Plus, getting to assist victims of sexual abuse and home violence via the present’s storylines is a present Hargitay is perpetually grateful for.

“I’m deeply inspired by the material, by the message, by working with my costars,” she shared. “I love my job, and I’m profoundly grateful to tell these stories and to touch people’s hearts and have people reconnect with their humanity and think about difficult things and know that they can heal from it.”

Hargitay even channels Det. Benson in actual life serving to victims of abuse along with her Joyful Heart Foundation. And lately, she even teamed up with Purina to help their Purple Leash Project, which helps home violence shelters throughout the nation change into pet-friendly.

“The fact that whether or not your pet could come with you when you’re in this incredibly dangerous situation was staggering to me, ” she defined. “They want to make shelters pet-friendly so a survivor never has to choose between their pet and their own safety. I thought it was incredible.”

Keep studying to look again at Hargitay and Hermann’s enduring love story.

Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.