NEW YORK — Actress Mariska Hargitay, who plays the heroic detective Olivia Benson on the long-running TV show "Law and Order: SVU," took her detective skills off-screen after she was mistaken for an actual officer on duty.
While filming an episode of "SVU" in New York, a little girl approached Hargitay, thinking she was a real police officer.
Witnesses told People and TMZ that the girl had been separated from her mother at the nearby playground and needed help.
The actress halted production for about 20 minutes as they tracked down her mom and the two were safely reunited.
Witnesses said the girl did not seem to notice the film crew or Hargitay's co-star Ice-T.
Before the show's 25th season, Hargitay told People about how the character has shaped her life, giving her confidence to tackle situations just like this.
“There’s a thing: WWOBD, ‘What would Olivia Benson do?’ The fans would always talk about it, and one day it hit me," she said. "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.”
With the show's 25th season, Hargitay's character Olivia Benson became the longest-running character on any prime-time drama series. The show was renewed for a 26th season in March, the longest-running primetime live-action series in history.
