A Deep Dive Into Mariska Hargitay & Husband Peter Hermann’s 22-Year Marriage
Mariska Hargitay will take the 2026 Emmys stage in a brand-new role: host. The Law & Order: SVU star is emceeing the September 14 ceremony after taking home two Emmys for her documentary, My Mom Jayne, at the Creative Arts Emmys.
Over more than two decades, Hargitay has had the support of her loving husband, Peter Hermann. Together, they’ve started a family and cheered each other on through every endeavor. As she held up her two Emmy trophies for a photo, Hermann stood proudly behind her. “God I love him,” Hargitay captioned the photo.
At the end of My Mom Jayne, Hermann pulled off the ultimate surprise by buying the Steinway & Sons grand piano that belonged to Hargitay’s late mother, Jayne Mansfield. From how they met to when they got married to their family, here’s your guide to Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann’s relationship.
How did Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann meet?
Their love story begins on Law & Order: SVU. Hargitay has played Olivia Benson since the show’s start in 1999. Hermann guest-starred in Season 3 of the NBC procedural as defense attorney Trevor Langan.
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Soon after his first guest appearance, Hermann asked Hargitay out on a date. “We went to church together, and it was like getting hit with a lightning bolt,” she told People. “I just started sobbing. Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service. No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one.”
Hargitay’s longtime costar, Christopher Meloni, always knew Hargitay and Hermann were meant to be together, even when they were going through a rough patch. “After they’d been dating a long time, she came in one day, and she was crushed,” Meloni revealed to People. “She goes, ‘Peter and I had a really deep, long conversation. We cried, and I just don’t think it’s going to work.’ And she’s sobbing, and the whole time, the [thought] bubble in my head was just: ‘You’ll be married within five months.’ That’s all I was thinking. I knew. I knew.”
When did Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann get married?
The couple said “I do” on August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California. Their ceremony took place at Unitarian Historical Chapel. Hargitay wore a wedding gown designed by Carolina Herrera.
In 2019, after 18 years together, Hermann talked about the key to their marriage. “It’s the way we find our way back to each other,” he told People. “It’s this fantastically, wonderfully ridiculous way that we can swing back and forth any number of times in any given day. But fundamentally we know we have the same destination.”
He added, “We know where we’re headed, and it’s good. And we know we’ll get there together.”
What did Peter Hermann do before he was an actor?
He graduated from Yale University with a degree in English. After college, he taught high school English in the Bronx for two years. He also worked as a fact-checker for Vanity Fair for a period of time.
How many kids do Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann have?
The couple has three children. Hargitay gave birth to their first child, son August, on June 28, 2006. They adopted their daughter, Amaya, in 2011. About six months later, they adopted their son, Andrew.
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“Having lost my mom at a young age, I then grew up with my stepmom, and I have half-siblings, and so I know that families can be built in all sorts of different ways, that there isn’t just one way to create a family and that it isn’t just about biology,” Hargitay told People about the decision to adopt.
What is Peter Hermann doing now?
Over the last 20+ years, Hermann has continued to guest star as Trevor Langan on his wife’s show. He also played Jeremy Glick in the 2006 film United 93 and popped up in episodes of Sex and the City, The Good Wife, Fringe, and more.
On Blue Bloods, he recurred as defense attorney Jack Boyle, Erin Reagan’s ex-husband. His most notable role was playing the charismatic Charles Brooks in Younger alongside Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, and Nico Tortorella. The romantic-comedy series ran for seven seasons.
He was recently cast as Isaac in the upcoming Netflix series Enigma Variations, which also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Riley Keough, and Sarah Pidgeon.
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In July 2026, Hermann “proposed” to Hargitay at the closing night of her one-person play, Every Brilliant Thing. He played Sam, the childhood best friend of Hargitay’s character, usually played by an audience member.
2026 Primetime Emmy Awards, Monday, September 14, 8/7c, NBC and Peacock
