Mariska Hargitay Explains Why Her Favorite Taylor Swift Song Is ‘The Man’: ‘I Love What She Stands For’ (Exclusive)

About three-quarters of the way into PEOPLE’s cover shoot, Taylor Swift’s “The Man” starts playing.

Mariska Hargitay immediately revives.

“I love this song!” she says beaming And she knows – she knows almost every word.

For the next 3 minutes and 10 seconds, she delivers a dissertation (in between singing the words) to a photographer who takes a photo of her about why the song is “so important.”

As the song ends, she begs the photographer – a man – to listen to her again later. He is charmed by Hargitay and agrees, to her delight.

Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay on stage in Philadelphia in June 2015.

Dimitrios Kambouris/LP5/Getty

Mariska Hargitay basks in the ‘afterglow’ of Taylor Swift’s ‘magical’ series with Savannah Guthrie and their girlfriends

“I really like Taylor Swift. I love what she represents. I love her music. It was an anthem of all time,” says the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit star after the photo shoot. “I think she’s a magnificent creature on this planet and such an important cultural soul.”

Hargitay now has a famous cat named “Karma” in honor of Swift’s hit song (which was also the soundtrack to the recording), and she also appeared in Swift’s 2015 music video “Bad Blood.”

Mariska Hargitay’s cat, Karma.

Mariska Hargitay/instagram

She attended Swift’s Eras Tour twice over the summer and talked about exchanging Swift’s trademark friendship bracelets.

While speaking with PEOPLE, Hargitay brings up “The Man” again when talking about her mother, Jayne Mansfield, and then a third time, finally talking about her own experiences.

“We think we have to – as women – apologize, be small, be this, be that. That’s why I love that song. ‘If I were a man, I would be a man’ because traditionally they have been given permission to shine, to be strong, to enter the race, and we are not,” she says. “And it’s like, ‘Honey, guess what? I’m in the race and I could win! And guess what? I don’t feel bad!’”

Mariska Hargitay for PEOPLE.

Martin Schoeller

Hargitay turns 60 on Ja. 23 (a milestone that she is overwhelmed with excitement at the very mention of), but she admits that she didn’t get all the courage she has at this point in her life without constant work.

Mariska Hargitay is excited to turn 60: ‘I’m stronger than I’ve ever been’ (Exclusive)

“That’s the difference – I’m not apologizing. I’m still trying, I’m still settling. I mean, listen, it’s not easy. I don’t walk around all confident every day or something,” she says with a laugh.

“But that women don’t apologize, that they don’t say the negative things that we are so programmed to do? That’s how we are programmed and it comes to the fore, and this weight is lifted,” she adds. “And so I just want to remind and take everyone on this journey of owning who we are instead of hiding it or covering it up when we’re so capable.”

For more on Mariska Hargitay, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now, or subscribe here.

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