The entertainment industry is chock-full of tales that are almost impossible to believe.
It can become difficult to separate myth from reality.
But a Hollywood actress experienced one jaw-dropping moment that was stranger than fiction.
Emmy-winning actress Mariska Hargitay has played police officer Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for the past quarter of a century.
On the show, Benson and her colleagues pursue criminals who have committed heinous crimes, particularly against children.
During the filming of the 25th season of SVU, Hargitay experienced a first.
Life imitates art
A young girl who had been separated from her mother mistook Hargitay for a real-life cop during the production of one episode.
The girl wandered up to Hargitay because she saw her police badge, leading the production to shut down for 20 minutes while the cast and crew helped the girl locate her mother.
Mariska Hargitay halted filming on the set of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ when a lost little girl mistook her for a real officer.
After the young girl asked Mariska for help, she stopped production to help find her mom. (🎥: Splash)
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Needless to say, the fact that “Benson” was able to solve a real-life case was a surreal moment for Hargitay.
Hargitay’s journey
Speaking on her synergy with her character, Hargitay told the media that she and her character have “been on a parallel journey.”
‘There’s a thing: WWOBD, ‘What would Olivia Benson do?’” she added. “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.”
When asked about the amount of time she’s spent playing the character, Hargitay admitted she “can’t imagine the show ending” at this point.
“I have two diametrically opposed answers,” Hargitay explained. “One is: I can’t believe it’s been 25 years, a quarter of a century! And the other is, I can’t see it any other way. . . I can’t imagine the show ending, and can’t imagine not going on this journey with my cast, my crew.”
“I have so much to look forward to,” she added. “And I’m still growing. I like that you can be so many things at one time. It’s learning to give yourself permission to be all of yourself.”
