“Law & Order”'s Newest Star Juliana Aidén Martinez 'Stans' “SVU ”— and Mariska Hargitay: 'She Is This Joyful Heart' (Exclusive)

The 'Griselda' actress will join SVU's elite squad when season 26 premieres on Oct. 3

Meet Juliana Aidén Martinez — Yale University graduate, proud Latina and now, the newest member of Captain Olivia Benson's squad when the 32-year-old actress joins Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Det. Kate Silva on Oct. 3.

"Tell me next week when you're free," Martinez quips to PEOPLE over the phone on a rare day off, joking about finding time to gush over the universal love for the show's star, Mariska Hargitay. "I was in love when I first met her."

Martinez, who is no stranger to working with bold women after her stint opposite Sofía Vergara in Netflix's Griselda, for which she received a best supporting actress nomination at the Imagen Awards, admits she'd "be lying if I said I wasn't nervous" to join NBC's institution of a show.

The good news? Hargitay instantly made her feel right at home.

Related: Mariska Hargitay Reflects on Playing Olivia Benson on SVU at Gotham TV Awards: 'An Unstoppable Lioness'

"Obviously, I think you see on screen the iconic legacy she's left as Olivia Benson — which she's currently still doing. It's made such an impact in our culture, but I had never met her in person," says Martinez. "She is this joyful heart. As soon as I walked in, she called me out, was like, 'Come over here.' She gave me a huge bear hug. We went right to work."

"She's incredibly perceptive and an incredible Number One, and I'm really excited to learn from her," adds Martinez. "I'm a big Mariska Hargitay stan right now. I think [I will be] forever."

Related: Law & Order: SVU's Ryan Buggle Reveals the 'Best Thing' He's Learned from Mariska Hargitay (Exclusive)

In addition to Hargitay's Olivia Benson, the 16th precinct is rounded out by Sergeant Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), detectives Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane) and Joe Velasco (Octavio Pisano), plus ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino).

Martinez says the lot of them have been wonderful to get to know.

"I have a journal that I'm collecting of Ice-T quotes, just that I write in every day. If you see him on Instagram, he's dropping gems, but it's 10 times that on set. He is definitely Yoda for me. Octavio is fantastic. It's really nice also just having another fellow Latino on the team, and he's been incredibly welcoming and supportive," she says. "Kevin, I've also been a fan of, we have a lot of mutual friends, and Peter Scanavino makes me laugh. He can quote anything in a movie ever, and he's incredibly funny. It's an absolute treat."

Related: Ice-T Jokes Mariska Hargitay Was 'Just Another Actress' When They Met: 'It Wasn't Some Holy Meeting' (Exclusive)

Martinez graduated with her master's from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University in 2020 — though growing up in Miami, she always thought she'd become a human rights lawyer. As a teenager, she was interested in political science, but she says she also always carried a torch for acting, especially after spending time in New York.

"I remember having the very clear impression that part of the New York legacy and becoming a reputable actor in New York is being on SVU," Martinez says.

Fast forward, and the "universe is funny and constantly keeps surprising you," she muses, noting how the timing was right for her to land the role as Silva: she flew out from L.A. to screen test for the part and was officially on the team within the week.

"It was definitely a whirlwind. I packed my things in three days and I was like, 'I'm back in New York City. I'm a New York City girl!'" she recalls.

Her new character, then, brings an interesting mix of things to the squad, as Silva has a background in law enforcement "with some police connections."

"I'm coming in as a homicide detective that was working in the Brooklyn Homicide Unit on the night shift and working very diligently on some of the worst murder cases that were happening in the city," she explains. "And I'm joining the SVU and a lot of people are like, 'What is making you [switch] from homicide?' And that's something we explore in the season."

One of Martinez's favorite parts of joining the squad (Hargitay aside, that is) is filming in New York City, an experience which presents a stark contrast to the closed and covert sets of Griselda.

"We've done a few scenes in Washington Square Park, and that's been really interesting and impactful for me because I see when Ice is filming that day, Mariska's filming that day, it feels like the whole city descends upon us and watches, and I've never had that experience before. It feels like you're filming with the city," she says.

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And, even when she's not busy running around New York, Martinez says she's always, in fact, dressed for the part.

"I'm wearing the SVU shirts, even on my days off. It's just Mariska's face. I'm a stan. I'm an absolute stan," she says. "I love her."

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit kicks off its 26th season Oct. 3 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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