'Law & Order: SVU' Actress Mariska Hargitay Opened up about Her Family in a Candid Interview

From: news.amomama.com

"Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" actress Mariska Hargitay shares never-before-known facts about how she manages her large family despite her busy career. 

Mariska Hargitay is best known for her strange role as Olivia Benson in the famous American TV series, "Law and Order: SVU." It is a great discovery to find out that off the screen, Hargitay's life still holds intrigue. 

Hargitay is married to her fellow actor, Peter Hermann, who she first met in 2002. It was that same year the couple had their first date before tying the knot some two years later in California.

At the time, Hargitay, who is the daughter of actress and 1950s-era sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, was 40 years old. She said while speaking in an interview with Parade:

"Everyone was getting married in their 20s or 30s, but in my mind, I knew I had to figure out what I was doing in my life."

She added:

"I didn't want anyone to shape me, and I knew that I had my own path to walk. Not to say I wasn't sad or impatient."

Now, Hargitay's marriage has lasted for well over a decade and boasts of the tight-knit bond many sought after. The secret to Hargitay and Hermann's long-standing relationship remains their ability to set their personal lives apart from their on-screen selves. 

For one, their family, including their three children: August, 13, and Amaya and Andrew, both 8, reside on the Upper West Side of New York City which is outside of Hollywood.

There, the famous couple can provide a near-normal life for their children outside their stardom. Without having Hermann's mutual support in all of this, it is obvious that none of it would be possible and Hargitay couldn't be happier about finding such a perfect partner. 

Hargitay says of her husband:

"We both treasure family and have the same moral compass. But we're also communicators. If you don't talk about something, then it festers."

She further explained:

"We work on staying connected that way. And we have an ability to take something sensitive, and then 10 minutes later we'll make it a joke and be like, 'Too soon?'"

Despite the tasking nature of being a mother and a popular figure in Hollywood, Hargitay shares that she finds motherhood fulfilling and wouldn't trade it for anything else. She said while speaking to Parade:

"I have so many different joys. I'm acting, I'm producing, I'm directing episodes, and I'm having meetings for my foundation. Then I'm a wife and a mom, and you have to keep watering that garden. Relationships don't just stay great."

Hargitay is indeed the all-rounder. She has a successful acting career, is an excellent homemaker and what more, serves as a passionate activist!

There is absolutely nothing not to love about the gorgeous star, and thanks to her “Law and Order: SVU” job, she is now regarded as an international star. 

As per "Law and Order: SVU," Hargitay has avid fans of the famous crime series all tensed up as she was recently spotted on a weekend hangout with Christopher Meloni.

Now, fans are airing speculations that her on-screen character and that of Meloni's may start to solve crime together again soon. Next week, Season 21 of "Law & Order: SVU" will air on NBC, making the show the longest-running scripted prime-time drama, as per E! News.

How Law and Order: SVU Season 21 Is Making History in More Ways Than One

From:eonline.com/news

Law & Order: SVU is making history in more ways than one this year.

The NBC police drama fronted by Mariska Hargitay becomes the longest-running scripted primetime drama with season 21, beating the record previously set by mothership Law & Order and Gunsmoke. For the landmark season, returning showrunner Warren Leight is also making some big changes behind the scenes of the series by opening up the writers room and for the first time, women outnumber the men.

"We talked about what we wanted to see happen this year in terms of casting, in terms of storyline, in terms of emotional stakes," Leight told E! News about his discussions with Hargitay, who also serves as executive producer on the series. "One of the things I did that she was happy with, I opened up with a lot of new writers in the writers room."

Leight said three new writers were journalists "who know this world really well, but have not written for TV before." "The writers room is more women than men for the first time in the show's history, so it changes the dynamic of the room. It's fresh air into the writers room," Leight said. "We're re-approaching the specificity of design."

Out of the 11 season 21 writers, seven are women.

Viewers should also look for the stakes to be higher when the show returns Thursday, Sept. 26 on NBC.

"We are aware of this has never been done before. And you don't want it to be just a regular season, you want it to be special. You want the stories to not feel like they could've happened any time in the last—it could've been episode 330 or 387, you want it to feel like, ‘That was one of the season 21 episodes.' We're looking for stories that allow as full a range of emotion as possible," Leight said.

