Mariska Hargitay has earned the admiration of millions of fans for bringing Captain Olivia Benson to life, a character who has become a symbol of justice, compassion, and support for survivors of sexual violence. She is an American actress and activist who has become one of the most recognizable figures on U.S. television thanks to her portrayal of Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU). The daughter of actors Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, Mariska began her acting career in the 1980s and, throughout her journey, has received numerous awards, including a Golden Globe and four Emmy Awards.
A night of firsts on the Emmy stage
Hargitay made headlines once again in 2026 when NBC and the Television Academy announced her as the host of the 78th Emmy Awards. The ceremony will take place on Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Considered one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in the television industry, the Emmy Awards honor the best productions, professionals, and performances in American television each year.
Hosting marks an important milestone in her professional career, as it will be the first time she has led the ceremony. In a statement released by NBC in July, the actress said she was deeply honored to host the ceremony during NBC’s centennial celebrations. Her appointment also carries historical significance, as she will become the first woman in 15 years to host the Emmy Awards on her own.
She arrives at the ceremony fresh off two wins of her own. On September 5, at the Creative Arts Emmys, Mariska took home Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special as a producer and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary or Nonfiction Program for My Mom Jayne, her film about her mother, who died when Hargitay was three years old.
When a TV role turned into a real-life mission
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, launched in 1999, is a police procedural drama that follows the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, which investigates sexual crimes, domestic violence, child abuse, and other particularly sensitive offenses. It was within this context that Hargitay took on the role of Olivia Benson. Over more than two decades, Benson has become one of the most influential female characters on television, helping the series raise public awareness about these crimes and the challenges faced by survivors.
The impact of the series on Mariska Hargitay’s life extended far beyond her professional career. While preparing for the role, the actress was confronted with the numbers behind this kind of abuse, which led her to recognize the magnitude of an issue that had not received sufficient attention from society. Over the years, she began receiving thousands of letters and emails from viewers sharing their personal experiences with abuse, often for the very first time. Hargitay has stated that these messages profoundly changed her perspective on the world and inspired in her a sense of responsibility that went beyond fiction.
The foundation built from survivors’ letters
It was in direct response to those letters that Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004, a nonprofit created to support survivors of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and child abuse. Since then, the actress has become actively involved in awareness campaigns, survivor support programs, and initiatives aimed at reforming public policies related to sexual violence. The organization has expanded its reach and now focuses on three main areas: raising awareness and mobilizing society, developing healing and recovery programs for survivors, and advocating for legislative changes that provide greater protection and justice for victims.
One of the organization’s best-known initiatives is End the Backlog, a campaign dedicated to eliminating the backlog of untested rape kits across the United States. Joyful Heart also runs programs such as Heal the Healers, which supports professionals who work directly with survivors and experience secondary trauma, and the Image-Based Abuse Initiative, created to combat the exploitation and non-consensual sharing of intimate images online.
For Mariska, the foundation carries off-screen the work she started as Olivia Benson. She turned her television visibility into a platform for support, awareness, and advocacy. As a result, her work on the series not only defined her career but also established her as one of the leading voices in the fight for justice, healing, and the rights of abuse survivors in the United States.
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The article above was edited and translated by Samantha Coutto.
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