Mariska Hargitay Revealed Why Sometimes She Went Home and Cried After Filming ‘Law & Order SVU’

Mariska Hargitay’s life transformed in multiple ways after joining the hit television series Law & Order: SVU. However, the show’s demanding schedule often made it challenging for her to balance her personal life, taking a toll at times.

The Challenge of Balancing Home Life with Law & Order: SVU

As fulfilling as her role on Law & Order: SVU might be, it comes with a demanding workload. Filming an episode often involves long hours on set, frequently including 12-hour workdays. Additionally, Hargitay and her co-stars need to read and memorize scripts to ensure consistent performances.

Managing these responsibilities is already challenging, but it becomes even more difficult when family is involved. Hargitay shares three children with her husband, Peter Hermann, and finding time for them isn’t always easy.

“It’s hard. I’m not going to say it’s easy, it’s hard,” she once told Us Weekly. “I’m learning to [balance]. I try to be super present with where I am. I’m at work, I’m at work. When I’m with my kids, I’m with my kids.”

Certain days can be tougher than others, leading Hargitay to briefly question her Law & Order career.

“There are days I go home and just cry. There have been days when I didn’t see my kids. Those are the days I’m, like, ‘Maybe I’m done.’ But now, this is a gift of doing something for 20 years. We’re such a well-oiled machine. I go in there and I’m like, ‘Guys, I’ve got a kids’ thing. I’m out.’ They’re like, ‘Got it, boom,’” she said.

Hargitay and her family find creative ways to accommodate her busy schedule.

“I have an incredible support system with my husband. He’s an actor, so he also understands. I try to keep it organic. The kids come to set all the time. I’ve worked out my schedule a bit that I have a little more flexibility. I have a great team behind me,” she shared.

Mariska Hargitay’s Kids and Law & Order: SVU

Law & Order: SVU often deals with serious subject matter inspired by real-world events, and Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson, has faced numerous harrowing situations. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hargitay and Hermann were asked if their children watched their parents on the show.

“Are you out of your mind?” Hermann responded. “They get to read this [children’s book]. Why do you think I wrote it? ‘You can’t watch the shows, but here is a really funny book that you get to watch!’”

Hargitay joked that her kids wouldn’t watch SVU until they were middle-aged.

“They’re not going to watch SVU until they’re, like, 40,” she said.

She added that her children didn’t seem interested in pursuing acting careers.

“There is a lot of stick, I’m not going to lie, in our house,” Hargitay said. “But, no. They’re funny, they’re super funny, but they are…no [acting].”

Mariska Hargitay’s Child Confused About Her Fame

Hargitay mentioned that her children understood she plays a cop on television, but one of her children seemed puzzled by the attention she received in public.

“He thinks I play a cop on TV, end of story,” Hargitay recalled to People. “So he asked, ‘Why does everyone say I love you’ when we’re walking down the street?”

This innocent confusion highlights the balancing act Hargitay performs between her high-profile career and maintaining a sense of normalcy for her family.