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Mariska Hargitay (pronounced /məˈrɪʃkə ˈhɑrɡɨteɪ/ mə-RISH-kə HAR-gi-tay; born Mariska Magdolna Hargitay; January 23, 1964) is an American actress. She is the daughter of late actor and professional bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay and late actress Jayne Mansfield. After winning the Miss Beverly Hills 1982 beauty pageant, she went on to study theater at UCLA and started acting at age 20 with her film debut in the 1985 horror-comedy film Ghoulies. She made her first major television debut in the 1986 one-hour adventure drama series, Downtown. She had small roles in television shows throughout the late 1980s and 90s.
In 1999 she was cast as Olivia Benson, a New York City detective who investigates sex crimeson the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple award nominations and an Emmy and Golden Globe since the show's debut. She met her future husband Peter Hermann, who played Defense Attorney Trevor Langan on SVU. They were married in 2004, the same year she established an organization – the Joyful Heart Foundation – that provides support to women who have been sexually abused.
Early life
Hargitay was born at St. John's Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actress and 1950s-era sex symbol Jayne Mansfield. Her father was the Hungarian-born former Mr. UniverseMickey Hargitay. Her first and middle names are Hungarian and refer to Mary Magdalene(Mariska is a diminutive of Mary). Her family name means "of Hargita". Hargitay was raisedRoman Catholic. She has two half-sisters, Jayne Marie Mansfield and Tina Hargitay; two brothers, Miklós and Zoltán Hargitay; and a half-brother, Antonio Ottaviano (also known as Tony Cimber), a former director whose works include the female wrestling show Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.
Hargitay's parents had divorced in May 1963, but a judge later found their Mexican divorce invalid. They had reconciled a few months before Hargitay's birth in January 1964, but soon separated again; in August 1964, the Mexican divorce was ruled legal. A few weeks later, Mansfield married the director Matt Cimber, who had directed her in a 1964 production of the William Inge play Bus Stop. On June 29, 1967, Mansfield was killed in an automobile accident on a stretch of U.S. Highway 90 between New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana. Her boyfriend, Sam Brody, and the driver were also killed. Asleep in the back of the vehicle, Hargitay, then three and a half years old, was left with a zig-zag scar on one side of her head. Her brothers Miklós and Zoltán were also in the car, but escaped with minor injuries. After the death of their mother, the three siblings were raised by their father and his third wife, Ellen Siano. Hargitay dislikes comparisons with her famous mother and at age 18 said, "My dad was Mr. Universe," she says, "so it would be fun for me to be Miss Universe."
While a student at her Catholic secondary school Marymount High School, Hargitay was active in cheerleading, student government, athletics and the theater program. She enjoyed acting and enrolled at UCLA after graduation from high school in 1982. That same year, Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA. By the time she was a freshman in college, Hargitay had an agent and several small roles to her credit. She attended UCLA School of Theater Film and Television (where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma)until she left before graduating, when she began her acting career.
Career
In 1982, after Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA, she then competed in the Miss California USA pageant the following year, placing fourth runner-up to Julie Hayek who was later crowned Miss USA In 1984, she appeared in Ronnie Milsap's music video for She Loves My Car.A year later she had a small role in the horror film, Ghoulies. Hargitay said in 1986 that she never thought about doing television until a role for the one-hour adventure drama series, Downtown was offered. In 1988, she had a recurring role as Carly Fixx in the soap opera Falcon Crest. She portrayed police officer Angela Garcia in the 1992 series Tequila & Bonetti, and appeared in an episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld. Two years later, Hargitay portrayed Didi Edelstein, the sexy next-door neighbor, in the 1995 sitcom Can't Hurry Love, which starred Nancy McKeon. In 1997, Hargitay played detective Nina Echeverria on the drama series Prince Street, and had a recurring role as Cynthia Hooper during the fourth season of ER.
