For over two decades, Mariska Hargitay has been one of American primetime television’s most beloved actresses. Hargitay is famous for portraying Olivia Benson in NBC’s police procedural drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. For 26 seasons, audiences followed Hargitay’s Olivia Benson from her early days as an NYPD Junior Detective to becoming NYPD Captain in season 21.
Playing Olivia Benson has earned Mariska Hargitay several Primetime Emmy Award nominations. While it is the only role that has earned her critical recognition, it is far from being her only career credit. Over the years, Hargitay has starred in several other film and television projects. Whether as a longtime Law & Order: Special Victims Unit viewer or just discovering her work, here are 8 things you probably didn’t know about Mariska Hargitay.
8. Mariska Hargitay is the Daughter of Two Famous Hollywood Icons
The actress was born Mariska Magdolna Hargitay in Santa Monica, California, on January 23, 1964. Mariska Hargitay is the daughter of Hungarian-born former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay and sex symbol actress Jayne Mansfield. The actress was the couple’s youngest child, having two older brothers, Mickey Hargitay Jr. and Zoltan Hargitay.
However, Mariska Hargitay also has three half-siblings from her mother’s previous and third marriages. Mariska Hargitay’s parents had a Mexican divorce in May 1963, months before she was born. Although the divorce was deemed invalid and her parents briefly reconciled, her mother successfully petitioned the invalidity of the divorce in August 1964.
7. She Lost Her Mother at Age 3
Mariska Hargitay lost her mother, Jayne Mansfield, on June 29, 1967. Her mother was involved in an automobile accident that killed her on the spot. The cause of death was ruled as brain trauma from the impact. The top of the vehicle was reportedly ripped off upon impact. The then-three-year-old Mariska Hargitay was sleeping alongside her brothers at the back of the car. The crash killed Jayne Mansfield, the driver, and Mansfield’s boyfriend, Sam Brody.
Mariska Hargitay’s brothers sustained minor injuries, while the actress was left with a zigzag scar on one side of her head. Mariska Hargitay has no recollection of the accident and only vaguely has two memories of her mother. She and her brothers were raised by her father and his third wife. Mariska Hargitay’s father lived a long life, dying from multiple myeloma at age 80. He died on September 14, 2006.
6. Mariska Hargitay Developed an Interest in Acting in High School
Mariska Hargitay was an active child. She was raised Catholic and attended Marymount High School, an all-girls Catholic secondary school in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was while at Marymount High School and participating in the school’s theater program that Hargitay developed a passion for acting.
Besides being a member of the theater program, Hargitay was also part of the student government, athletics, and cheerleading squad. Although she has never been a fan of being compared to her mother, Hargitay chose a career in acting. To this end, she enrolled at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Although she dropped out of UCLA, she later attended Groundlings Theatre and School.
5. She Was Crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA in 1982
In the same year, she graduated from High School, Mariska Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA. Although she fancied acting, she also grew an interest in pageantry like her father. After her win in 1982, she competed in the 1983 Miss California USA pageantry. Hargitay finished as the fourth runner-up, with Julie Hayek winning the competition. Hayek also competed and won Miss USA 1983. Mariska Hargitay’s stint with pageantry later saw her star in a few music videos. One notable mention is the “She Loves My Car” music video of country singer Ronnie Milsap.
4. Mariska Hargitay’s Earliest Acting Roles
Mariska Hargitay made her film debut in 1985 in the horror film Ghoulies. She appeared in several other movies in the late 1980s, including Welcome to 18 (1986) and Jocks (1987). Hargitay made her television debut in 1986, joining the main cast of the short-lived CBS crime drama series Downtown. Before playing Officer Angela Garcia in another CBS short-lived crime comedy-drama, Tequila and Bonetti, Hargitay guest-starred in In the Heat of the Night (1988), Freddy’s Nightmares (1988), and Baywatch (1989). By the mid-90s, Hargitay starred in Can’t Hurry Love (1995–1996) and played Cynthia Hooper in NBC’s ER (1997–1998).
3. Mariska Hargitay Holds a Record in American Primetime Drama
With her role as Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mariska Hargitay is currently the longest-running character in an American primetime drama series. She made her debut as the character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiere episode (“Payback”). The episode aired on September 20, 1999. As one of the show’s original cast members, Hargitay is the only original cast member still in the show.
As Captain and Commanding Officer of the SVU, Hargitay’s Olivia Benson investigates cases of child sexual abuse and rape. Her passion for such cases extends beyond the SVU series. Hargitay established the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to provide support to victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, child and elder abuse, and sexual assault.
2. Mariska Hargitay is One of the Highest-Paid Television Actresses
Playing the longest-running character on American television has its perks. In 2013, Mariska Hargitay began receiving $400,000 per episode in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Hargitay currently receives an estimated $540,000 episodes. Although this is far below Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s $2 million per episode salary on the Apple TV+ The Morning Show, Hargitay is still one of the highest-paid actresses on television.
1. Mariska Hargitay is Married to Actor Peter Hermann
Mariska Hargitay is married to her former SVU co-star Peter Hermann. The couple met on set of the show and married on August 28, 2004. Peter Hermann played defense attorney Trevor Langan in SVU, appearing on the show from 2002 to 2022. Hargitay and Hermann are proud parents of three children.
The couple gave birth to their first and only biological child, August Miklós Friedrich Hermann, on June 28, 2006, through cesarean section. The couple adopted their daughter, Amaya Josephine Hermann, in April 2011 and a son, Andrew Hermann, in October 2011. If you enjoyed reading about Mariska Hargitay, read these facts about actress Debra Jo Rupp.
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