfield, who had also won a Golden Globe some 25 years earlier. []
  • Mariska married actor Peter Hermann on August 28, 2004 []
  • Mariska is Hungarian on her father's side and English/German on her mother's side. []
  • Mariska is a certified rape crisis counselor. []
  • Mariska is the daughter of actor and former Mr. Universe, Mickey Hargitay and sister of actor Zoltan Hargitay. []

Quotes

  • Mariska:(On what keeps her sane and well nourished on the set) Non-fattening dark chocolate fortified with all the vitamins and nutrients I need... I wish. Actually, its largely about staying away from the craft-services table and making sure there isn't a bag of chips in my hand when we're waiting to get our last shot at 1:00 a.m. []
  • Mariska: (On what about chocolate draws people in) Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: Deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good. []
  • Mariska: (On which she prefers cooking or eating) Eating. Especially if its not my turn to do the dishes. []
  • Mariska: (about Law and Order SVU) When you see a girl like me bustin' perps, there ain't no time to be pretty. []
  • Mariska: And I'm not going to give up wine for life. Everything in moderation. It's not about being fat or thin. I'm a full figured women. It's about, How am I going to keep up my energy? If I'm supporting myself, I'm supporting my kid. If I'm happy and healthy, I can be a better wife and mom, I can do a better job. []
  • Mariska: During certain times of the month I can eat healthily, and other times I'm like this. (she rolls up her sleeve and slaps her veins) With the chocolate. []
  • Mariska: You know how you wake up in the morning and sometimes you look gorgeous and other times you look like you got hit by a mack truck? I realized that my mack truck is food. If I have no sugar, yeast or wine, I have no undereye bags and my skin is perfect. []
  • Mariska: (on acting the crimes that are ripped from the headlines) It hurts to live in a dark place of something that really happened. []
  • Mariska: When you're healthy and have your loved ones around you, it put things in perspective. []
  • Mariska: I'm so utterly grateful, and therefore I'm happy. []
  • Mariska: (while playing on the set of her SELF magazine photo shoot) It's the little things in life, right? []
  • Mariska: (on what her motivation to resume working out is) I want to be a fun mom. Not a gasping for air mom. []
  • Mariska: When my body is strong, I feel stronger inside. I feel more capable of handling emotional situations. Usually I'm more of a inside-out person, but this was a great case of me from the outside in. []
  • Mariska: If I eat clean, I look 10 years younger. []
  • Mariska: (on helping people) It inspires and replenishes me. []
  • Mariska: When I was in my early 20s, I had my hair permed. Bad idea! It turned into total frizz. My advice to women is, if you have nice hair already, don't get a perm – leave your hair alone! []
  • Mariska: (on how she clears the room after a party) I say good night; go in my room and shut the door. Party over. And they still don't leave, sometimes they sleep over. []
  • Mariska: (on how she would feel about not traveling without August) Thankfully we haven't had to think about that yet. I want to go back to Africa, but we will wait until he's old enough to enjoy it, too. I think because I work 14 hours a day and my schedule is so crazy, we just want to enjoy every moment with him. There's really nothing better than August. []
  • Mariska: (on if she's a big 'just in case' person) Absolutely! We bring the medicines that you would need, just in case. Since teething has been the newest challenge, I'll try to bring a lot safe things he can bite on. Rattles, teething toys, little cell phones, etc. []
  • Mariska: What aren't my must haves. Packing's not my strength, so I always bring way too much stuff. Too many clothes, toys, sleepers, blankets... too much of everything (I guess that's what happens when you're a first time mom). Even packing his diapers takes a lot of room, a whole suitcase! And of course I have to color coordinate. (Laughs) The stroller, the formula, all the bottles, all the toys, the rain jackets, the just in case. []
  • Mariska: (On does she travel with a nanny) Sometimes. Since I usually travel for work, when Peter can't come, I need the extra set of hands. I think that is one of my greatest luxuries. I'm always in awe when I see Moms, especially Moms with multiple children, doing it all by themselves. They are heroes, the superstars. When I grow up I want to be just like them. []
