peoplepill id: mariska-hargitay
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United States of America
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The basics

Quick Facts

Intro
American actress
A.K.A.
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay
Gender
Female
Religion(s):
Place of birth
Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Age
60 years
Stats
Height:
1.72085 m
Education
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television,
The Groundlings,
University of California, Los Angeles,
Marymount High School,
Awards
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
(2004)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
(2006)
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
 
The details (from wikipedia)

Biography

Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (/məˈrɪʃkə ˈhɑːrɡɪt/; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, Hargitay made her film debut in the 1985 horror comedy film Ghoulies and her major television debut in the 1986 adventure drama series Downtown. She appeared in numerous roles in film and on television throughout the late 1980s and 1990s before having her breakthrough for starring as Olivia Benson on the NBC drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–present), for which she has received several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Outside of acting, Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that provides support to people who have been sexually abused.

Early life

Hargitay was born at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of actress and 1950s-era sex symbol Jayne Mansfield. Her father was the Hungarian-born former Mr. Universe, Mickey Hargitay. Her first and middle names are Hungarian and refer to Mary Magdalene (Mariska is a diminutive of Mary). She was raised Catholic. She has two older brothers, Miklós and Zoltán, and three half-siblings, Jayne Marie Mansfield and Antonio "Tony" Cimber (from her mother's first and third marriages, respectively) and Tina Hargitay (from her father's first marriage).

Hargitay's parents divorced in May 1963, but a judge later found their Mexican divorce invalid. They reconciled a few months before Hargitay's birth in January 1964, but soon separated again. In August 1964, Hargitay's mother successfully petitioned the court to rule the Mexican divorce 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. By the summer of 1966, however, Mansfield and Cimber had filed for divorce. On June 29, 1967, Mansfield was in an automobile accident on a stretch of U.S. Route 90 between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The accident ripped off the top of the car, instantly killing Mansfield; her boyfriend, Sam Brody; and the driver. Asleep in the back of the vehicle, Mariska, then three-and-a-half years old, was left with a zigzag scar on one side of her head. Her brothers, Miklós and Zoltán, 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, so it would be fun for me to be Miss Universe". Hargitay has said that the early loss of her mother left "a hole in my life that won't ever be filled. I will never get over it. I will always be a girl who lost her mom".

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. She left before completing her degree.

Hargitay attended Groundlings Theatre and School in Los Angeles.

Career

After Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA, she competed in the Miss California USA pageant the following year and placed fourth runner-up to Julie Hayek, who was later crowned Miss USA. In 1984, Hargitay appeared in Ronnie Milsap's music video for "She Loves My Car" (The first country music video to appear on MTV). 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 on the one-hour adventure drama series Downtown was offered. In fact, life was extremely tough for her trying to start her career as a Hollywood actor. Her entire life she was constantly being compared to her mother, people would mention that her hair color should be different simply because of her mother's hair color. 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 and Bonetti and appeared in the two-part fourth season finale episode of Seinfeld, where they had her read for the role of Elaine Benes in "The Pilot". 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.

Hargitay has appeared on numerous other television programs, including: Freddy's Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series, Ellen, All-American Girl, Baywatch, Cracker, Gabriel's Fire, In the Heat of the Night, The Single Guy, Wiseguy, and thirtysomething. 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. She briefly replaced Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as Dulcea in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, although her scenes were cut from the film when Fitzpatrick recovered from her surgery and returned to the film.

Hargitay on set of season 12 of Law & Order: SVU in August 2010

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 lead – Detective Elliot Stabler – the finalists were Tim Matheson, John Slattery, and Christopher 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, who Wolf believed had the perfect chemistry 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. She has portrayed Benson since 1999.

During the last months of her pregnancy in 2006, she took maternity leave from SVU, and was temporarily replaced by Connie Nielsen, who portrayed Stabler's temporary partner Dani Beck. In May 2009, after the show's tenth season, Hargitay and Meloni's contracts expired when they were reportedly making $375,000–$385,000 per episode. During negotiations in April for a new contract, the duo attempted to receive a percentage of the show's profits as other high-profile Law and Order actors had done in the past. It was rumored that NBC threatened to replace Hargitay and Meloni if they persisted in their demands. However, two months later it was officially reported that both their contracts had been renewed for two more years.

When the thirteenth season was about to air, initial reports indicated that Hargitay would appear in only the first 13 episodes. However, NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt later clarified that she would be in every episode of the season. As of August 2012, Hargitay was earning approximately $400,000–$500,000 per episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In January 2007 she and her son, August, appeared in a Got Milk? advertisement.

Personal life

Hargitay in May 2007

Hargitay speaks five languages: English, French, Hungarian, Spanish, and Italian.

On August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, Hargitay married Peter Hermann, an actor whom she met on the set of Law & Order: SVU, on which he plays the recurring role of Defense Attorney Trevor Langan. On June 28, 2006, Hargitay gave birth to their son, August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, by an emergency caesarean section. In April 2011, she and her husband adopted a baby girl, Amaya, and attended her birth. In October 2011, she and her husband adopted a baby boy, Andrew, who had been born in 2011.