In addition to emotionally rich stories, look for some big guest stars. Already SVU has announced Deadwood and American Gods star Ian McShane will appear in the season premiere. Modern Family's Ariel Winter will also appear in an early season 21 episode. As for fans hoping for some more familiar faces, they shouldn't give up hope…

'Law & Order: SVU' Season 21 Premieres, Series Cast Changes For New Season

From: en.businesstimes.cn

Read at your own risk: This article contains spoilers for Law & Order: Special Victims UnitSeason 20.

A few weeks before Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 20's conclusion, NBC announced that the show would be renewed for a new season. This makes the show one of the long-running scripted materials on the network. And inside the Law & Order world, it is now the only franchise that is still receiving orders for new episodes.

According to Pop Culture, NBC's chairmen, Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks, revealed that they are very proud of what the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit family has been able to accomplish. They referred to the show as a "testament" and an impressive "example" of what could happen if a certain show continues to speak to its audience in a very "powerful way." And this further excites the whole production and fandom of the series.

In addition to these statements, the series lead star, Mariska Hargitay, who plays the role of Lt. Olivia Benson, also shared her joyful sentiments about the apparent renewal. She stated that she is "humbled" to make history in American television today.

As it happens, Mariska Hargitay has been with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ever since its pilot run in 1999. So, being in the show for more than two decades has been truly "groundbreaking."

The upcoming season is now confirmed to arrive this fall season. But while some details are yet to be revealed, other important and exciting aspects of the show are already publicized, especially on its cast members.

All of the series regulars will return to reprise their roles. However, Philip Winchester confirmed that he is no longer returning to play the role of Assistant District Attorney Peter Stone.

His exit in the last season's finale was given enough justice. As any fan would recall, he told Benson that his feelings for her had clouded his judgments. And he was referring to what he did behind Benson's back to ultimately put Rob Miller behind bars.

Upon crossing the line, along with the other key players of SVU, they were able to capture and eliminate Rob Miller from the game. But since his actions surprised him in the end, he finally bid his goodbyes to Benson as he no longer wants it to happen again.

While his character will no longer appear next season, a new key character will enter the course of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. And as per Cartermatt, Ian McShane will join the series cast to play the role of a "high-profile" mogul, who will be accused of sexual assault.


Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 21 premieres on September 26, on NBC.

Mariska Hargitay & Peter Scanavino Bundle Up To Shoot 'Law & Order: SVU' Scenes

From: okmagazine.com

Mariska Hargitay & Peter Scanavino Bundle Up To Shoot 'Law & Order: SVU' Scenes

The two are currently filming the show's historic 20th season.

 Mariska Hargitay never stops! She and her Law and Order: Special Victims Unit costar Peter Scanavino were spotted shooting more scenes for their hit legal drama on Wednesday morning, April 17. The two filmed a few fun action scenes on the Midtown Manhattan Helipad.

 

Mariska, 55, was dressed head to toe in her classic Olivia Benson costume. She rocked a black and army green wool coat, black jeans and suede knee-high boots. She was ready to kick crime to the curb!

 

 

Peter, 39, donned his typical Dominick Carisi Jr. look to film. He wore a simple dark suit, a burgundy tie, tan Oxfords and matching leather gloves.

 

 

As Law and Order: SVU fans know, Peter joined the drama during the show's 16th season and first butted heads with Olivia Benson.

 

 

The NBC crime show made history when it became the fourth-longest scripted series to ever air. It is currently filming its 20th season and was renewed for a 21st earlier this year.

 

 

Mariska recently made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live on April 6 and was joined by costar Ice-T! The two acted in a skit spoofing Game of Thrones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dick Wolf & the 'Law & Order: SVU' Cast Reflect on Their Record-Breaking Renewal

From: journalstar.com

Dick Wolf & the 'Law & Order: SVU' Cast Reflect on Their Record-Breaking Renewal        

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- "Remember Me Too" Episode 1924 -- Pictured: (l-r) Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson, Peter Scanavino as Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Philip Winchester as Peter Stone, Ice T as Odafin "Fin" Tutuola -- (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Last year, Mariska Hargitay had an emphatic response when asked if she wanted her Law & Order: SVU to surpass the 20 seasons posted by mother ship Law & Order. “You know I do!” she told us.