  • Mariska: (On if she baby proofs rooms at hotels.) Yes, one of the things I request is that they remove the normal glass table (or any low tables with sharp edges) from the room and replace it with a cushioned ottoman. My pediatrician told me that most toddler head injuries are caused by bumping into tables or tipping and falling onto them. []
  • Mariska: (On hotels) I always go to the same hotels when I can. And I love it because everyone knows me and now the whole hotel knows August. They always have toys for him, a crib, a changing table, everything. The entire staff is so great. I am a creature of habit and I love routine, so going to the same places is important to me. I like that feeling of safety, family, and familiarity. []
  • Mariska: I pride myself on being August's mom. I think having a baby - especially one that's happy-levels the playing field. Regardless of our career, when it comes to being parents, we share the same profession. We are all in it together. I am always so grateful for all the moms I meet that are willing to share information. No matter how fancy our job or what people project onto you, all of a sudden you're just a mommy and I love that. []
  • Mariska: (when asked Does she find it difficult when all eyes are on her in the airplane? Especially trying to entertain August) As soon as we had a kid, we became so compassionate toward other people. You go from being that person who would get annoyed at the sound of a crying baby, hoping it would just go to sleep, to the one who is completely empathetic toward the parents, hoping the baby is okay and wondering if there is anything you can do to help. Now,we're all in the same boat. We're on the same team, which is one of my favorite things about becoming a parent. I feel like I'm in the club now. []
  • Mariska: (when asked about what she did to handle the nightmare flight with August.) Anything! Everything! We let him play with earphones, and anything else we could get our hands on. So many times we pack all of these toys that should keep his attention, but in most cases he's more interested in the stuff that he's not supposed to play with like computers, pencils, cell phones, etc. Thank god for the reading lights in between the seats, our very kind and patient fellow passengers and gracious flight attendants. []
  • Mariska: (when asked what is different about flying with August now that he can walk) It's not pretty. From the second we board, he wants to explore. We were recently on a nightmare flight from LA to New York. Because of extreme turbulence, the captain had the fasten seatbelt lights on for almost the entire flight. I didn't know what to do. August was just miserable and did not understand why he couldn't get up. He's such a curious and social little guy. I think he was going stir crazy sitting in a chair. That was hard. He cried a lot. I did, too. []
  • Mariska: (when asked What are some of the unique challenges flying commercially?) The challenges have just begun. When August was a young baby, everything was so easy... all I did was either nurse him or give him bottles on take off and landing. The rest of the time he was content sleeping on my lap. []
  • Mariska: We coordinate our work schedules so we're always together. Peter just got his show [Cashmere Mafia], which shoots in NY...if the production was going to shoot out of town, he probably wouldn't have done it just because we don't want to separate the family and be apart from the baby. []
  • Mariska: (When asked if there are any rules when she and Peter travel.) Rules? Peter and I are never apart for longer than two weeks. []
  • Mariska: (On what she would like see happen to Olivia Benson) I would love for Olivia to experience being a mom. She's such a compassionate, protective person. I always describe her as a lioness protecting other people, yet she's so sad and lonely and her whole life is her work. []
  • Mariska: I often work 14 to 16 hours a day and he (August) has gotten too big to hang out at the set, as he did when he was an infant and I was nursing...We try to cram as much as we can into the weekends but the weeks of being with August every day during the strike was a very special time. The show is so great; you couldn't ask for a better writing team or cast. It's creatively fulfilling. But when I'm there, I am torn. Other than that, I have to say I'm a pretty happy detective. []
  • Mariska: (On the writers strike) The writers strike had a silver lining for me. I was blessed to have that time with August. []
  • Mariska: I think people were expecting me to be that kind of glamorous sexpot. So they were always, Wow you're not what I expected. []
  • Mariska: (On her baby talk) Of course everyone says they hate baby talk, but mine was not annoying. []
  • Mariska: (On does she have date night with Peter) Date night? We just want to hang out with August! We do a lot of dancing at our house-he's a little dancer. []