Hargitay's father died in 2006 from multiple myeloma in Los Angeles, California, at age 80.

Health problems

In late December 2008, Hargitay suffered a partially collapsed lung after taking a fall during a stunt on the set of SVU. She underwent surgery in January and returned to work shortly afterward. On March 3, 2009, she was hospitalized after suffering from chest pains related to the injury. She missed one episode on SVU's tenth season.

Charity work

Hargitay reading Oh! The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss at the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll

Hargitay is the founder and former president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization established 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, journaling, and swimming with dolphins. Hargitay said,

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.

Since Hargitay received these letters from women, she knew that she had to use her platform to do something really special. Her character, Olivia Benson, was heavily involved in rape and domestic violence cases in New York; in many episodes she defended the women, because she knew the trauma that they had experienced. Some women who watched the show felt a connection with her, which led them to send Hargitay letters because they thought she could do something with them. She, in fact, did; Hargitay became a certified rape counselor. With this, she was able to talk to these women, make them feel better, and let them know that they are not alone; she helped the victims to be able to live their lives again.

According to Hargitay, the Foundation has raised $20 million and helped approximately 5,000 survivors as of April 2011. Reference to the Joyful Heart Foundation was worked into episodes of Special Victims Unit, via a necklace containing two pendants representing the Foundation that Hargitay's character began wearing in the show's 13th season. The Foundation partners with several brands to create products supporting their cause, including Me&Ro, Michael Stars, and AZIAM's Wife Lover Tanks.

Back in November 2009, Hargitay and the Joyful Heart Foundation built healing and wellness kits for women that suffered domestic violence attacks and were currently in the Los Angeles County's domestic violence shelters. They created enough kits to give one to each of about 600 women. In California, the domestic violence services budget was in a major crisis, and shelters were forced to turn women away because they couldn't afford to keep them. Mariska and her foundation fought for this cause and donated money to show how important it is for these women to have shelters that they can go to in order to feel safe.

Hargitay has worked with Michigan Police and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to raise awareness about the statistics of untested rape kits. She produced a documentary I Am Evidence, following the thousands of untested rape kits, Hargitay called this lack of testing "the clearest and most shocking demonstration of how we regard these crimes in our country."

Hargitay appeared in the 17th season of NBC's The More You Know public service announcements in 2006, and again in the spring of 2009. She is an honorary board member director of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

On September 27, 2011, Hargitay donated $100,000 to her alma mater, the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television for scholarship.

In 2012, Hargitay campaigned for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986DowntownJesse Smith14 episodes
1988In the Heat of the NightAudine HiggsEpisode: "...And Then You Die"
1988Freddy's Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The SeriesMarsha WildmonEpisode: "Freddy's Tricks and Treats"
1988Falcon CrestCarly Fixx15 episodes
1989Finish LineLisa KarshTelevision film
1989BaywatchLisa PetersEpisode: "Second Wave"
1990WiseguyDebbie VitaleEpisode: "Romp"
1990thirtysomethingCourtney DunnEpisode: "Fathers and Lovers"
1990BookerMichelle LarkinaEpisode: "Black Diamond Run"
1990Gabriel's FireCarmenEpisode: "Windows"
1991Adam-12Michelle BrownEpisode: "Anatomy of a Rape"
1992Tequila and BonettiOfficer Angela Garcia11 episodes
1992GrapevineKatieEpisode: "The Katie and Adam Story"
1993Hotel RoomDianeEpisode: "Getting Rid of Robert"
Episode: "Blackout"
1993Blind SideMelanieTelevision film
1993Key WestLaurelEpisode: "Less Moonlight"
1993SeinfeldMelissa ShannonEpisode: "The Pilot"
1994Gambler V: Playing for KeepsEtta PlaceTelevision film
1995All-American GirlJaneEpisode: "Young Americans"
1995–96Can't Hurry LoveDidi Edelstein19 episodes
1996EllenDaraEpisode: "The Mugging"
1996The Single GuyKate Conklin/The Mounted CopEpisode: "Mounted Cop"
Episode: "Kept Man"
Episode: "The Virgin"
1997Night SinsPaige PriceTelevision film
1997Prince StreetDet. Nina Echeverria6 episodes
1997CrackerDet. Penny HatfieldEpisode: "True Romance 1"
1997The Advocate's DevilRendiTelevision film
1997–98ERCynthia Hooper13 episodes
1999Love, American StyleWendySegment: "Love And The Blind Date"
1999–presentLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitDetective/Sergeant/Lieutenant/Captain
Olivia Benson
500 episodes
2000, 2005Law & OrderDetective Olivia BensonEpisode: "Entitled"
Episode: "Fools For Love"
Episode: "Flaw"
2004Plain TruthEllie HarrisonTelevision film
2005Law & Order: Trial by JuryDetective Olivia BensonEpisode: "Day"
2010Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-ListHerselfEpisode: "Kathy with a Z"
2011Barefoot ContessaHerselfEpisode: "Sweet Charity"
2014–16Chicago P.D.Sergeant/Lieutenant Olivia BensonEpisode: "They'll Have to Go Through Me"
Episode: "The Number of Rats"
Episode: "The Song of Gregory Williams Yates"
2015Chicago FireEpisode: "We Called Her Jellybean"
2015The Jim Gaffigan ShowHerselfEpisode: "Maria"
2017NightcapHerselfEpisode: "Guest in a Snake"
2019Saturday Night LiveLieutenant Olivia BensonCameo
2021Law & Order: Organized CrimeOlivia BensonRecurring role; 4 episodes

