Mariska Hargitay Melts Fans' Hearts With Childhood Throwback Photo of 'Baby Bow Benson'

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 18: Mariska Hargitay is seen on January 18, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Mariska Hargitay knows how to tug on her fans' heartstrings, and she's been keeping emotions high surrounding the premiere of Law & Order: SVU's 25th season.

Around the same time the show aired on the evening of Jan. 18, the actress took to Instagram to do it again, sharing a black and white childhood photo that seems to be another sweet nod to her late mother, Jayne Mansfield, following an interview on Today where she explained that the thin black bow she wore on the back of her head was inspired by a photograph she'd found of her mom at just eight years old.

In the throwback snap, a young Hargitay was focused intently on something off to the side, a deeply inquisitive look on her face. A thick bow sat atop her head, pulling her hair into an unseen ponytail or bun, while her windswept bangs lay chaotically across her forehead.

"Baby Bow Benson Baby Benson with a bow? #RockABow #RockABowBaby ??," she captioned the post.

"Born to be Benson because whatever has your attention has your suspicions up ??," one fan joked, while another agreed, "Even tiny you were giving that look!! ??."

"imagine telling her you’re the star of the longest running primetime tv show!" someone else wrote, celebrating the fact that Hargitay now plays the longest-running character on a primetime drama series, while the series itself is the longest-running primetime live-action show in American history.

"Nothing gets more cuter than baby benson okurrrr ????????," someone else wrote, with a similar comment reading, "I truly can’t handle this level of adorable. ????."

Next: Mariska Hargitay Shares Son's Bewildered Reaction to Mom's Adoring Fan Encounters