Mariska Hargitay halts production of 'SVU' to help girl who mistook her for real cop

NEW YORK — Mariska Hargitay did Olivia Benson proud this week when the actress helped a young girl find her mother after the child mistook her for a real cop.

In the midst of filming “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in New York City last week, the star was approached by a girl who’d lost her mom at Fort Tryon Park.

Hargitay at the time was sporting a badge as part of Olivia’s costume, a witness told People, adding the girl hadn’t noticed any of the show’s crew nor Hargitay’s co-star, Ice-T.

Despite not actually being in law enforcement, Hargitay did what was necessary to assist the young girl, even ensuring the show halted production for 20 minutes, according to the outlet. She ultimately managed to help the girl reunite with her mom.

“We’ve been on a parallel journey,” Hargitay told People ahead of the show’s 25th season premiere earlier this year. “There’s a thing: WWOBD, ‘What would Olivia Benson do?’ The fans would always talk about it, and one day it hit me. I also have those moments where I’ve sort of slipped into her. If there’s a crisis, I just take over and lead like that. Being strong and fearless. It’s sort of this perfect feminist story.”

Hargitay has portrayed the iconic New York Police Department detective-turned-captain since “SVU” premiered on NBC in 1999. The network recently renewed the show for a historic 26th season. “SVU” remains prime-time TV’s longest-running live-action series.

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