Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay was moved

to tears at a Hollywood event, overwhelmed by the love of her fellow

women in entertainment. She also gave a special shoutout to a fellow honoree,

paying her the highest compliment by comparing her to her mother, the late

Jayne Mansfield. Here’s what she said.

Mariska Hargitay chokes up during her Variety Power of Women speech
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At the Variety Power of Women luncheon, actress Glenn Close introduced Hargitay so movingly that the mom of three needed a moment to collect herself. At the podium, Hargitay wiped her eyes and asked, “Does anyone have a tissue?” Hargitay continued to the audience, “You understand my predicament,” and then to her friend, “I’m speechless, Glenn. That was the most beautiful and generous introduction I’ve ever heard about anyone, ever.”

Still choked up, Hargitay added, “Sorry, guys, it’s a lot!” and then joked about her continued tissue usage: “Wow, that’s charming.”

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To begin her remarks, Hargitay took time to generously compliment her fellow honorees, including singer Anitta and writer-producer Shonda Rhimes. But she paid comedian Amy Schumer special attention.

“Amy, I met you and I fell in love with you as everyone does, immediately. You make everything better, you make shoulders go down and [you] relax people and turn anything that’s stressful into immediate fun,” she said, around four minutes into her 20-minute speech, which you can watch below.

“I saw you tonight — today — and I saw you in your glorious sequin-y pink dress, and I immediately thought, and I said to you, I feel like my mom is here with me. Because you’re Jayne Mansfield incarnate right now,” Hargitay said. An actress of the 1950 and ’60s, Mansfield was Hargitay’s mother, but died when her daughter was just 6 years old.

“I always look for signs [that] she’s here, and she is today with me, and what you said tonight — today,” Hargitay said, catching herself in an error and explaining, “I’m drunk… I shouldn’t have had the third scotch and I apologize to Variety. Hopefully next year you’ll get a sober honoree,” drawing laughs from the crowd.

Hargitay plowed ahead. “Anyhoo! You just make everything better. I see you and I’m like, immediately happy. And I want you to nuzzle me in your bosom.” We would love to see that.