She is a heroine on and off screen.
Mariska Hargitay reportedly made her “Law and Order: SVU” character Olivia Benson proud last week when she helped a child find her parent after assuming the actress was an on-duty police officer.
According to witnesses at Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park, the little girl got separated from her mother and ran toward Hargitay, 60, when she saw the police badge on his belt.
Witnesses told People that the little girl was completely ignoring the camera crew and “SVU” vet Ice-T.
The Post has reached out to Hargitay’s representatives for comment.
After enlisting the help of the beloved actress, production on the final episodes of the show’s historic 25th season was halted for about 20 minutes while she helped the child reunite with her mother.
Shortly after, mother and daughter were reunited and Hargitay was seen comforting the couple.
The moment went viral on X (formerly Twitter).
“That’s why I love him so much. She’s a true hero,” sobbed one fan on the social media platform.
“OMG I love him so much, he’s just the sweetest person ever,” a second person said.
Hargitay has played Benson since the start of the “Law and Order” spinoff series in 1999.
The NBC series recently became the longest-running primetime live-action series on American television.
Shortly before the 25th season premiere, Hargitay spoke to People about how much the show impacted her.
“We followed a parallel path,” she said. “There’s a thing: WWOBD, ‘What Would Olivia Benson Do?’ Fans were always talking about it, and one day it hit me. I also have these moments where I kind of slipped into her.
“If there’s a crisis, I just take over and lead like that. Be strong and fearless. It’s sort of this perfect feminist story.
While some stars sometimes seem to drift off to new projects, as co-star Christopher Meloni, 63, did in 2011 and Kelli Giddish before returning for the most recent season, Hargitay is entirely content to stay where she is.
“I have two diametrically opposed answers. The first is: I can’t believe it’s been 25 years, a quarter of a century! And the other is that I can’t see things any other way,” she explained.
“I can’t imagine the show ending, and I can’t imagine not going on this journey with my cast, my crew,” she continued. “I have so much to look forward to. And I continue to grow. I love that you can be so many things at once. It’s learning to give yourself permission to be completely yourself.
New York Post