Film

Hargitay attending the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 21, 2008. She received eight consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations from 2004 to 2011, winning once in 2006.
YearTitleRoleNotes
1985GhouliesDonna
1986Welcome to 18Joey
1987JocksNicole
1988Mr. UniverseHerself(Mickey Hargitay's daughter)
1991Hard Time RomanceAnita
1991The Perfect WeaponJennifer
1991Strawberry RoadJill Banner
1993Bank RobberMarisa Benoit
1995Leaving Las VegasHooker at Bar
1999Lake PlacidMyra Okubo
2001PerfumeDarcy(as Marishka Hargitay)
2006Tales from EarthseaTenarVoice
2008The Love GuruHerselfCameo
2017I Am EvidenceHerselfDocumentary

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005True Crime: New York City

Director

YearTitleEpisodes
2014–Law & Order: Special Victims UnitCriminal Stories (2014)
Padre Sandunguero (2015)
A Misunderstanding (2016)
Sheltered Outcasts (2016)
Motherly Love (2017)
Mea Culpa (2018)
She Paints for Vengeance (2020)

Producer

YearTitleNotes
2014–presentLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitseasons 15- Present
2017I Am EvidenceDocumentary

Music videos

YearTitleArtistRoleRef
1984"She Loves My Car"Ronnie Milsap
2015"Bad Blood"Taylor SwiftJustice
2021"93 days"Grace GaustadDr. Har

Awards and accolades

Hargitay won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role as Detective Olivia Benson. She received UCLA's TFT Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011 and was honored at the school's June commencement ceremony. Hargitay was awarded with the 2,511th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 8, 2013. Her star was placed next to the star of her mother, which is located at 6328 Hollywood Boulevard.

All of her following awards and nominations are for the television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, except for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, won by Taylor Swift and all of the celebrities that appeared in the music video for her song "Bad Blood".

YearAwardCategoryResult
2000Satellite AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Series, DramaNominated
Viewers for Quality Television AwardsBest Actress in a Quality Drama SeriesNominated
TV Guide AwardFavorite Actress in a New SeriesNominated
2004Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated
Gracie Allen AwardsIndividual Achievement for Best Female Lead – Drama – SeriesWon
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2005Golden Globe AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – DramaWon
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2006Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesWon
2007TV Land AwardsFavorite Lady GumshoeNominated
Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2008Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2009Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated
People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female TV StarNominated
Gracie Allen AwardsOutstanding Female Lead – Drama SeriesWon
Golden Globe AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – DramaNominated
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2010Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
People's Choice AwardsFavorite TV Drama ActressNominated
2011People's Choice AwardsFavorite TV Crime FighterNominated
Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated
Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2012Muse AwardsNew York Women in Film & TelevisionWon
TV Guide AwardFavorite ActressNominated
2013Star on the Walk of FameTelevisionWon
2014People's Choice AwardsPeople's Choice for Best Dramatic ActressNominated
Gracie Allen AwardsOutstanding Female Lead – Drama SeriesWon
TV Guide AwardFavorite ActressNominated
2015People's Choice AwardsFavorite Crime Drama TV ActressNominated
MTV Video Music AwardVideo of the YearWon
2016People's Choice AwardsFavorite Crime Drama TV ActressNominated
2017People's Choice AwardsFavorite Crime Drama TV ActressNominated
Gracie Allen AwardsOutstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a DramaWon
2018People's Choice AwardsThe Drama TV Star of 2018Won
The contents of this page are sourced from Wikipedia article on 26 Oct 2021. The contents are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
Who is Mariska Hargitay?
Mariska Hargitay is an American actress famous for her role as Olivia Benson on the long-running television drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit".
When was Mariska Hargitay born?
Mariska Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964.
What is Mariska Hargitay's full name?
Mariska Hargitay's full name is Mariska Magdolna Hargitay.
Who were Mariska Hargitay's parents?
Mariska Hargitay's parents were Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay.
What is Mariska Hargitay's nationality?
Mariska Hargitay is an American.
What other roles has Mariska Hargitay played besides Olivia Benson?
Aside from her iconic role as Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay has appeared in a variety of television shows and films, including "Falcon Crest," "ER," and "Lake Placid."
Has Mariska Hargitay won any awards for her acting?
Yes, Mariska Hargitay has won several awards for her portrayal of Olivia Benson, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Is Mariska Hargitay married?
Yes, Mariska Hargitay is married to actor Peter Hermann. They got married in 2004.
Does Mariska Hargitay have children?
Yes, Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann have three children together, two sons and one daughter.
What philanthropic work is Mariska Hargitay involved in?
Mariska Hargitay is the founder and president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
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