Since 1999, Mariska Hargitay has been captivating audiences as Olivia Benson on the hit spin-off series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Over two decades, her character evolves from a detective in the New York City Special Victims Unit to the squad’s captain. Her extensive experience on this network series, which frequently features a plethora of guest stars, has honed Hargitay’s talent-spotting skills. The show has welcomed some of Hollywood’s most renowned figures, such as Cynthia Nixon, Carol Burnett, Robin Williams, Martin Short, and Amanda Seyfried. It’s practically a showcase of industry talent, even featuring future “Hamilton” stars Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr. in the same Season 17 episode, before they took the Broadway world by storm. Hargitay herself has shared her admiration for two particular guest stars who made a lasting impression long before their careers skyrocketed.

Mariska Hargitay has been starring on the massively popular spin-off series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999 as Olivia Benson, a detective at the titular Special Victims Unit in New York City who eventually becomes the entire squad’s captain. This is to say that, after well over two decades starring on a network series that hosts a ton of guest stars, Hargitay has gained a good eye for talent. “Special Victims Unit” has famously played host to some of Hollywood’s brightest stars over the years, including but not limited to Cynthia Nixon, Carol Burnett, Robin Williams, Martin Short, and Amanda Seyfried. Really, the show is a “who’s who” of performers; hilariously, future “Hamilton” stars Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr. showed up in the same Season 17 episode before Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical became a sensation and earned both of them Tony awards. According to Hargitay herself, two guest actors who appeared on NBC’s procedural series way before they gained fame and acclaim really, really impressed her.

In the 2004 episode “Birthright,” the premiere of Season 6, young actress Abigail Breslin took on a significant role as Patty Branson, a girl nearly abducted in Central Park. As Benson and her partner Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni, unravel the mystery, they discover Michelle Osborne, portrayed by Lea Thompson, orchestrating the abduction under the belief that Patty is her biological daughter—a suspicion that turns out to be true, though the story is more complex. Breslin, who later appeared in “Grey’s Anatomy,” left a mark on Hargitay with her exceptional performance.

Just two years later, in 2006, Breslin starred in “Little Miss Sunshine,” earning an Oscar nomination at the tender age of 10. Her career has since flourished with roles in “Zombieland,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “Scream Queens,” and “Final Girl,” among others.

Meghann Fahy, who appeared in the Season 16 episode “Downloaded Child” in 2014, also caught Hargitay’s attention. Fahy would later find fame with her role in “The Bold Type” in 2017. Hargitay recalled, “Another person that I called it, I remember saying it to her, is Meghann Fahy. When she did the show, I was like, ‘Let me tell you something. I’m just gonna tell you right now, you’re gonna be a big movie star. You’re gonna be a huge star.'” Her prediction was spot on, as Fahy continues to make waves in the entertainment industry.

In 2006, Breslin led a talented ensemble cast in “Little Miss Sunshine,” which earned her an Oscar nomination at just 10 years old. Since then, you’ve probably seen Breslin in projects like “Zombieland,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “Scream Queens,” and “Final Girl,” just to name a few.

As for Meghann Fahy, who played a majorly pivotal role in the Season 16 episode “Downloaded Child” in 2014, Mariska Hargitay said that she saw similar starpower in the actress — who didn’t get her big break on “The Bold Type” until 2017. “Another person that I called it, I remember saying it to her, is Meghann Fahy,” Hargitay mused. “When she did the show, I was like, ‘Let me tell you something. I’m just gonna tell you right now, you’re gonna be a big movie star. You’re gonna be a huge star.’”

In “Downloaded Child,” Fahy plays young single mother Jenny Aschler, who leaves her daughter Maddie (Ella Anderson) alone in their apartment for multiple days rather than trusting anyone else to take care of her. Held accountable for child endangerment, Jenny accuses her husband Gary of being violent, which turns out to be true … and there’s something much darker at play here. Eventually, Olivia and her squad discover that not only was Jenny sexually abused when she was younger, explicit images of Jenny as a child were distributed as child pornography to countless men.

“I don’t like use that word ‘star’ because what does that even mean?” Hargitay told Amy Poehler, praising Fahy. “But I just recognized her talent, light, and she was so sparkly, internally, like an internal sparkle… It’s so exciting to see them go on and go, ‘I called it. I called it!’” Hargitay was right; besides “The Bold Type,” Fahy gained fame and acclaim for her Emmy-nominated role on Season 2 of “The White Lotus” and went on to lead projects like “Drop,” “Sirens,” and “The Perfect Couple.”

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is streaming on Hulu and Peacock.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.