Houston Chronicle, July 28, 2006
Small preoccupation delays news of nomination

Mike McDaniel

PASADENA, CALIF. - Making her first public appearance since the birth of her son, Mariska Hargitay said 1-month-old August is consuming all her time and attention — so much so that when Emmy nominations were announced, she was one of the last to know.

"I had just fallen asleep after nursing," she said. "I went into another room, and there were like nine phone messages. I didn't find out until two hours (later). I've had baby on the brain."

Hargitay said she called Law & Order: SVU co-star Chris Meloni right away after learning he also is an Emmy nominee. For the past two years, she was nominated and he wasn't.

"When Chris got nominated I thought, the world is right again," she said. "He said to me, 'I'm just so happy to be invited to the party.' "

The actress, who returns to the Law & Order: SVU set Sept. 18, was at the PBS portion of the summer press tour because she's narrating America Rebuilds, Part 2: Return to Ground Zero. The documentary returns to the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York for a progress report. It airs Sept. 11.