Mariska Hargitay

Imagine a super-detective on TV who is always solving mysteries and helping people! That's Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on a show called Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She's been playing this role for so long, she's like a TV superhero who never stops! She's also a real-life hero because she helps people who have been hurt.

Mariska has been playing Olivia Benson since 1999! That's longer than you've been in school, maybe even longer than your parents have been married! Her show is so popular, it's the longest-running detective show on TV ever.

She's won shiny awards like an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her amazing acting. She even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is like a special sidewalk with stars for famous people!

Mariska was born a long, long time ago, on January 23, 1964, in a sunny place called Santa Monica, California. Her mom was also a famous actress named Jayne Mansfield! Mariska went to school and learned all about acting. She's also been in other TV shows like ER, which is about doctors, and Falcon Crest. But playing Detective Benson is her most famous job!

When Mariska isn't acting, she's busy being a real-life superhero. She started a special group called the Joyful Heart Foundation. This group helps people who have been through tough times, like being hurt. She even learned how to help people who have been hurt in bad ways. She's also made movies about important things, like helping to find evidence for crimes. She's a true inspiration!