Law & Order: SVU - Mariska Hargitay's Jokes Got Ryan Buggle Through Tough Scenes

Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) wears many hats on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." She was a detective for many years before being promoted to captain and she still acts as a mentor to any new recruits assigned to her team. The jury is still out on whether or not Olivia and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) will ever make a move on each other, but the former definitely keeps herself busy in the meantime. Olivia is also raising her son, Noah (Ryan Buggle). It's not uncommon for Noah to get caught up in storylines that highlight the show's grim subject matter, but Ryan Buggle says that Mariska Hargitay's jokes make everything better.

"Oh my God, it is so amazing working with her. She is so cool, and she's really funny," the young actor revealed to Wealth of Geeks. "When we're filming really sad scenes it can be tough –- it's hard to stop laughing because she's always making so many jokes."

However, Buggle also confirmed that their relationship isn't all fun and games. In the same interview, the actor explained that Hargitay made a point to ensure that he was feeling good about filming the scene where Noah tells his mother that he's bisexual. Hargitay is obviously a consummate professional, though Buggle isn't the only "SVU" star to note her joyful demeanor.

It's rare to see Olivia Benson crack a joke, but that's not the case for Mariska Hargitay. As it turns out, she has a bit of a reputation for being a goofball on the set of "Law & Order: SVU." Benson faces death and depravity every day, but the actor knows how to keep things light-hearted when the cameras aren't rolling. Kelli Giddish played Detective Amanda Rollins on the show for more than a decade, so she got a front-row seat to her co-star's antics. Speaking with Smashing Interviews Magazine, Giddish admitted that Hargitay is one of the loudest and funniest people at work.

"We crack each other up. We challenge each other, and that's something I really enjoy about our show," Giddish told the outlet. "She's a ball of energy, and no one could understand how funny that lady is with what is actually portrayed on their TV because Benson's an empathetic, deeply concerned character. That's who she is in real life, but the other facet to her personality is that she's laughing all day, every day."

Even Ice-T has made similar comments about Hargitay's on-set behavior. While Benson leads her team with steadfast determination and nerves of steel, Hargitay keeps everyone's spirits up with laughter. Longtime "SVU" fans know that the show can go to some dark places, so it's nice to hear that Hargitay's positivity is helping to balance that energy behind the scenes.