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Hargitay has appeared on numerous other television programs, including: Freddy's Nightmares; Ellen; All American Girl; Baywatch; Cracker; Gabriel's Fire; In the Heat of the Night; The Single Guy; Wiseguy, andthirtysomething. Her voice is featured on the 2005 video game True Crime: New York City. Hargitay also had a minor role in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, and briefly replaced Gabrielle Fitzpatrick in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, although the scene was later re-shot with another actress.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Casting for the lead characters of NBC police procedural television drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit occurred in the spring of 1999. Dick Wolf, along with officials from NBC and Studios USA were at the final auditions for the two leads at Rockefeller Center. The last round had been narrowed down to six finalists. For the female lead – Detective Olivia Benson – Samantha Mathis, Reiko Aylesworth, and Hargitay were being considered. For the male role – Detective Elliot Stabler – the finalists were Tim Matheson, John Slattery, andChristopher Meloni. Meloni and Hargitay had auditioned in the final round together and after the actors left, there was a moment of dead silence, after which Wolf blurted out, "Oh well. There's no doubt who we should choose – Hargitay and Meloni." The duo, whom Wolf believed had the perfect chemistry together from the first time he saw them together, were his first choice. Garth Ancier, then head of NBC Entertainment, agreed, and the rest of the panel assembled voiced their assent. Hargitay trained as a rape crisis advocate to prepare for the role of Benson.
During the last months of her pregnancy in 2006, she took maternity leave from SVU, and was temporarily replaced by Connie Nielsen.
In May 2009, after the show's tenth season, Hargitay and Meloni's contract expired when they were reportedly making $375K–385K–per episode. During negotiations in April for a new contract, the duo attempted to go after back-end profits as other Law and Order high-profile actors had done in the past. It was rumoured that NBC threatened to replace Hargitay and Meloni if they persisted "...in their demands for more money". However two months later it was officially reported that both their contracts had been renewed for two more years.Hargitay returned for a twelfth season and began filming her first scenes in June and July 2010.
Personal life
In 1987, Hargitay dated actor Richard Crenna Jr. (son of late actor Richard Crenna) On August 28, 2004, inSanta Barbara, California, she married Peter Hermann, an actor and writer whom she met on the set of Law & Order: SVU. On June 28, 2006, Hargitay gave birth to their son August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, by an emergency caesarean section. She appeared in the January 2007 issue of Self magazine where she stated that the 15-hour work days on the set of SVU – combined with the stress of an increase in episodes filmed each week – caused her to resort to food for comfort and by her third trimester, she had gained 54 pounds and contracted gestational diabetes. She explained in the interview, "I was overwhelmed by my lack of energy. All I could do to survive was to eat". That same month she and August appeared in a Got Milk?advertisement.
Upon winning her Emmy on August 27, 2006, Hargitay made a point of thanking her father for everything he had done for her in her life. Just 17 days later, on September 14, 2006, her father died from multiple myeloma in Los Angeles, California, at age 80.
In late December 2008, she suffered a partially collapsed lung after taking a fall during a stunt on the set ofSVU. She underwent surgery in January and returned to work shortly after. On March 3, 2009, Hargitay was hospitalized after suffering chest pains related to the injury. It was disclosed that she would probably need more surgery. Despite this, she missed only one episode of season 10 of SVU. Hargitay also speaks Hungarian, French, Spanish, and Italian.
Philanthropy
Hargitay is founder and president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that was set up in 2004 to provide support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.According to Hargitay, she was inspired by an encounter with a school of dolphins that surrounded her while she was swimming off the coast of Hawaii at the age of 15. The encounter, which had ignited profound spiritual feelings within her, was one that Hargitay hoped to share with others. As of November 2010, the Joyful Heart Foundation has sent over 5,000 women and children on therapeutic programs in New York, Los Angeles and Hawaii, which combine yoga, meditation, massage, maintaining journals and swimming with dolphins. According to Hargitay, "I started getting fan mail from survivors who felt a connection to Olivia. In many of these letters, people would disclose their personal stories of abuse — some for the very first time. I remember getting the sense that many were living in isolation with so much shame, but the shame belonged to the perpetrators. I wanted to help find a way to help people reclaim their lives and live them with a renewed sense of possibility and hope. And that's what we work to do every day at Joyful Heart."
