Mariska Hargitay is a member of an elite squad: real life heroes.
While filming Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in New York City April 10, the actress was approached by a little girl who mistook the 60-year-old for a real police officer based on her costume—which includes a very real-looking police badge.
The child went up to Mariska as she was shooting a scene with costar Ice-T, and according to multiple outlets interrupted filming to ask for Mariska's help in finding her mom, which she successfully did.
E! News has reached out to Mariska for comment.
The Emmy winner—who shares children sons August, 17, and Andrew, 12, and daughter Amaya, 12, with husband of 20 years Peter Hermann—has played the iconic role of Olivia Benson on the NBC procedural since the show premiered in 1999.
And according to Mariska, playing a role like Olivia has offered important lessons that she has applied to her real life.
"I would say learning to tolerate our feelings and knowing that we can get over anything, that they pass, and then we're stronger because of it," she told E! News in 2022. "It's just about accessing our strength. I think that Olivia is such a badass who's grown into her power. And that is our journey for all of us women."
And while SVU shows no signs of slowing down, what would be her idea outcome for Olivia be in the end?
"I hope that she can get to a point where she feels like she's done enough service," she continued, "and it's time to rest and be and see the best that life has to offer. She's spent so much time in the darkest of what life has to offer."
Law & Order: SVU airs on Thursdays at 9/8c pm on NBC. To find out when more of your favorite shows are hitting the small screen this year, keep reading.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Beat Shazam (Fox) - May 28
Jamie Foxx and Corinne Fox return for a new season of the interactive game show.
America's Got Talent (NBC) - May 28
The 19th season of America’s Got Talent returns with a new set of aspiring performers looking to compete for the ultimate $1 million prize. Executive producer Simon Cowell returns to the star-studded judging panel with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.
Masterchef (Fox) - May 29
Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and renowned restaurateur Joe Bastianich return for the ultimate cook-off, as the top home cooks from four different generations, inclusive of Gen Z, Millenials, Gen X and Baby Boomers, battle it out.
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter (MTV) - May 30
Catelynn Baltierra, Jade Cline, Cheyenne Davis, Briana DeJesus, Ashley Jones, Maci McKinney, Leah Messer and Amber Portwood return for the new season. The moms are stepping into new territory, some of them giving driving lessons to their adolescents and others weighing their desire to have more children. In the midst of it all, they are juggling their relationships, prioritizing time for their significant others and navigating personal discoveries.
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock) - May 30
Season two of We Are Lady Parts sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.K. tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether "making it big" is really what they wanted.
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock) - May 30
Season two of We Are Lady Parts sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.K. tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they wanted.
The Real Housewives of Dubai (Bravo) - June 2
Season two of the reality series debuts this summer.
Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up (Lifetime) - June 3
On the heels of the buzzed about documentary The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard where Gypsy Rose Blanchard told her story in her own words, Lifetime's new eight episode docuseries, Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up picks up immediately from the days before her release from prison on Dec. 28 of last year. The series follows Gypsy as she experiences life as a free woman, including reconnecting with family and finally living with her husband Ryan Anderson for the first time.
Name That Tune (Fox) - June 3
Hosted by Jane Krakowski and band leader Randy Jackson, contestants' musical knowledge will be tested for a chance to win over $100,000.
Below Deck Mediterranean (Bravo ) - June 3
The azure waters and ancient ruins of Athens, Greece set the scene as Capt. Sandy Yawn returns to steer her team through a season brimming with fresh and formidable challenges. Between eccentric guests, an abundance of late-night demands that require intervention and a never-before-seen mechanical issue that orders all hands on deck, the crew faces tumultuous waves from the start.
Clipped (Hulu) - June 4
Clipped takes you behind the scenes of a notorious NBA owner’s racist remarks, captured on a tape heard around the world. Based on the hit ESPN 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs, this limited series charts the collision between a dysfunctional basketball organization and even less functional marriage, and the precipitating tape’s impact on an ensemble of characters striving to win against the backdrop of the most cursed team in the league.
Queer Planet (Peacock) - June 6
Queer Planet traverses the world to uncover nature’s hidden LGBTQ+ community, witnessing extraordinary creatures and never-before-seen behaviors that shed new light on unconventional sexualities and genders in the natural world. Plus, scientists weigh in with the facts on what comes naturally in the animal world as it relates to sex and gender.
Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (Hulu) - June 7
In 1972, Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel Brühl) is 38 and not yet wearing his iconic hairstyle. He is a ready-to-wear designer, unknown to the general public. While he meets and falls in love with the sultry Jacques de Bascher (Théodore Pellerin), an ambitious and troubling young dandy, the most mysterious of fashion designers dares to take on his friend (and rival) Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois), a genius of haute couture backed by the redoubtable businessman Pierre Bergé (Alex Lutz).
