BRAVO MEDIA'S EMMY-AWARD WINNING "INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO" WELCOMES AWARD WINNING ACTRESS MARISKA HARGITAY ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AT 8PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - September 4, 2014 -Bravo Media's "Inside the Actors Studio," hosted by James Lipton, welcomes distinguished actress, Mariska Hargitay to the stage on Monday, September 22 at 8pm ET/PT. Mariska has received eight Emmy nominations, winning in the "Outstanding Lead Actress" category for her portrayal as Detective Olivia Benson in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," which also earned her two nominations and a win at the Golden Globes, and six nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The sixteenth season of "Law & Order: SVU" premieres Wednesday, September 24 at 9pm ET/PT on NBC where Hargitay also serves as a producer.

In the episode, Hargitay describes what it was like to grow up as the daughter of one of the most famous Hollywood couples, Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, and how this affected her when auditioning for acting roles. Tune in to hear about her experience working with George Clooney and Anthony Edwards on NBC's "ER," and why she was drawn to her current role as Olivia Benson. Mariska also delves into how this character made an impact in her real life, including the establishment of The Joyful Heart Foundation, which she founded in 2004 with the mission to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. For a sneak peek, please visit: http://www.bravotv.com/inside-the-actors-studio/season-20/videos/mariska-on-playing-olivia-benson

QUOTABLES FROM THE EPISODE:

"I do, I have some stuff. Sadly I had to buy it. That's not a joke." - Hargitay on acquiring her late mother's possessions

"Anthony Edwards was like an acting school for me at the time." - Hargitay on working with Edwards on NBC's "ER"

"The fact that they were doing a show about sex crimes and things that people continually sweep under the carpet, I thought, that's a show that I want to be on, that's a show that is going to talk about issues that nobody wants to talk about, and it did... and boy am I glad I'm on it." - Hargitay on her thoughts after reading the script for NBC's "Law & Order: SVU"

"I'm so grateful for my time with him. I think Chris is incapable of lying... he's committed to the truth at all costs. I loved his passion and commitment. He's a very intense guy... complicated, mercurial. He made me better, and I love him. I loved acting with him and I love him as a person." -Hargitay on working with Christopher Meloni on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU"

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