Mariska Hargitay's Husband Credits This One Vital Thing For Their Successful Marriage

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Mariska Hargitay seems to be winning in life. Not only is Hargitay an ageless beauty going makeup-free, but she has a successful acting career and an amazing marriage to boot. The star is married to former fellow "Law & Order" co-star, Peter Hermann, to whom she has been with for more than 20 years. But there's a reason why Hargitay and Hermann have made it so far together, and Hermann is not tight-lipped about what it is. "I never thought I would have this much laughter in my life," Hermann exclusively shared with People, "Not just actual laughter. But also the way that Mariska is just the embodiment of laughter — of joy."

Aside from emphasizing happiness and laughter in their marriage, Hermann also made a note about conflict resolution. Naturally, all couples fight at some point during their relationship, but Hermann said that there is one way that leads to peace in the house, and the answer leads back to laughter. The "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star even gave his two cents about his marital experience to Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue for their book, "What Makes a Marriage Last". "One of us will test the waters with a joke—about the very thing we were fighting about," Hermann noted cheekily, before stating that he and Hargitay will go back to the root of the problem and work from there. 

Similar to her husband, Mariska Hargitay has gotten candid about her married life and how exactly their union has endured and gone past the 20th year mark. In fact, the accomplished producer is very grateful of her husband, and thoroughly enjoyed her marriage as the years pass. "I'm at a point in my life where it just keeps getting better with him. And marriage is not always like this," Hargitay admitted during an appearance on the Today show. "But, you know, I have learned so much. Peter always says this beautiful quote about ... breaking through marriage into marriage." The Golden Globe winner went on to say that she was utterly confident in Hermann's love for her, and their three children and her Instagram account shows it. 

She posted a selfie of herself and Hermann on May 8, 2026, the couple smiling at the camera. The caption outlined how pleasantly surprised Hargitay was of Hermann showing up to surprise her on set at New York. Hermann responded in kind on his X (formerly Twitter) account, posting a picture of his grinning wife to commemorate the release of Season 22 of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". "You're the enduring backbone, determined heart, and bright, shining spirit who makes it all possible. I love you, I'm so proud of you ... and your smile just slays me," Hermann wrote in the captions, showing us all that their marriage is truly one of the celeb marriages that we think will stand the test of time.