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See Mariska Hargitay With Super Short, Platinum Blonde Hair!

The Law & Order: SVU icon can pull off any hairstyle, and this is proof! 

By Chris Phelan
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At this point, Olivia Benson's (Mariska Hargitay) hair is part of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit lore. From bobs to pixies to long waves, Hargitay's locks have been ever-evolving on the show. Fans often use Benson's hair as a way to determine what season of the show they're watching.That said, the chestnut brown color of Hargitay's tresses have always been a constant. In fact, there's only been one time on record where the actress deviated from this hue in a major, major way: over 20 years ago, on the red carpet. And we have a photo to prove it. 

How to Watch

Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC and Peacock.

Back in 2001, Hargitay decided to experiment with heir hair by going platinum blonde and chopping it into an edgy pixie. Sadly, this look never made it onto SVU, but red carpet archives live forever. 

Check out Hargitay as a blonde for yourself, below: 

Mariska Hargitay with Blonde hair at a movie premiere in 2001

RELATED: Mariska Hargitay's Husband Can't Stop Smiling at Her in New Date Night Pics

Law & Order: SVU stars' throwback moments 

Speaking of throwback SVU moments: Check out this photo of Hargitay, Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler), and the late Richard Belzer (John Munch) looking delighted to be together while attending a 2001 event. At one point, Meloni kissed Belzer on the cheek. How cute!  

For years, fans have been enamored with the prospect of Hargitay's Olivia Benson and Meloni's Elliott Stabler one day forging a romantic relationship. Although the fierce chemistry between the two characters is simply acting at its finest, Hargitay credits their characters' on-screen bond to their special real-life friendship.

RELATED: All About Mariska Hargitay's Husband Peter Hermann and Their Children

"I think Chris and I, Benson and Stabler, at the end of the day, it's all the same," she explained to Vanity Fair earlier this year. "In the relationship, whether it was acting or being partners, there was a level of trust. If I had, like, six dots and this was him and this was me, and then you connect the dots, they connected in so many ways: acting partners, friends, comedians, people that hold each other accountable. We almost had our own language. I mean, here we were for these 12 years, and we spent more time with each other than our spouses. All day we were making this thing together, all day long that we built together, that we created together."