Hargitay appeared in the 17th season of NBC's "The More You Know" public service announcement in 2006,and again in Spring 2009.She is an honorary board member director of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Downtown | Jesse Smith | |
| 1988 | In the Heat of the Night | Audine Higgs | Episode: "...And Then You Die" |
| 1988 | Freddy's Nightmares | Marsha Wildmon | Episode: "Freddy's Tricks and Treats" |
| 1988 | Falcon Crest | Carly Fixx | |
| 1989 | Finish Line | Lisa Karsh | Television film |
| 1989 | Baywatch | Lisa Peters | Episode: "Second Wave" |
| 1990 | Wiseguy | Debbie Vitale | Episode: "Romp" |
| 1990 | thirtysomething | Courtney Dunn | Episode: "Fathers and Lovers" |
| 1990 | Booker | Michelle Larkina | Episode: "Black Diamond Run" |
| 1990 | Gabriel's Fire | Carmen | Episode: "Windows" |
| 1992 | Tequila and Bonetti | Officer Angela Garcia | |
| 1992 | Grapevine | Katie | Episode: "The Katie and Adam Story" |
| 1993 | Hotel Room | Girlfriend | Episode: "Getting Rid of Robby" |
| 1993 | Blind Side | Melanie | Television film |
| 1993 | Key West | Laurel | Episode: "Less Moonlight" |
| 1993 | Seinfeld | Melissa Shannon | Episode: "The Pilot" |
| 1994 | Gambler V: Playing for Keeps | Etta Place | Television film |
| 1995 | All American Girl | Jane | Episode: "Young Americans" |
| 1995 | Can't Hurry Love | Didi Edelstein | |
| 1996 | Ellen | Dara | Episode: "The Mugging" |
| 1996 | The Single Guy | Kate Conklin/The Mounted Cop | Episode: "Mounted Cop" Episode: "Kept Man" Episode: "The Virgin" |
| 1997 | Night Sins | Paige Price | Television film |
| 1997 | Prince Street | Det. Nina Echeverria | |
| 1997 | Cracker | Det. Penny Hatfield | Episode: "True Romance 1" |
| 1997 | The Advocate's Devil | Rendi | Television film |
| 1997– 1998 | ER | Cynthia Hooper | |
| 1999 | Love, American Style | Wendy | Segment: "Love And The Blind Date" |
| 1999– present | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Det. Olivia Benson | Series regular |
| 2000, 2005 | Law & Order | Det. Olivia Benson | Episode: "Entitled (2)" Episode: "Fools For Love" Episode: "Flaw" |
| 2004 | Plain Truth | Ellie Harrison | Television film |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Det. Olivia Benson | Episode: Day |
| 2010 | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Herself | Episode: "Kathy with a Z" |
| 2011 | Barefoot Contessa | Herself | Episode: "Sweet Charity" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Ghoulies | Donna | |
| 1986 | Welcome to 18 | Joey | |
| 1987 | Jocks | Nicole | |
| 1988 | Mr. Universe | Herself | (Mickey Hargitay's daughter) |
| 1991 | Hard Time Romance | Anita | |
| 1991 | The Perfect Weapon | Jennifer | |
| 1991 | Strawberry Road | Jill Banner | |
| 1993 | Bank Robber | Marisa Benoit | |
| 1995 | Leaving Las Vegas | Hooker at Bar | |
| 1999 | Lake Placid | Myra Okubo | |
| 2001 | Perfume | Darcy | (as Marishka Hargitay) |
| 2006 | Tales from Earthsea | Tenar | Voice |
| 2008 | The Love Guru | Herself | Cameo |
Awards and accolades
All award and nominations are for the television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Drama | Nominated |
| 2000 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2000 | TV Guide Awards | Favorite Actress in a New Series | Nominated |
| 2004 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2004 | Prism Awards | Performance in a Drama Series Episode | Nominated |
| 2004 | Gracie Allen Awards | Individual Achievement for Best Female Lead - Drama - Series | Won |
| 2004 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2005 | Golden Globe Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama | Won |
| 2005 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2006 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Won |
| 2007 | TV Land Awards | Favorite Lady Gumshoe | Nominated |
| 2007 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2007 | Prism Awards | Performance in a Drama Series Episode | Won |
| 2007 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2008 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2009 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2009 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Female TV Star | Nominated |
| 2009 | Gracie Allen Awards | Outstanding Female Lead - Drama Series | Won |
| 2009 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama | Nominated |
| 2009 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2010 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2010 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2011 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Crime Fighter | Nominated |
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
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