Mariska Hargitay recalls ‘beautiful’ moment helping lost child reunite with her mom on ‘SVU’ set

Mariska Hargitay is grateful for her recent real-life Olivia Benson moment.

The actress, 60, was shooting “Law & Order: SVU” in New York City on April 10 when a little girl, who got separated from her mother, approached Mariska thinking she was an on-duty police officer.

The show halted production for about 20 minutes as Mariska successfully helped the young child find her mom at the Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park.

While speaking to Entertainment Tonight at Variety’s Power of Women event on May 2, Mariska reflected on the “beautiful” moment that she shared with the child last month.

“We were meant to connect at the moment we did,” she said.

“This little angel girl was in need and we connected and I could see that,” Mariska continued. “So I did what any mother on this planet would do.”

The Emmy Award winner also gushed over getting to hug the mother and daughter once they were reunited.

“It was beautiful,” she said.

However, Mariska did note that she hasn’t kept in touch with the pair.

The “Law & Order: SVU” team were filming Season 25 at the time of the situation involving the lost child. Mariska, who plays a detective, had a police badge on her belt which explains why the child mistook her for a police officer.

Mariska has starred in the hit NBC series since its debut in 1999.

In an interview with Variety published May 2, Mariska opened up about how her “SVU” character remains so beloved by the viewers.

“I feel like I have different kinds of fans because of the subject matter,” she said. “They’re so loyal and protective, it feels personal.”

Mariska also acknowledged that fans of the show have been inspired by her TV persona since the start of the series.

“The world and the culture needed an Olivia Benson, needed somebody to talk about these things and fight for survivors and believe victims,” she explained. “The inception of the show was so genius that way, because Olivia was the loving mother that we all want.”

Mariska is a mother in real life, as well.

She and her husband, Peter Hermann, who is also an actor, have three kids: daughter Amaya, 12, and sons August, 17, and Andrew, 12.

The couple met on the set of “SVU” in 2001 and got married three years later.