Emmy-winning actress Mariska Hargitay has led Law & Order and its spinoffs since 1999, cementing herself as one of the top drama actresses on television. She and her husband, Peter Hermann, met on the set of ​​Law & Order: SVU in 2001. The couple got married in 2004 and welcomed three children together: August, Amaya and Andrew. 

After their romance blossomed both on and off screen, Olivia and Peter decided that they wanted to start a family. They welcomed their first son, August, in June 2006. Adopting a child was always a part of Mariska and Peter’s plan, and they began the process for baby No. 2.

“August wanted siblings, and Peter and I both envisioned this big family because we both come from that. Plus, we just had so much love to give,” the Ghoulies actress told Good Housekeeping in April 2012. “I was really letting the chips fall as they might because I do think so much is up to God. I always said, ‘I don’t know how this is going to end up. I don’t know if I’m going to get pregnant and have twins. I don’t know … if somebody’s going to leave a baby on my doorstep.’”

The couple’s first adoption fell through, leaving them devastated. A phone call from their lawyer changed their lives after he connected them with another expectant mother. The Downtown star helped deliver her baby girl, Amaya, in 2011.

“I basically pulled Amaya out,” she said. “Peter and I held her, and then the birth mother and I hugged for a long time. That was profound. That was one of the most meaningful moments I’ve ever had in my life.”

A few months after the pair brought Amaya home, they welcomed their second son via adoption. The couple was shocked when they received the phone call about the baby. They named him Andrew as a tribute to a friend of theirs who died unexpectedly.

“It was one of those things that we were not expecting at all, and my husband and I looked at each other and have never been more sure about anything,” Mariska said during a 2012 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “This has been a year of true blessings.”

Keep scrolling to see Mariska’s sweetest quotes about being a mom of three. 

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On Loving Motherhood

Mariska, who lost her mother Jayne Mansfield in a car accident when she was 3, appreciates family more than anything. “The thing that’s made me a better parent is my kids,” the Golden Globe winner told People in March 2018. “Because they taught me to really listen. My husband is my North Star, and my kids are my teachers.”

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On Her Perfect Family

Since welcoming two new additions in 2011, life as a family of five has been full of bliss for Mariska and Peter. “Our family is so perfect, or at least perfect for me,” she told People. “Together we’re just this whole, happy, joyful, chaotic, crazy unit. I’ve never known anything that was more right.”

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On Having Supportive Friends

The NBC star has leaned on several of her famous friends throughout her career to help navigate her life as a working mother of three. Spending time with them and getting advice is something Mariska gushed about to Good Housekeeping.

“No matter where you find yourself in life, there’s always a friend who has gone through pretty much the same thing,” she explained. “After we adopted, it was remarkable how many people had great thoughts and tips for us. And my friends are all so incredibly loving and hilarious; I inevitably end up laughing when I talk to them. I would say in that department, I am a very lucky girl.”

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On Balancing Her Job and Motherhood

Leading one of the most successful shows on television is a massive accomplishment. Mariska makes sure to make time for August, Amaya and Andrew even when she is on set.

“I have an incredible support system with my husband. He’s an actor so he also understands,” the former beauty queen told Us Weekly in June 2018. “I try to keep it organic. The kids come to set all the time. I have worked out my schedule a bit that I have a little more flexibility. I have a great team behind me.”

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On Making Her Kids Laugh

Though Mariska has become well-known for her role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order, she separates herself from the character in real life. “My personality is very different from Olivia Benson,” she said in a November 2021 interview with Glamour. “I like to laugh … I like to make my kids laugh. And comedy has a real currency in our household.”