Perfect Match (Netflix) - June 7
In the second season of Perfect Match, 22 new singles from across Netflix’s unscripted series are back in the search for love. They will couple up and test their romantic relationships through compatibility challenges. Winning couples gain power in the game to bring in new singles to match with their castmates – setting up potential love matches or stirring trouble in paradise as they compete to be the strongest couple at the villa, crowned the Perfect Match.
Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles (Bravo) - July 10
After a couple of significantly groundbreaking years in Los Angeles luxury real estate, the housing market has taken a turn for the worse. Between high interest rates, the “Mansion Tax” and a low inventory of homes, the city’s hottest agents Josh Altman, Josh Flagg and Tracy Tutor are back and feeling a new kind of heat. Stuck in the middle of a shaky market, deals are dragging out, taking much longer to close than before. The agents find themselves accepting deals they never would have previously and getting more innovative with their strategies, employing any means necessary to close the deal.
The Boys (Prime) - June 13
In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.
House of the Dragon (HBO) - June 16
Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke and Matt Smith return in the for the HBO series' second season, which sees the Targaryen families at war over the Iron Throne.
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (Hulu) - June 25
An unprecedented look at the non-stop life of a cultural luminary. At a time when gender equality and women’s issues are at the forefront, Diane von Furstenberg’s life exemplifies empowerment, resilience, entrepreneurship, and style. She is an inspiration to women with her unapologetic demeanor. Diane never saw herself as a victim of sexism; rather, she embraced her femininity in a strong and profound way, forging a path for her daughter and the next generation of women to follow.
I Am: Celine Dion (Prime VIdeo) - June 25
Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Celine Dion gives us a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar’s struggle with a life-altering illness. Serving as a love letter to her fans, this inspirational documentary highlights the music that has guided her life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit.
The Bear (FX & Hulu) - June 27
Season three of The Bear returns in June, with all the episodes dropping on Hulu at the same time.
The Ark (SYFY) - July 17
The Ark takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. In season two, after the brave crew of Ark One reaches their destination and finds it uninhabitable, they must survive long enough to locate a new home for themselves and all the ships that follow.
Those About to Die (Peacock) - July 18
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told—the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics and dynasties.
2024 Summer Olympics (NBC & Peacock) - July 26
The Paris games kick off with the 2024 Opening Ceremony Friday, July 26.
The Umbrella Acadmey (Netflix) - Aug. 8
The Hargreeves siblings have scattered after the climactic showdown at the Hotel Oblivion led to a complete reset of their timeline. Stripped of their powers, each is left to fend for themselves and find a new normal—with wildly varying degrees of success. Yet the trappings of their uncanny new world prove too hard to ignore for very long. Their father Reginald, alive and well, has stepped out of the shadows and into the public eye, overseeing a powerful and nefarious business empire. A mysterious association known as The Keepers holds clandestine meetings believing the reality they’re living in is a lie and a great reckoning is coming. As these strange new forces conspire around them, the Umbrella Academy must come together one last time—and risk upsetting the shaky peace they’ve all endured so much to secure—to finally set things right.
Bel-Air (Peacock) - Aug. 15
Season three is summer season of Bel-Air! No school. No uniforms. Just summer sizzle. Pools, beach parties, bonfires, fireworks, Juneteenth celebrations and lots of summer lovin’.
Season three explores questions like, how do you prove yourself in a world that views you in limited ways? How do you reach beyond your comfort zone to create new opportunities for yourself? How does a family rebuild broken trust?
Emily in Paris (Netflix) - Aug. 15
This summer, fans will finally be able to see how the Emily (Lily Collins), Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) love triangle plays out after the sesaon three cliff hanger.
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - Aug. 27
In season four of Only Murders in the Building, Charles, Oliver and Mabel wrestle with the shocking events at the end of season three surrounding Charles’ stunt double & friend Sazz Pataki. Questioning whether Sazz or Charles was the intended victim, our trio’s investigation leads them all the way to Los Angeles where a Hollywood studio is readying a film about the Only Murders podcast. As our amateur sleuths race back to New York, they embark on an even more epic journey — traversing their building’s courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of the Arconia’s West Tower residents.
Love Island USA (Peacock) - Summer 2024
Season six of the hit dating competitionshow will premiere summer 2024 on Peacock.
American Ninja Warrior (NBC) - Summer 2024
Season 16 of American Ninja Warrior returns with the most elite athletes in the country competing on the world’s most difficult obstacle courses. Hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, along with co-host Zuri Hall, are back to call the action as the ninjas make their way through the qualifying and semifinal rounds in Los Angeles before moving to the national finals in Las Vegas.
Password (NBC) - Summer 2024
New episodes of the iconic game show Password will continue throughout the summer with Emmy Award-winning host Keke Palmer and Jimmy Fallon. The hour-long episodes will include two back-to-back games with recurring player Fallon paired with a contestant competing against a celebrity guest/contestant duo for cash prizes by guessing a secret password using only one-word clues.