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Mariska Hargitay
Hargitay at the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards
Born	Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (1964-01-23) January 23, 1964 (age 60) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Marishka Hargitay Mariska Hermann
Occupation(s)	Actress Producer
Years active	1983–present
Spouse	Peter Hermann ​(m. 2004)​
Children	1
Website	www.mariska.com

Mariska Hargitay (Template:Pron-en 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 crimes on 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. Universe Mickey 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 raised Roman 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.

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, 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, 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, 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, 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, in Santa 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 of SVU. 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

Awards and accolades

All award and nominations are for the television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Notes

1. "Focus Forum". The Times-Picayune. Advance Publications: T14. October 1, 1995.
2. ^ "Mariska Hargitay Biography". Encyclopedia of Biography. 2006.
3. A. Keeps, David (1998-12-10). "Mariska Hargitay: Staying Sane When Life Is Moving Fast". Annie Daly. Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2010-08-12. Though she was raised Catholic and has a very strong faith, Hargitay calls herself a Christian who doesn't go to church every Sunday.
4. "People: Jun. 7, 1982". Time. June 7, 1982.
5. Woliman Rusoff, Jane (February 14, 2001). "Jayne's little girl kicks on". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times: H10.
6. ^ Graydon, Carter E. (June 7, 1982). "People: Jun. 7, 1982 - TIME". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
7. "Bruin Life 1983, The Yearbook at UCLA". University of California, Los Angeles. Internet Archive. 1983. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
8. Gladstone, Mark (January 10, 1983). "New Rules Make Runner-up in Beauty Contest a Winner" (PDF). Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company.
9. ^ Buck, Jerry (January 7, 1988). "Mariska Hargitay Joins 'Falcon Crest' Cast". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company: 4.
10. ^ Mills, Bart (August 12, 1986). "Hargitay goes `Downtown'". Daily Breeze: C1.
11. Green, Susan (2009). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Unofficial Companion. BenBella Books, Inc. p. 11. ISBN 9781933771885. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
12. ^ Oglethorpe, Alice. "Real American Heroes" Shape, November 2010, Page 186
13. Silverman, Stephen (January 25, 2006). "Maternity Leave Looms for Mariska Hargitay". People. Time Warner. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
14. "SVU "Replaces" Benson". TVGuide. OpenGate Capital. February 1, 2006. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
15. Schneider, Michael (June 29, 2009). "Meloni, Hargitay seal deal with 'SVU'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
16. ^ Martin, Denise (June 29, 2009). "'Law & Order: SVU' stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay sign on for two more years". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
17. Ausiello, Michael (April 8, 2009). "'SVU' exclusive: NBC to replace Chris and Mariska?!". Entertainment Weekly. The Ausiello Files. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
18. Andreeva, Nellie (April 12, 2010). "NBC Picks Up 'Law & Order: LA' For Fall; 'SVU' Cleared For 12th Season With Cast; Original 'L&O' Looks Good For Record 21st". Deadline Hollywood. Mail Media Information. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
19. Beck, Marilyn (December 29, 1987). "Actress taking a break from the Crest". St. Petersburg Times. Times Publishing Company: 2D. With her 13th installment of Falcon Crest behind her, Mariska Hargitay - the 23-year-old daughter of Jayne Mansfield - is spending part of her holiday hiatus on a trek to the mountains with boyfriend Richard Crenna Jr.
20. Masterson, Lawrie (September 17, 2007). "Mum's the word for Mariska". Sunday Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times: X06.
21. ^ "The hottest mom in Hollywood". Self (January 2007). Condé Nast Publications: p. 24–25. January 1, 2007. Archived from the original on February 22, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2010. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |journal= (help)
22. "Biography for Mariska Hargitay". Turner Classic Movies. Time Warner. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
23. Bonawitz, Amy (September 19, 2006). "Actor Mickey Hargitay Dead At 80". CBS News. CBS Corporation. Retrieved September 20, 2006.
24. McLellan, Dennis (September 20, 2006), "Bodybuilder-actor Mickey Hargitay dies", Bangor Daily News, p. 25, retrieved January 25, 2010
25. "Mariska Hargitay Says "Stunt" Led to Partially Collapsed Lung". TVGuide. OpenGate Capital. May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
26. "Mariska Hargitay hospitalized for chest pains; According to the sources, more surgery is likely for the star". msnbc.com. NBC. March 4, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2009.
27. Dos Santos, Kristin (March 16, 2009). "Exclusive! SVU Boss: Mariska Hargitay Will Be Back This Season". E! Online. Comcast. Retrieved March 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
28. Diaz, Johnny (November 13, 2005). "Speaking volumes: Use of Spanish booms on network programs". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company: N1.
29. Martin, Crystal. "Behind the Scenes with Mariska Hargitay". Redbook. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
30. "The Guide: What's Worth Watching"; TV Guide; July 5, 2010; Page 8
31. Joyful Heart Foundation
32. Ross, Robyn (February 19, 2010). "SVU's Mariska Hargitay Helps Trauma Survivors On-Screen and Off". TVGuide.com. Lionsgate. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
33. "NBC Universal's "The More You Know" Launches Its 17th Season of Public Service Announcements with new Theme, New Look and New Faces" (PDF). The More You Know. NBC Universal. December 16, 2005. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
34. Mariska Hargitay (2009). Spring 2009: The More You Know public service announcement (TV ad). NBC Universal. {{cite AV media}}: External link in |title= (help)
35. "MMRF Honorary Board of Directors". 2007. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2010.

References

• D'Arminio, Aubry. Mariska Hargitay Biography. All Movie Guide. circa, 2007. Accessed January 24, 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Joyful Heart Foundation, founded by Hargitay
• Mariska Hargitay at IMDb

Template:Persondata

• 1964 births
• Actors from California
• American Roman Catholics
• American film actors
• American humanitarians
• American television actors
• American video game actors
• Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners
• Emmy Award winners
• American actors of Hungarian descent
• American people of Hungarian descent
• Living people
• People from Santa Monica, California