Take a note, Jared Leto.
After the internet was filled with reports of various extremely bizarre things method actors did to get into the role, the method got a bad reputation.
The actors who feel more comfortable dipping their toes into their characters’ lives to better portray their emotions are, for the most part, laughed at.
However, there is one example of true method acting that no one would want to ridicule. That is Mariska Hargitay’s decision to better understand the issue her iconic character Olivia Benson faces on a daily basis by becoming a trained rape crisis counselor in 2004.
Of course, such a level of commitment wouldn’t have been possible without a deep passion for the cause itself. That is exactly what motivated the actress to join the program and create her own nonprofit organization, the Joyful Heart Foundation.
According to the foundation’s website, this decision was Hargitay’s response to all the fan letters she received saying how grateful they were to both the show and Olivia Benson herself for spreading the word about domestic violence and abuse.
The Joyful Heart Foundation is active today, helping survivors and raising awareness for the cause.
“Joyful Heart is about the courage to heal, and our programming is dedicated to honoring that brave decision,” the actress herself said.
As great as the Foundation’s results have been, Mariska Hargitay has not stopped there, continuing to address the issue that has touched her life so deeply in other projects.
In 2017, for example, the actress produced the Emmy-winning film I Am Evidence, which won for best documentary. The movie is available to stream on MAX.
If you want to see Mariska Hargitay deal with abusers, rapists, and all kinds of criminals as the commanding officer of Manhattan Special Victims Unit Olivia Benson, you can stream all Law & Order: SVU episodes on Peacock Premium, Hulu or fuboTV.
The show has been renewed by NBC for another season, but at the moment there is no information about the release date. Keep an eye out for news and updates!