  • Mariska: I've been doing voices my whole life. Friends used to wind me up at parties, like, "Do Joan! Do the realtor!" To this day they're like, "you're on SVU? It doesn't make sense." []
  • Mariska: Everything has combined to make my life in New York an amazing experience. I told my manager a few years ago that I wanted to move here and try acting in the Theatre. Then this show came up. Now I'm in this show that means something to me and a lot of other people. []
  • Mariska: (On the disturbing aspects of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) When I read the script sometimes, it's like 'Christ! Enough!' I can't sleep at night sometimes. There's the occasional script that just hammers you, that you can't shower off. []
  • Mariska: (When asked would she ever get a Myspace page.) Never. I do not condone Myspace and it disappoints me that people are posing as me. I think it is unsafe for anyone under 18 to have pictures and personal information on the Internet. You should never ever give out your address, phone number, or full name to someone you don't know. []
  • Mariska: (When asked if she smoked) No way, no how, nowhere. I value my lungs and my life way too much. []
  • Mariska: (On her father) He was my greatest champion, always encouraging me to follow my dreams with everything I had and to never give up. He is responsible for the person I am today and I will always be grateful that he had a chance to look into his grandson's eyes and pass along his love and strength. []
  • Mariska: What a beautiful and bittersweet year 2006 was; the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I became a mother, something I had dreamed about all my life. Then shortly after my son, August, arrived, I lost my father, Mickey. []
  • Mariska: (When talking about the worst item in her wardrobe) My big pink bunny suit with feet. That is something that I love so much and I will not throw it away no matter what. My grandmother gave it to me. It is the cosiest, most comfortable thing. I wear it at Easter. I am not afraid to do the ears. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about her favorite item in her wardrobe) I have a T-shirt that is the most beautiful blue that my husband made for me with a big "S" on it. It's [short for] a name that my husband named me. But I won't tell you what it is. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about Law and Order SVU) I'm living every ten-year-old boy's fantasy. The other day, Chris and I had this big scene where we had to pull out our guns, and I was thinking, 'Here we are in New York City— a place where every actor wants to be— and we are literally playing cops and robbers. How great is that?' []
  • Mariska: (when talking about learning to play golf) I had no connection or natural ability. Usually you have beginner's luck and it hooks you, but I had none. I got intimidated and frustrated by the swing. Golf made me feel like a loser. So I dismissed it. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about learning to play golf) I thought, you can't be up here and not play golf, because it's so gorgeous. So I went out and tried to hit some balls. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about winning the Golden Globe Award) It was a surprise. I didn't think I was going to win. I just thought, 'What an honor to be invited to the party.' []
  • Mariska: (when talking about her career as an actress) As an actress, there were so many months, years even, when I didn't get work, when I wanted to quit. []
  • Mariska (when talking about her marriage to Peter Hermann) It's my first marriage. I wanted to find out where I was going before I found out who was going with me. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about her role on SVU) I'm an L.A. girl who became a tough New York cop. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about her SVU costars) Belzer, with his gallows humor, is so great and Dann comes up with the best lines. Everyone is a comedian. That's how we survive this show. []
  • Mariska: (when talking about being nominated for her Emmy Award) When people say that I'm the frontrunner, I laugh. I'm nominated with Glenn Close - like I've got a shot. []
  • Mariska: You make sacrifices to become a mother, but you really find yourself and your soul. []
  • Mariska: (on her son) I have so much love that I didn't even know about. []
  • Mariska: (When asked in a interview what her favorite episodes of SVU were) I love them all but I believe that my favorites are Birthright, Charisma, Weak, Rage and Intoxicated. []
