For Mariska Hargitay, life didn’t follow the traditional timeline. Long before she became synonymous with Olivia Benson — the fearless detective on Law & Order: SVU — she was navigating her own story of patience, purpose, and faith in timing. While the world knew her as a strong, grounded presence on screen, her personal journey toward love and marriage was one of resilience, introspection, and unexpected beauty. Waiting until she was 40 to marry, Hargitay now says it was one of the best decisions she ever made — a choice that reshaped her understanding of love, partnership, and herself.

Born into Hollywood royalty as the daughter of actress Jayne Mansfield and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, Mariska grew up in the spotlight. Yet despite her glamorous upbringing, her path wasn’t always easy. Losing her mother at just three years old taught her early on about loss and survival. These experiences would later help her portray Benson with such emotional depth — but they also influenced how she approached her personal relationships. “I had to grow up fast,” she’s often reflected, “but that also meant I needed time to really understand who I was before I could share my life with someone else.”

In her 20s and 30s, while many of her friends were settling down, Mariska was laser-focused on building her career. She poured herself into acting classes, auditions, and eventually, her breakout role on Law & Order: SVU in 1999. The role didn’t just make her a star — it gave her a platform to advocate for survivors and use her voice for real-world change. But in the midst of professional success, she admits there were moments of loneliness and doubt. “There’s this pressure, especially on women, to have it all by a certain age — the career, the husband, the kids. But my story wasn’t meant to happen that way,” she once shared.

That story took a turn when she met actor Peter Hermann, who guest-starred on SVU in 2001. What began as on-set chemistry blossomed into something deeper — a connection rooted in respect, humor, and shared values. “When I met Peter, everything just clicked,” Hargitay has said. “It was like all the waiting suddenly made sense.” The couple married in 2004, when Mariska was 40, and have since built a life grounded in family, authenticity, and mutual admiration.

For Hargitay, marrying later in life offered clarity she might not have had in her younger years. By 40, she had already discovered who she was outside of a relationship — what she wanted, what she wouldn’t compromise on, and how she envisioned her future. “I was ready,” she explained. “Not just for marriage, but for the kind of partnership where both people lift each other up.” That sense of self-assurance became the foundation of her marriage and her family life.

Together, Mariska and Peter are parents to three children — August, Amaya, and Andrew — a family they built through both birth and adoption. She has often described motherhood as the most transformative chapter of her life. “Becoming a mother changed me,” she said. “But it’s the kind of change that deepens everything — your empathy, your patience, your purpose.”

Today, after decades in Hollywood and over 25 seasons of SVU, Hargitay continues to inspire with her honesty and heart. Her decision to wait until she was 40 to marry isn’t a story of delay — it’s one of faith in timing and the power of self-growth. She’s proof that love doesn’t have an expiration date and that happiness often arrives when you’ve built the life and person ready to receive it.

Reflecting on her journey, Mariska has often encouraged others to trust their own path. “Don’t compare your timeline to anyone else’s,” she said. “Every chapter unfolds when it’s meant to. And sometimes, what feels like waiting is really just preparation.”

Now, decades after that defining choice, Mariska Hargitay stands as a symbol of strength — both on and off the screen. Her life story reminds us that love found later can be richer, deeper, and infinitely more rewarding because it’s rooted in authenticity. For her, waiting wasn’t about delay — it was about destiny. And when it finally arrived, it changed everything.