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Home > Sangre Celestial > Mariska Hargitay shares words of wisdom from her dad
Podcast: Sangre Celestial
Episode:

Mariska Hargitay shares words of wisdom from her dad
Category: Arts
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2025-08-16 16:00:00
Description: Arguably the most recognizable face of the Law & Order franchise, Mariska Hargitay has spent 26 years bringing tough as nails detective Olivia Benson to life. It’s a role that’s earned her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. But her quest for justice extends far beyond her screen presence. In 2004, inspired by the powerful stories she encountered while filming Law & Order: SVU, she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. Hargitay has also testified before Congress to improve national rape kit reform and to end the backlog. As director of the new documentary My Mom, Jayne, she takes a deeply personal journey into the tragically brief life of her mother, Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield. More: Actress Mariska Hargitay shifts focus to direct My Mom Jane (The Treatment, 2025) For her Treat, Hargitay imparts some words of wisdom she inherited from her late father, Mickey Hargitay. She reflects on keeping an open heart in the experience of meeting people… And how the way that we treat other humans can change the trajectory of their life, and of ours. Hargitay extols the power of kindness, true curiosity, and the fact that you can learn from other people at any age. You just have to pay attention. This segment has been edited and condensed for clarity. There have been so many things that have inspired me. One of them is the fact that [my dad] said: "Mariska, you can learn from anyone at any age, but you have to pay attention." I feel so grateful to have an open heart in life, in the experience of meeting people, know[ing] that miracles can happen at any moment. The way that we treat another human can change the trajectory of their life, or of our life. [That’s] the power of kindness and true curiosity. I think people are scared to be open and kind, even with[in] my foundation, the Joyful Heart Foundation . What kindness [is], how that can change somebody's day or life… Maybe you're the only person that smiled at them that day. Maybe you're the only person that said: "Hey, how [are] you doing?" Maybe you're the only person that saw them. And bearing witness to somebody is what creates healing. People heal when they're seen. I think that is what inspires me, people who have the courage to be open, kind, and brave. Because it doesn't feel good if somebody rejects you… But sometimes when people are maybe rude to me or short, I'll take it as a challenge. I'll get in there and stay with it: "What's happening with you? What's happening? Are you having a bad day? What happened?" I'll get in instead of go[ing], "Listen, sizzle chest, you need to calm down." I mean, I do that, too, sometimes. There's a time and place for everything, and you talk about where we are in the world right now, right? The division. Why is it? Fear. It's purely fear based, and it's a disconnection from our humanity and our humanness. That's what this is, is fear of the other. So to look and say, "How are we the same?" That's where love and healing comes from because we're the same in a lot of ways. So I'm so grateful to my dad for instilling that in me, this idea of openness and connection to possibility.
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