It turns out, Mariska Hargitay is excellent at the acting skill of pretending like you’ve had one too many.
Mariska Hargitay’s character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Olivia Benson, has pretty much done and seen it all—except, that is, be a little tipsy in front of her co-workers. It turns out, Hargitay’s “begging” for a scene like this on the show because she happens to be very good at the Thespian skill of pretending like you’re “drunk.”
There’s a science to this, as Hargitay revealed in a SAG-AFTRA conversation earlier this year.
“I’m the best, nobody’s better than me,” Hargitay said of her “drunk acting” skills before launching into her hilarious master class for the actors in the audience.
The key, interestingly, is doing less than what you think you should. “When you’re drunk, you try not to be,” she said. “And that’s what you’ve gotta remember. You don’t wanna be drunk. You wanna be cool and easy and say, ‘First of all, I had one drink! You need to calm down. First of all, I hold my liquor well, and everyone needs to calm down!'” (She said these lines in a slightly-slurred manner that suggests her character did not, in fact, have just one drink.)
Honestly, Hargitay can explain this delicate craft better than us. Watch her cheeky tips for “drunk acting” in the video, below:
Hargitay is ready to showcase these skills on SVU, but there’s just one problem: “I’m begging [SVU writers] to write me a drunk scene, and they won’t because Olivia Benson can’t get drunk!” she said.
Mariska Hargitay looks ahead to Season 26 of SVU
Season 26 of Law & Order: SVU premieres Thursday, October 3, 2024, a date that can’t come soon enough for fans—and Hargitay herself. She’s looking to continue to push the envelope in a character that’s become her most recognizable role ever.
In an interview with Hemispheres Magazine, the star reflected on Benson, her place in television history, and what she expects from the new season.
“[25 seasons] has given us this very unique opportunity to do something unprecedented,” she explained. “It’s the longest-running show in history, and it’s not by accident that Benson’s progression mirrors the exact evolution of women in broader society. She’s kind of the greatest feminist character ever, in that way… She rose up through the ranks, became a leader, and now captain—all while being a mother. Let’s see how far we can take it, you know?”