The star got her wish. NBC just renewed the ripped-from-the-headlines sex crimes procedural for a record-breaking 21st season, making it the longest-running primetime live-action series in TV history. (Law & Order and Gunsmoke both ran for 20 seasons.) Not bad for a drama dealing with felonies not often talked about in polite society.

Dick Wolf, creator of the L&O franchise, first believed the original series would hold the title. “When Law & Order was in its 12th season, I started thinking about a record that appeared to be unbreakable — Gunsmoke’s 20-year run,” he tells TV Guide Magazine.

“We got closer, and in 2010 tied the record, but breaking it was not to be.” (The show was canceled in May 2010.) “At the time,” Wolf continues, “SVU was in its 11th season, and Ice T [Sergeant Tutuola] said, ‘Maybe, SVU will break the record.’ And here we are — 21 and counting.”

 

Law & Order: SVU cast in Season 1 (Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank)

 

In a TV universe that now includes cable and streaming, SVU’s two-decade-plus presence is remarkable. Despite the loss of many cast members over the years, like fan favorites Christopher Meloni (Detective Stabler), Richard Belzer (DA Investigator Munch) and Stephanie March (ADA Cabot), ratings have remained solid. (Philip Winchester’s ADA Stone will depart at the end of this season.) SVU reached 10 to 15 million viewers in its first decade and hit 8.6 million as recently as Season 19. It’s still NBC’s highest-rated Thursday-night show.

Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson in Season 20 (Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

 

Provocative storylines and top-notch guest stars have kept the drama popular, but the special sauce is the much beloved Hargitay, who has played Olivia Benson — promoted to lieutenant in 2015 — since the 1999 pilot.

Come next season, Benson will be the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action series. “Olivia is the mother figure we all want,” Hargitay said. 

The Emmy winner, who pronounced herself humbled to make TV history, credits SVU’s long life to powerful writing. “We have always told compelling stories that are close to our hearts, our souls and our core,” she told TV Guide Magazine.

And if she has her way, there will be even more stories to come. The next milestone she hopes to hit: 25 years!

Law & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC

Peabody Awards - I Am Evidence

From: peabodyawards.com


I AM Evidence has been nominated for a Peabody Award. Congratulations to Mariska & Team!

The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has announced the 60 nominees that represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and digital media during 2018. The nominees were selected by unanimous vote of 19 jurors from more than 1,200 entries from television, radio/podcasts and the web in entertainment, news, documentary, children’s and public service programming. Thirty winners selected from amongst these nominees will be announced beginning next week.

“It is our great honor to recognize the most powerful and compelling, but also most brilliant and creative programming of 2018,” said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Across genres and platforms, these are stories that help us make sense of our world, and locate our humanity in the joys and tragedies and struggles of people worldwide.”

Peabody Award winners and nominees will be celebrated at a red-carpet event on Saturday, May 18, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Ronan Farrow, a contributing writer for The New Yorker and an investigative reporter and producer based at HBO, will serve as host. Farrow’s stories in The New Yorker exposed the first sexual-assault allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, and garnered him a Pulitzer Prize for public service, a National Magazine Award, and a George Polk Award, among other honors. He previously worked as an anchor and investigative reporter at MSNBC and NBC News, and is currently producing documentaries for HBO.

The presenting sponsor is Mercedes-Benz, the official automobile of the 78th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony. Variety is the exclusive media partner.

Over the next several weeks, 30 winners from among these nominees will be announced by category: Documentary on April 16; Entertainment/Children’s & Youth on April 18; and News/Radio/Web/Public Service programming on April 23. Last month, the board of jurors named Rita Moreno as this year’s Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by Mercedes-Benz.
The 60 Peabody Awards Nominees, listed by category and in alpha order (network/platform in parentheses) are:

CHILDREN’S & YOUTH

· “Hilda” Silvergate Media for Netflix (Netflix)
· “Steven Universe” Cartoon Network Studios (Cartoon Network)

DOCUMENTARIES

· “A Dangerous Son” HBO Documentary Films and Moxie Firecracker Films (HBO)
· “Blue Planet II” BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC AMERICA, Tencent, WDR, France Télévisions and CCTV9 in partnership with The Open University (BBC AMERICA)
· “Brides & Brothels: The Rohingya Trade” 101 East (Al Jazeera English)

