Biography: Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Magdolina Hargitay (born January 23, 1964) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award- winning American actress, best known for her role as Det. Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Biography

Early life

Hargitay was born at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of Jayne Mansfield, an actress and 1950s-era sex symbol, and Hungarian-born former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay. Her first and middle names are Hungarian and refer to Mary Magdalene (Mariska is a diminutive of Maria). Her family name has Hungarian references also. It means: "of Hargita". Hargitay has two half-sisters, Jayne Marie Mansfield and Tina Hargitay; two brothers, Miklós and Zoltán Hargitay; and a half-brother, Antonio Ottaviano (a.k.a. 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 Mariska's birth in January 1964 but soon separated again; and 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, Jayne 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, Mariska, 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 was active in the theater program of her secondary school Marymount High School; and she attended UCLA School of Theater Film and Television (where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma) ^{but left six months before graduating as she began her career.}

Career

In 1982, Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA, ^{and was fourth runner up at the Miss California USA Pageant in Oxnard. She made her screen debut with a small role in Star 80. Within a few years she had landed recurring roles in the television series Downtown and Falcon Crest, in which she played the character Carly Fixx. 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, JoJo's Circus, 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 ("Hooker in Bar") in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, and briefly replaced Gabrielle Fitzpatrick in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, although the footage was deemed unusable.

Since 1999, Hargitay has portrayed Det. Olivia Benson, the female lead in the drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. "As a woman, it’s gratifying to play such a multilayered part," she stated on her official website. "Olivia is not only a competent, street-smart cop, she’s also an empathetic woman who can respond emotionally to victims of terrible crimes without compromising her professionalism." ^{As a result of her casting, Hargitay has been named as the "highest paid TV actress" working today in the Guinness Book of World Records 2008 Edition.}

Personal life

Hargitay speaks Hungarian, French, Spanish and Italian as well as English. ^{On August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, she married Peter Hermann, an actor and writer who has often appeared on SVU as Defense Attorney Trevor Langan. On June 28, 2006, Hargitay gave birth to August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, by caesarean section. During the last months of her pregnancy, she took maternity leave from SVU, and was temporarily replaced by Connie Nielsen.}

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, aged 80. She has since been a honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Hargitay co-founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, ^{an organization that provides support to women who have been sexually assaulted. The Foundation is a proponent of the idea that swimming with dolphins promotes healing after major psychological traumas such as rape.}

Hargitay also has worked with the Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program; NBC's “The More You Know” campaign; Safe Horizon; Santa Monica Rape Crisis Treatment Center; Project ALS; Girl Scouts of the USA; and the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. She appeared with her baby, August, in a Got Milk? ad in January 2007.

Filmography

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Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards

• 2004: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2005: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2006: Won, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2007: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2008: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU

Golden Globe Awards

• 2005: Won, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama" - Law & Order: SVU

Gracie Allen Awards

• 2004: Won, "Individual Achievement for Best Female Lead - Drama - Series" - Law & Order: SVU

PRISM Awards

• 2004: Nominated, "Performance in a Drama Series Episode" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2007: Won, "Performance in a Drama Series Episode" - Law & Order: SVU

Peoples Choice Awards

• 2009: Nominated, "Favorite Female TV Star"- Law & Oder: SVU

Satellite Awards

• 2000: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Drama" - Law & Order: SVU

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2004: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2006: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU
• 2007: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU

TV Guide Awards

• 2000: Nominated, "Favorite Actress in a New Series" - Law & Order: SVU

TV Land Awards

• 2007: Nominated, "Favorite Lady Gumshoe" - Law & Order: SVU

Viewers For Quality Television Awards

• 2000: Nominated, "Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series" - Law & Order: SVU

References

1. Kappa
2. Awards and Nominees from UCLA School of TFT
3. Carter, E. Graydon. People, Time, June 7, 1982. Accessed August 4, 2008.
4. Bio
5. Diaz, Johnny. Speaking volumes: Use of Spanish booms on network programs, The Boston Globe, November 13, 2005. Accessed August 3, 2008.
6. Peter Hermann at the Internet Movie Database
7. MMRF Honorary Board
8. The Joyful Heart Foundation
9. http://www.milknewsroom.com/ads.htm Retrieved 2007-10-18