‘Law & Order SVU’: Mariska Hargitay Reveals Her Favorite Hairstyle
Law & Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay’s hair has gone through various changes over the course of the show. And although fans may have their preference, which hairstyle does Hargitay herself consider her best?
The hairstyle Mariska Hargitay feels makes her look the most ‘girly’
A lot of attention to detail is paid to Hargitay’s character Olivia Benson. The detective’s hairstyle has been as important to Olivia’s presentation as the clothes she wears. It’s even coincided with her development and growth over the years. Many might remember that Olivia Benson sported a shorter hairdo in her earlier SVU appearances. Hargitay herself seemed to gravitate towards a much shorter hairstyle ever since the 80s. But her hair can also reveal a lot about Olivia Benson herself, and changes depending on the character’s circumstances.
“For a recent episode, I wanted my hair thrown back because Benson wouldn’t have time to wash it with what was going on in the show,” Hargitay told Allure as an example. “She [was attacked by a street gang and] had a big black eye, so we did a ponytail bun with the front pieces out for something that looked practical.”
Sometimes, such as in that episode, Olivia Benson’s hairdo affects Hargitay’s hairstyle in real life.
“The hair ended up looking so great that I wore it for three episodes, and I started doing it in real life too. It’s fresh and efficient,” she said.
Hargitay often works with trusted hair stylists to achieve her desired look. Stylist Cassi Hurd seemed enthusiastic about working with Hargitay, as she commented that any length works well for the actor. But over the years, Hargitay has discovered that she preferred a longer hairstyle, which can be seen in more recent SVU episodes.
“Longer hair fits my face so well, and I’ve learned by now that I’m just better with length,” Hargitay said. “Plus, I love that longer hair makes me feel girly — my husband, [Peter Hermann], and kids love it too.”
Mariska Hargitay was famously almost fired because of a haircut
Olivia Benson’s hairstyle is so important to Law & Order, that Hargitay was almost fired for tampering with it. Hargitay was already deep in her SVU role, having done the series for three seasons. She went to see her regular stylist to tend to her hair, but a slight mishap with major consequences occurred during the process.
“I look up and [my breath caught],” Hargitay once said according to HuffPost. “My hair was so cute and then all of a sudden, he did the one irrevocable cut. I went, ‘Oh! Oh!’ and he said, ‘What? Honey, you’re gorgeous.’ He kept going. He cuts it and then he leaves. I’m calling the producer at 10:30, [crying], ‘I just got a haircut. I don’t think it looks good!’ I went over to the producer’s house and he was like, ‘Yeah, that’s a problem.’ When they saw dailies [at work], they weren’t happy.”
Hargitay confirmed that she got in trouble thanks to the stylist’s mistake. When she went to SVU creator Dick Wolf about the error, Hargitay learned how close to being fired she really was.
‘”I’ve fired people for less,’” she recalled Wolf telling her.
But Hargitay quipped that at least Wolf wasn’t the one who actually had to wear the hair.
“I said, ‘You can’t be mad at me; I’m the one with the dramatic hairdo,'” she remembered.
What Mariska Hargitay thinks about fans wearing shirts about her hair
Hargitay’s hair evolution over the past 25 years is so iconic that fans would often see one of her hairstylists, and ask for the Olivia Benson look. She also learned that there’s been wardrobe designed to honor Olivia Benson’s hairdo, which Hargitay found hilarious.
“My fans are so hardcore that they even made a shirt about my hair evolution. It says ‘Benson’s Hair’ on it, and it’s so funny. That’s when you know your hair’s a thing,” she said.