· “I Am Evidence” HBO Documentary Films and Mighty Entertainment in association with Fixit Productions and Artemis Rising Foundation (HBO)

· “Independent Lens: Dolores” A Carlos Santana Production, in association with 5 Stick Films, and THE DOLORES HUERTA FILM PROJECT, LLC (PBS)
· “Independent Lens: I Am Not Your Negro” A co-production of Velvet Film Inc., Velvet Film S.A.S., Artémis Productions, Close Up Films, ARTE France, RTS, RTBF, Shelter Prod and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) presented in association with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) (PBS)
· “Independent Lens: The Judge” A co-production of Three Judges LLC, Idle Wild Films Inc., and Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) (PBS)
· “Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart” Lorraine Hansberry Documentary Project, LLC in co-production with Independent Television Service and Black Public Media in association with The Film Posse, Chiz Schultz Inc. and American Masters Pictures (PBS/WNET/TV)
· “Minding the Gap” Hulu presents in association with Kartemquin, American Documentary | POV and ITVS (Hulu)
· “POV: QUEST: A Portrait of an American Family” Quest Fury Sound LLC, Vespertine Film and Media Productions Inc., American Documentary | POV, ITVS (PBS)
· “POV: The Apology” National Film Board of Canada, American Documentary | POV (PBS)
· “POV: Survivors” WeOwnTV, American Documentary | POV, ITVS (PBS)
· “POV: Whose Streets?” Whose Streets? LLC, American Documentary | POV (PBS)
· “Shirkers” A Netflix Documentary in association with Cinereach (Netflix)
· “The Bleeding Edge” A Netflix Original Documentary in association with Shark Island Institute (Netflix)
· “The Facebook Dilemma” FRONTLINE (PBS)
· “The Jazz Ambassadors” Thirteen Productions LLC, Antelope South Ltd., Normal Life Pictures, in association with the BBC and ZDF in collaboration with Arte (PBS)
· “The Rape of Recy Taylor” Augusta Films, in co-production with Transform Films Inc., in association with Artemis Rising and Matador Content (Starz)

ENTERTAINMENT

· “Atypical” Sony Pictures Television for Netflix (Netflix)
· “Barry” HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply (HBO)
· “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette” Netflix (Netflix)
· “Homecoming” Universal Content Productions and Amazon Studios (Amazon Prime Video)
· “Killing Eve” Sid Gentle Films Ltd. for BBC AMERICA (BBC AMERICA)
· “My Brilliant Friend” HBO Entertainment in association with RAI FICTION, TIMVISION and Wildside, Fandango, and Umedia (HBO)
· “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” Netflix (Netflix)
· “Pose” Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions (FX Networks)
· “Random Acts of Flyness” HBO Entertainment in association with A24 and MVMT (HBO)
· “The Americans” Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions (FX Networks)
· “The Chi” SHOWTIME Presents, Fox 21 Television Studios, Kapital Entertainment, Verse, Freedom Road Productions, Hillman Grad Productions, Elwood Reid Inc. (Showtime)
· “The End of the F***ing World” Clerkenwell Films/Dominic Buchanan Productions for Channel 4 Television and Netflix (Netflix)
· “The Good Place” Universal Television, Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment (NBC)
· “This Close” Killer Films and Super Deluxe (SundanceNow)

NEWS

· “Anatomy of a Killing” BBC Africa Eye (BBC)
· “Aquí y Ahora: The Faces of the Immigration Crisis” Univision Network (Univision Network)
· “CBS News Special: 39 Days” CBS News (CBS)
· “Back of the Class” KING Television (NBC affiliate/KING)
· “Cambridge Analytica” ITN for Channel 4 News (Channel 4 News)
· “Inside Yemen” PBS NewsHour (PBS)
· “NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Toxic School Water” WTVF-TV (WTVF-TV)
· “Nima Elbagir: Human Rights Reporting” CNN (CNN)
· “On the Fire Line” PBS NewsHour (PBS)
· “Separated: Children at the Border” FRONTLINE (PBS)
· “Spartan Silence: Crisis at Michigan State” E:60, OTL, ESPNW, Sportscenter (ESPN)
· “The Plastic Problem” PBS NewsHour (PBS)
· ”$2 Tests: Bad Arrests” WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta (WAGA-TV)

