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Size 8 Mariska Hargitay “Never Felt Compelled to Be a Skinny Actress”

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Here's the skinny: actress Mariska Hargitay doesn't feel pressure to be pin thin.

"I'm a size 8, and I feel proud of that because it's healthy," the Law & Order: SVU star, 45, tells the February issue of More magazine. "I've never felt compelled to be a skinny actress."

Check out pics of stars who have been scrutinized for their weight

The actress goes on, "I think I'm a very attractive person, but… that's not where I get my esteem."

Not everyone has agreed with her throughout her career.

"A guy at ABC told me to change my name and get a nose job," she says. "I said, 'You get a nose job.'"

Related: See photos of stars who have faced plastic surgery nightmares

Hargitay has a lot to live up to, being the daughter of famed blonde bombshell actress Jayne Mansfield.

"I can never compete, so I don't try," she says. "Being a sex symbol is not my thing; it's not where I shine."

Hargitay also weighs in on the Jay LenoConan O'Brien late-night battle — and how it affected Law & Order's ratings.

Related: Stars choose sides: find out which celebs are Team Conan or Team Leno

"It ruined our numbers. The first four episodes, we were considerably down because nobody knew when the show was on," she says. "I hope we go back to where we belong [at 10 p.m.]. It was doing so well. Why mess with it?"

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