Mariska Hargitay on helping lost child on 'SVU' set: 'Meant to connect'

Mariska Hargitay believes she and the lost little girl she helped last month during filming of an episode of "Law & Order: SVU" in New York were "meant" to cross paths.

The 60-year-old actor opened up to "Entertainment Tonight" about the incident, which reportedly happened when the girl was separated from her mom and saw Hargitay, who was wearing her character Olivia Benson's police badge. The girl and her mother were reunited not long after.

Hargitay doesn't know if her character's outfit made the girl think she was a real police officer, but the actor believed she and the little girl “were meant to connect in the moment we did," she told “ET” at Variety’s Power of Women event in New York.

“This little angel girl was in need and we connected and I could see that. So I did what any mother on this planet would do,” she said.

The Emmy winner added that she was grateful that the girl and her mother found each other. "I got to hug her mom and her, and it was beautiful," she shared, while noting she hasn't been in touch with them since.

During a visit to TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in January, Hargitay discussed how much she enjoys meeting "SVU" fans while filming on the streets of New York.

"You know, it's so beautiful because I have such an intimate relationship with New Yorkers. I remember when we started shooting, Dick always said, he described the backdrop of New York City as like a sixth character," she recalled, referring to series creator Dick Wolf.

Though she didn't absorb what Wolf meant at first, Hargitay later "truly understood" that the city and its residents have their own special vibe. "New Yorkers are so open and you rub up against them and they tell you what they think and they tell you their opinions and so I was like, yeah, I'm into it," she said.

"They've been so incredibly supportive and love-filled," she added of the fans she's encountered.

The actor, who's been a mainstay on "SVU" since it debuted in 1999, said one of the greatest things about being a longtime cast member is the friendships she's made.

"Some of the most important people and the closest people in my life are from the show, from different times," she said.

Hargitay's 25 years on "SVU" have felt like being on "seven different shows," she said, noting that the NBC series, with its evolving actors, writers and crew members, has had several rewarding incarnations.

"I cannot count my blessings," Hargitay said of working on the show. "There are too many to count."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com