PUBLIC SERVICE

· “Student/Trafficked” R.AGE (Star Media Group)

WEB

· “Zero Tolerance” ProPublica

RADIO/PODCASTS

· “Bag Man” MSNBC (MSNBC)
· “Believed” Michigan Radio (NPR)
· “Buried Truths” WABE (WABE)
· “Caliphate” The New York Times (The New York Times)
· “Ear Hustle” PRX’s Radiotopia (PRX’s Radiotopia)
· “In The Dark (season 2)” APM Reports (Podcast)
· “Kept Out” Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, PRX, PBS Newshour, and the Associated Press (Public radio stations nationwide)
· “Monumental Lies” Type Investigations and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX (Public radio stations nationwide)
· “My World Was Burning: The North Bay Fires and What Went Wrong” KQED and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX (Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX)
· “This American Life Episode #657: The Runaways” This American Life and ProPublica Inc. (Public Radio Stations, podcast)
· “The Daily” The New York Times (The New York Times)

About Peabody Awards
The Peabody Awards honor the most powerful, enlightening and invigorating stories in television, radio and digital media. Each year, Peabody Awards are bestowed upon a curated collection of 30 stories that capture society’s most important issues—known as the Peabody 30. Honorees must be unanimously chosen by the Peabody Board of Jurors, a diverse assembly of industry professionals, media scholars, critics and journalists who each bring a unique perspective of what constitutes a story that matters. From major Hollywood productions to local journalism, the network of Peabody Awards winners is a definitive collection of society’s most important stories and storytellers, including winners that have ranged from Edward R. Murrow, Carol Burnett, and David Letterman to “The Sopranos,” “Sesame Street,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Serial.” The Peabody Awards were founded in 1940 at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and are still based in Athens today. For more information, follow @PeabodyAwards on Twitter.

‘Law & Order: SVU’ Makes TV History With A 21st Season Renewal And A Record For Mariska Hargitay

From: uproxx.com

Even if you’ve been more entertained these days by Ice-T’s glorious Twitter-narrated antics and cutting-edge analysis of current events than his bread-and-butter TV career, some Law & Order: Special Victims Unit respect is in order. The spinoff series that zeroes in on detectives who investigate crimes of a sexual nature has broken a major record for live-action TV. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that SVU, with its renewal for the 2019-2020 season, will become the longest enduring live-action primetime TV series in U.S. history. In doing so, it eclipses 20 seasons of both NBC’s Law & Order (ending in 2010) and CBS’ Gunsmoke (ending in 1975). Here’s NBC’s official statement:

“We tip our cap to [creator/executive producer] Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay and the amazing cast and crew of SVU, who now all go into the record book,” said Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks, co-chairmen of NBC Entertainment. “This incredible run is an example of what happens when producers, writers and actors all come together and create a show that, year after year, speaks to its audience in a powerful way. We couldn’t be more proud of this remarkable achievement.”

Given that Mariska Hargitay’s still on board, this renewal will also make her Lt. Olivia Benson the female character who’s held on the longest in a live-action primetime series. Somehow, she’s only been awarded one Emmy (in 2006) for this feat but has landed eight nomination nods. Not only that, but Hargitay’s used her platform to advocate for real-life victims of sexual crimes through her Joyful Heart Foundation, which aims to “transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever.”

It’s also staggering to note that Ice-T, once notorious for performing Body Count’s 1992 “Cop Killer,” has played a cop on SVU since 1991, which is quite a run. He’s been on board almost as long as Hargitay and told Jimmy Fallon in 2018 that he’d stick around as long as she does. Hargitay has given no indication that Benson would head out the door like Chris Meloni’s Elliot Stabler or Richard Belzer’s John Munch, so here’s hoping to at least another decade of this duo, though they’ll probably never catch up to The Simpsons, which currently holds a 30-season record for the longest running overall primetime series and isn’t done yet.

Ice-T greeted the renewal news on Twitter (of course) by posting an image of himself with creator and executive producer Dick Wolf.