Beauty

Mariska Hargitay Is aware of Olivia Benson’s Hair Evolution “Is a Factor”

Allure


Should you stroll into my house on any given day, Regulation & Order: Particular Victims Unit is all however assured to be on the TV. I’ve watched the present ever since my grandma tuned into one of many now-ubiquitous marathons throughout a sleepover after I was 9 (questionable to introduce a preteen to a collection about intercourse crimes, however I digress). The occasions that unfolded onscreen have been disturbing; I used to be instantly hooked. To this present day, I refuse to chop the cable wire, paying a ridiculously excessive Spectrum invoice simply to maintain these marathons coming. 

As anybody who has spent a full Saturday watching channels like USA or ION can inform you, there’s rather a lot to like about SVU, together with its engrossing characters and the ripped-from-the-headlines tales. Now in its twenty fourth season, the present stays the longest-running prime-time live-action collection on tv — and its star, Mariska Hargitay, portrays the longest-running feminine character on community TV, Detective Olivia Benson. 

Benson manages to be empathetic and commanding on the similar time — and she or he does all of it with out a lot as a hair misplaced. Which brings me to my level: Benson — er, Hargitay — has unbelievable hair, a lot in order that it’s grow to be a star in its personal proper. Ask any SVU diehard to ID an episode based mostly on Benson’s hair; they’ll get it proper, and I’m not simply saying that as a result of I can do it (I’ve additionally gained SVU trivia night time and stroll round NYC in a “dun dun” baseball cap, so I’m prepared to think about that I is perhaps the outlier right here). 

Hargitay’s present shoulder-length waves have grow to be her signature onscreen and off, however her hair evolution has been dramatic. She’s worn all the pieces from a darkish layered lob to a highlighted pixie lower, and in keeping with the star, it’s been a wild journey. “I like to mess around and check out new seems, however I’ve undoubtedly had some hair crises through the years,” says Hargitay, who additionally serves as an SVU govt producer and has directed quite a few episodes. “I had quick hair for some time, after which I hated having to develop it out. We did not have the styling proper, and I made some errors with the colour too. I used to be attempting stuff out and did not have the expertise with hair or the eye to element that I’ve right now. Now I do know instantly what works and what doesn’t, however it took me a while to get there.”