Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Magdolina Hargitay (born
January 23,
1964), ("mah-RISH-kah") is a
Golden Globe-winning
American actress best known for her role as Detective
Olivia Benson on
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
She began her acting career by appearing on the television series
Falcon Crest in
1987. She played a police officer in the short-lived
1992 series
Tequila & Bonetti. She appeared during the
fourth season of
Seinfeld as one of the actors auditioning for
Jerry.
Hargitay had a recurring role during the
fourth season of
ER, part of a
story arc that lasted over a dozen episodes.
In
2005 she lent her voice to the video game
True Crime: New York City.In the freshman season of SVU (for Special Victims Unit, the subtitle of the series), in
1999-
2000, Hargitay earned nominations from the
Viewers for Quality Television for Best Actress, from the
TV Guide Awards for Favorite Actress in a New Series and from the
International Press Academy for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series. She was also a
2004 Screen Actors Guild nominee. In addition, she is also a
2005 Screen Actors Guild nominee.
Hargitay won a
Golden Globe in 2005 in the category of Best Actress in a Drama Series.
In 2004, 2005, and 2006 Hargitay's portrayal of Detective Benson on
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit garnered her
Emmy nominations in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Hargitay was named by
People magazine in 2005 as one of the
50 Most Beautiful People, and in 2006 as one of People Magazine's World's Most Beautiful People.
Hargitay is the fourth of
Jayne Mansfield's five children. Mansfield had divorced
Hungarian-born former
Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay (and would again in 1964), yet they were living together when Mariska was born.
Italian-American cabaret performer
Nelson Sardelli was dating Mansfield at the time of Mariska's conception, and he claims to be her biological father. Mariska has never acknowledged Sardelli's claim (even though she bears a striking physical resemblance to him), always considering Mickey Hargitay her father.
On the night of
June 29,
1967, Hargitay and two of her brothers were asleep in the back seat of the car their mother and her boyfriend,
lawyer Sam Brody, were riding in when it smashed into the back of a
tractor-trailer.
Hargitay's mother was killed instantly, as was Brody and their driver. Had the children not been lying down, they, too, would have been killed, but they escaped with only minor bruises. Hargitay, who has no memory of the accident, was left with a zig-zag scar down the side of her head.
She learned her father's native language,
Hungarian, but also speaks fluent
French and
Italian.
Hargitay graduated in
1987 from the
UCLA School of Theater Film and Television[http://www.tft.ucla.edu//events/index.cfm?action=display_news&NEWS_ID=318] with a major in theatre. She is also an alumna of the
Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
In April
2004, she announced her engagement to
Special Victims Unit actor
Peter Hermann. They were married on
August 28, 2004, in
California.
On
November 30,
2005, Hargitay's publicist announced that she and Hermann are expecting their first child, a son, in early June
2006. Mariska stayed on SVU through out her pregnacy. Speaking about her pregnancy, Hargitay said, "I'm LOVING every minute of it and am so excited to be a mom"
[http://www.mariska.com/blog/]. During the last few months of her pregnancy, Mariska took a maternity leave from SVU and was temporarily replaced by
Connie Nielsen.
On
June 28,
2006, Hargitay gave birth to her first child, son August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, by
caesarean section. He weighed 10 lb. 9 oz., after being six days overdue.
Hargitay co-founded an organization called the
Joyful Heart Foundation to help women who have been
sexually assaulted. This
charity gives victims an opportunity to swim with wild dolphins in Hawaii as water therapy.
In addition to her own Joyful Heart Foundation, Mariska has worked with the
Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program, NBC's "
The More You Know" campaign, the
Safe Horizons advocacy project,
Santa Monica Rape Crisis Treatment Center,
Project ALS,
Girl Scouts of the USA, and the
James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. She is a certified rape crisis
counselor.
Hargitay has co-hosted and attended a number of
Safe Horizons events with former
SVU co-star
Stephanie March. March met future husband, chef
Bobby Flay, after being set up on the blind-date by Mariska.
Plain Truth (2004) (TV)
Perfume (2001)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 - present) (TV series)
Lake Placid (1999)
Prince Street (1997) (TV series)
The Advocate's Devil (1997) (TV)
Night Sins (1997) (mini series)
ER (1996) (TV series)
Can't Hurry Love (1995) (TV series)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994) (TV)
Bank Robber (1993)
Blind Side (1993) (TV)
Seinfeld (1993) (TV)
Tequila & Bonetti (1992) (TV series)
Grapevine (1992) (TV series)
Sutoroberi rodo (1991)
The Perfect Weapon (1991)
Hard Time Romance (1991)
Finish Line (1989) (TV)
Falcon Crest (1981) (TV series) (1988)
Mr. Universe (1988)
Jocks (1987)
Downtown (1986) (TV series)
Welcome to 18 (1986)
Ghoulies (1985)
*
Official site*
Joyful Heart Foundation, founded by Hargitay
