Quote Of The Day: Mariska Hargitay On Vulnerability

Mariska Hargitay might play a tough cop on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” but her influence extends far beyond her work on screen. The actor known for playing Detective Olivia Benson, the longest-running character in a primetime drama, is also an activist for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence through her Joyful Heart Foundation. As a survivor herself, Hargitay made it her mission to help people feel empowered to come forward with their stories. 

Hargitay leads with vulnerability in her own life, as demonstrated by her 2025 feature directorial debut “My Mom Jayne,” which dives into family secrets and reflections on the tragic passing of her mother, Jayne Mansfield. She also starred in “Every Brilliant Thing,” the emotional single-performer play on Broadway. Hargitay has repeatedly demonstrated that she’s an open book, and that’s why she is so revered by peers and audiences alike.

Before the actor puts the badge back on for Season 28 of “Law & Order: SVU,” Hargitay is set to host the 2026 Emmy Awards in September. She will be the first woman emcee in 15 years, and she enters the night with two nominations of her own for “My Mom Jayne.” In the name of celebrating all of Hargitay’s achievements, let’s examine her words of wisdom in today’s quote of the day. 

“I think that vulnerability — I’ve been preaching for years — is my superpower. I think that it just saves so much time. And I look at what I respect in other people, and I respect the whole person. I don’t want just one part. I want all of them.”

The above quote comes from Mariska Hargitay’s interview with People at the Town & Country Philanthropy Summit in October 2024. The actor shared how being in her golden years has allowed her to empathize more with others. In this season of life, she’s let go of any fears of getting personal, and her vulnerability has ultimately led to stronger connections because she’s able to find common ground with different types of people. 

“We sort of have fear and think that there are boundaries,” Hargitay added. “And then as soon as the conversation starts, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, me too.’ And there’s this beautiful, cozy humanity that comes into play. And all of a sudden, we see all our similarities.”

What makes Hargitay’s quote impactful is that she acknowledges that everyone is multifaceted. It’s easy to jump to conclusions when meeting someone for the first time. We form an opinion of a person based on a limited interaction rather than being open to getting to know someone as a whole. By being vulnerable ourselves, we break down a barrier and automatically empower someone else to feel more comfortable being their own authentic self.

Hargitay was recently vulnerable about a family secret, revealing in her 2025 documentary that former Las Vegas entertainer Nelson Sardelli is her biological father. Although Mickey Hargitay and his third wife Ellen Siano raised Hargitay, the actor did share that she’s gotten to know Sardelli since learning about their connection.

The “SVU” actor also demonstrated her vulnerability by discussing her own experience with sexual assault through a personal essay published by People in 2024. In it, she shared that she was assaulted in her thirties by a man she considered a friend. The actor’s transparency has made her even more relatable and reminds us that no matter how successful or confident someone appears, you never know what they might be going through behind closed doors. 

• “I’m in this very unique place of being a total badass. I know my worth, I know my power, I know what I have to offer, and I’m totally comfortable with my vulnerability, with all the ways I still feel like a little girl. That’s a really peaceful place to be.” — from a 2024 conversation with Selena Gomez for Interview Magazine

• “I want my power to be a shared embrace of what’s possible. Real power is this glorious, beautiful, counterintuitive thing. The elegance comes in using your influence to create environments where everyone can be at their best.” — from a 2025 interview with The Shift

• “Being vulnerable, it really does get us to the other side and unburden us. We think that we’re being weak and it makes us look bad, and what it really does is make us look even stronger and more human and connect us to each other because we all share these things. These are universal themes.” — from a 2026 interview with Awards Buzz