The ‘Law & Order: SVU’ star opened up to ET on

the carpet at the show’s 25th anniversary

celebration in New York City on Tuesday.
Mariska Hargitay is looking back on a record-

breaking TV legacy and toward the future of her beloved Law & Order character, Olivia Benson.

Hargitay, 59, attended the special 25th anniversary celebration of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in New

York City on Tuesday evening, where she spoke with ET’s Rachel Smith about the legacy she hopes to leave behind for her beloved police detective — a character she’s played since the show’s premiere in 1999.

“I hope that her legacy is that she helped a lot of people heal,” Hargitay shares as she begins tearing up. “It’s too early to cry, people! It’s way too early.”

Hargitay’s tenure as Benson has set the record for the longest-running portrayal of a character in a drama show, and she’s spoken before about how proud she is that her character and performance has helped people who have dealt with trauma find hope and closure.