For over two decades, Mariska Hargitay has been a familiar face on television screens around the world, portraying the fearless Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU. But behind the commanding presence and career success lies a deeply personal story — one that Hargitay herself admits took years to unfold exactly as it was meant to. The Emmy-winning actress has recently opened up about waiting until the age of 40 to get married and how that decision, intentional or not, transformed her life in ways she never expected.

For Hargitay, marriage was never about racing against time or fitting into society’s expectations. In her younger years, she focused intensely on her craft, determined to build a career that reflected her passion and independence. Acting wasn’t just her job — it was her calling. But like many women, she also held space in her heart for love and family. “There were moments I wondered if I had missed my chance,” she once reflected. “But something in me kept saying: not yet. You’re still growing into the person who’s ready for the love that will last.”

When Hargitay met actor and writer Peter Hermann on the set of Law & Order: SVU in 2001, something shifted. Their connection was instant yet grounded. What started as colleagues sharing scenes quickly blossomed into a bond built on shared values, humor, and faith. “He was different,” Hargitay has often said, “He made me feel safe, seen, and truly understood.” They married in 2004, when she was 40 — an age she now calls her “perfect beginning.”

The actress has spoken openly about how waiting until later in life gave her a stronger sense of self before entering marriage. “I think if I’d married earlier, I wouldn’t have been ready,” she’s said. “I needed to know who I was, to understand what I wanted and what kind of partner I could be.” That self-awareness became the foundation of her marriage, one that has endured the pressures of fame, family, and time.

Together, Hargitay and Hermann have built a family defined by love, resilience, and openness. The couple share three children — August, Amaya, and Andrew — and have always been candid about the joys and challenges of parenthood. Hargitay often credits her children for teaching her patience and perspective. “Motherhood healed me,” she once shared. “It gave me the chance to love in ways I didn’t know I could.”

Her reflections on marriage and family often intertwine with her advocacy work. As the founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation, which supports survivors of abuse and trauma, Hargitay draws from both personal experience and emotional empathy. She has said that finding love later in life gave her a deeper understanding of healing and timing — that true happiness can’t be rushed, and sometimes the waiting itself is what prepares us for joy.

For someone who has spent years playing a character defined by strength and empathy, Hargitay’s real-life journey mirrors many of those same traits. She’s been honest about her vulnerabilities — about loss, self-doubt, and the pressure of expectations. Yet her story is also one of grace and courage. By embracing her own timeline, she’s become a role model for women everywhere who feel the weight of “should” — should be married by now, should have children by now, should have everything figured out.

Instead, Hargitay’s message is simple: trust your journey. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” she says. “Every year, every heartbreak, every lesson — it all led me to where I was meant to be.” That perspective, grounded in gratitude, has defined not only her marriage but also her outlook on life.

Now in her 60s, Mariska Hargitay radiates a calm confidence that only time can bring. Her marriage remains a quiet partnership built on faith, humor, and deep respect. And while her role on SVU continues to inspire millions, it’s her real-life love story that reminds fans of something even more powerful — that it’s never too late to find what’s real, and sometimes the greatest things in life are worth waiting for.

For Hargitay, waiting until 40 to marry wasn’t a delay — it was destiny unfolding at its own pace. And in that waiting, she didn’t just find a husband; she found herself, her purpose, and the family she’d always dreamed of — right on time.