Mariska Hargitay's Drastic Hair Transformation That Fans Won't Forget

Mariska Hargitay's role as detective Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU" is the longest-running character in TV history. So it goes without saying that the character would have a few hair switcheroos since the show's debut in 1999. Throughout Hargitay's stunning hair transformation, sampling different lengths and shades, there is one drastic hairstyle that fans won't forget: the actor's cropped and highlighted pixie.

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When "SVU" premiered, fans got to know Olivia Benson as a tough cop with a heart, with a rich chocolate-brown lob that hit where the shoulder and neck meet. Then, in the summer of 2000, she arrived at the "Coyote Ugly" film premiere with a pixie cut, which she eventually grew out three years later. But in the interim, she dabbled with different hair colors, even sampling a platinum pixie in the summer of 2001. But that dye-job didn't last. Hargitay settled into a highlighted brown, which she showed off at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival.

Just like her enduring role, interest in her hair hasn't waned over the years. You know your hair has made it when it's a trending hashtag (#mariskahargitayhair), but you've reached another level when there are T-shirts devoted to your hair, as was the case a few years ago on Etsy, with the words "Benson's Hair" on it, showing Hargitay's hair evolution.

Although there's a way to style a pixie cut for every occasion, including if you're Olivia Benson on "SVU," Mariska Hargitay wasn't so sure. In fact, when she first chopped her hair in the middle of filming Season 3 in 2000, she worried about her job security. As she told Allure in 2023, she met someone on a photo shoot who offered to cut her hair afterward. "I think he made a mistake and then had to go shorter than he intended," she revealed. She cried as she told producers at work the next day, fearing that they might fire her over the tress transgression. Obviously, they didn't, because they undoubtedly knew that Hargitay's acting chops far outweighed what was happening on her head.

And overall, the cut worked on the character; it gave Benson an edge, while also adding to her relatability, because how many of us have cut our hair only to endure years of growing it out? As the pixie grew, she worked with the duck butt look at an event in 2004, and by early the next year, Hargitay's hair was back at her shoulders. For the 2005 Golden Globe awards, she wore it down and layered. The pixie was history for the detective, and never saw the lights of the "SVU" set again.

Even casual "SVU" fans will know that Mariska Hargitay has experimented with numerous transformative haircuts that bring youthful energy, including her long layers that have dominated the past few years. Some people think women of a certain age (Hargitay turned 62 in January 2026) shouldn't wear their hair long, but adding layers and keeping it healthy can make all the difference. The layers help give it body, since women in menopause tend to have thinner hair, while a hair serum can help prevent dry, brittle tresses.

Although Hargitay told Allure that she had 'some bad years' growing out her Y2K pixie, it looks great now and still works with her character, giving Liv softness and femininity in a world that can feel rough and male-dominated. She even started toying with extensions a few years ago. One of her go-to hairstylists is Chris McMillan, who created another iconic TV character hairstyle, Jennifer Aniston's "Rachel" 'do in the '90s. In the early 2020s, McMillan started using extensions on Hargitay, including at Ice T's Walk of Fame ceremony in February 2023. Back on set as Olivia Benson in January 2026, she's still rocking that extra length, and fans aren't just admiring it; they want it. After McMillan posted a clip on Instagram of him doing her hair, many requested more info: "Hey what haircut did she ask for? I'd like the same one." Another added, "Can you explain what you do for the cut so we can ask our stylists for it?!" Unfortunately, he didn't provide details.