While Hargitay’s parents were both in the limelight, she says it was a teacher at her Los Angeles high school who really influenced her to get into acting.

“I didn’t start acting until junior year of high school,” the Law and Order: SVU star says. “I wasn’t interested. But in junior year, my history teacher Sister Margaret — who I loved — said, ‘I think you should try out for a play.’”

“Well, the funny thing was I used to get in trouble for talking. She’s the first person who called me an extrovert. I was also an athlete, so I think she was looking for how to channel that energy. She knew I had this little engine. And then she told me to try out for the play, and I got the lead and I loved it so much.”

The actress says her teacher was unlike the typical nun who many children were scared of. Instead, Hargitay says because she was “so human and so accessible” she made her feel “safe.”

“She wasn’t an intimidating nun that you were scared of. She was part of the squad. She was part of the team, and I just always felt that she really saw me and took an interest and understood me and was so loving about everything. Inclusive, kind, nurturing.”