  • Mariska: What I'm capable of. What we ALL are capable of. Being on SVU is great, but it is incredibly demanding. When I first started I was like, Who works this hard? And now, six years later, I do and I don't even think twice about it. It has been such a gift. Without incredible challenges how would we discover how much we have to give? It's opened my eyes to the plight of victims. And helped me find new ways to make a difference in the world. Without SVU, I would've never started the Joyful Heart Foundation. []
  • Mariska: (on their son, August) We stare at him, we’re so in love. This is what I was meant to do. []
  • Mariska: (describing the changes made to her SVU dressing room for August) A big crib, and there will be all kinds of shelves for toys. I’m also getting a rocker, so I can sit and hold him. It’s going to be all baby - all the time! []
  • Mariska: (converting Peter’s office into a nursery for August) The ceiling has a big beautiful blue sky that’s a giant print of a photograph Peter took. We also found this big, old toy airplane and we’re going to hang it from the ceiling. It’s just wonderful. []
  • Mariska: (on her son, August) When I first heard him cry, that’s when I lost it. I feel like I’ve waited for him my whole life. []
  • Mariska: (on becoming a mother) I’ve never been happier in my life. This is all I’ve ever wanted. []
  • Mariska: (when asked what it was like to work with Chris Meloni) He is simply amazing. One of the most passionate, dedicated, talented actors I've ever worked with. He's a genius. And a hot one at that. []
  • Mariska: (regarding an autographed photos) Due to volume, I am unable to accept requests via email. If you would like an autographed picture, please send a SASE (Self-addressed stamped envelope—9x12 manilla and an .87 cent stamp are perfect!) to:

    Mariska Hargitay
    1357 Broadway
    #321
    New York, NY 10018

    Requests without proper envelopes and stamps will not be fulfilled. Please allow at least 8 weeks for delivery.

    If you live outside the U.S., please use proper country postage. []
  • Mariska: Yes, I'm madly in love with each and every one of them. They are a joy to work with and are gifted comedians. Might sound hard to believe, but sometimes I feel like I'm on SNL instead of SVU. []
  • Mariska: Yes. I did more research than I ever wanted to and saw some things I wish I didn't. I went on ride-alongs, spent time with Homicide, Cold Case, and SVU detectives, hung out in subways learning how to spot pervs and pick-pockets, viewed an autopsy, went to a police firing range, and witnessed court cases and I read, read, read. []
  • Mariska: I do on occasion slap handcuffs on unsuspecting pedestrians if that's what you mean. Seriously, though, I'm a girl who loves to laugh and Olivia never smiles. I'm also a bit of a chicken and she's a total superhero. There have been a few times when I've seen a problem or an accident on the street and I've sort of taken charge like she would. I guess it's Pavlovian. Putting that gun on in the morning definitely changes me. When I take the gun off, I'm usually done and I'm a big fan of a skirt and three inch heels. []
  • Mariska: The biggest tip I could give you is to get enough sleep and drink loads of water (a bottle of Fiji water is like an American Express card--I never leave home without it). I truly believe you are what you eat. If you treat your body right inside, you will have a healthy glow on the outside. In terms of make up, I think less is more. You'd be surprised how much a little mascara and the palest lip gloss will get the job done. []
  • Mariska: I am proud to be a role model for my viewers. I am finding out that helping victims is as or more rewarding the all the awards I wins. []
  • Mariska: Speak The Truth. Seek The Truth. Be The Truth. []
  • Mariska: Being sexy is just one part of being a woman and an actress. But if the part calls for sexy. []
  • Mariska: When you see a girl like me bustin' perps, there ain't no time to be pretty. []
  • Mariska: (about working on SVU) It's been quite an education doing this show and living in New York at the same time, and being exposed to so many different kinds of people. []
  • Mariska: (during the Emmys) I already feel like I've won. It's an honor to be nominated. Really, unless you're an actor, you don't understand. To be nominated in the same category as Glenn Close? []
  • Mariska: It's a life's journey of finding ourselves, finding our power, and living for yourself, not for everyone else. []
  • Mariska: (about being a mother) This is what I was meant to do. You make sacrifices to become a mother, but you really find yourself and your soul. []
  • Mariska: We were 20 minutes from home, so Peter found a cop and we had sirens on and were running all the real lights like an episode of SVU. []

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