Yahoo Sports Mariska Hargitay Bumps Into a 'Law & Order' Superfan on Her Flight — and She's Wearing 'SVU' Merch!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fan Taylor Colson had a serendipitous encounter with the famous television detective – here’s how her heart-warming interaction with the actress and one of her "heroes" played out
Mariska Hargitay ran into a pleasant surprise when she hit the airport this week.
When the 59-year-old actress boarded her flight, she found herself unexpectedly face-to-face with a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit superfan– as well as her beloved character from the series, Detective Olivia Benson.
That aficionado was singer-songwriter Taylor Colson, who went viral after she was featured on the Emmy Award winner's Instagram Story for wearing a tee shirt dedicated to the NBC crime drama, without knowing she'd coincidentally be on the same flight as one of its stars.
"I'm the biggest SVU fan. I've seen every episode probably 20 times," Colson said in a TikTok video detailing how the fortuitous moment came to be.
Her shirt – printed with Hargitay and her Law & Order costar Christopher Meloni (who plays Elliot Stabler in the series) as their on-screen characters – was certainly a testament to that.
Not one to normally speak out, Colson couldn't help but grab Hargitay's attention as she knew it was a fateful encounter. Colson relayed her conversation with the actress: "I was like, 'Oh my god, wait — this is too funny,' and I pointed to my shirt. She's like, 'What? Wait, I need to take a photo'."
Funnily enough, the fateful meet-up was just one decision away from it not happening at all, Colson telling TODAY that she "almost didn't even wear" the outfit.
In the end, Colson only had kind words about Hargitay, describing her as one of her "heroes" as "one of the nicest people" she's ever met and "amazing." She also relayed how ecstatic the star was over the merchandise.
"I'm living this dream out for all of you," she concluded.
Related:Christopher Meloni Calls Longtime Pal Mariska Hargitay by Pet Name in Kooky Birthday Tribute
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The 27-year-old also shared a selfie of her and Hargitay, dressed in a fuzzy coat and glasses, that received nearly 200K likes on TikTok.
"WHEN YOU ARE WEARING YOUR SVU SHIRT & OLIVIA BENSON IS ON YOUR FLIGHT. mariska is my mother 🤍 #svu #dreamsdocometrue," Colson captioned the pic.
Hargitay has played her kick-ass character since 1999 and she previously told PEOPLE that working on the show has been "a privilege to be part of something that's truly 'a vehicle for good.' "
Throughout it all, she's also maintained an endearing decades-long relationship with Meloni, 61, in front of and behind the cameras.
"It's effortless, and it's weird, and I always look at it as some sort of gift," Hargitay explained to PEOPLE at the 2022 Emmys of their onscreen chemistry. "So much of it has to do with our shared sense of humor, shared perspective, our now history."
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