Everybody has a favorite thing about Law & Order: SVU's Lt. Olivia Benson, including Mariska Hargitay's cast mates.
"Her tenacity," Kelli Giddish told E! News. "My favorite thing about Benson is her tenacity."
Over 18 years viewers have seen Benson go from junior detective to head of the squad as the lieutenant. Giddish and the rest of the cast, including Ice-T and Peter Scanavino, were on-hand to honor Hargitay and her TV Guide Magazine cover in conjunction with Law & Order: SVU's landmark 400th episode.
"I love her strength, the strength of her character and the authority that she carries with her," Scanavino said. But that's not all he admires in the character. Over the last few years Law & Order: SVU has shown Benson's personal life, from romantic relationships to adopting a son, allowing viewers to see a new side of the fan-favorite character.
"There's also a great sensitivity underneath all that," Scanavino said. "You get to see under that hard shell of having to be this present police officer, you have a human being with sensitivity underneath."
Watch the video above for more from the cast on what makes Benson one of TV viewers' favorite characters, including bites from former Law & Order: SVU cast member Michelle Hurd.
Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on NBC. The 400th episode, which was directed by Hargitay, airs Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. on NBC. Be sure to come back to E! News for more SVU 400th episode celebration.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)