Mariska Hargitay

When Law & Order created its first spin-off, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, its talented, beautiful female lead seemed to come out of nowhere. But like many actors, Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on the popular crime show, wasn’t an overnight success. She had already been acting steadily for fifteen years before securing her role on the popular television series. Mariska Magdolina Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were both in show business. Her father, Mickey Hargitay, was a body builder and actor and her mother was the famous actress and pin-up girl, Jayne Mansfield. When the two married it was the most publicized marriage in Hollywood up until that time.

Mickey and Jayne divorced just seven months after Mariska Hargitay’s birth. When she was three years old, Mariska was in the back seat of her mother’s car with her two older brothers when the car was involved in an accident that killed her mother, the car’s driver, and a companion in the front, but left the children with only minor injuries.Mariska was subsequently raised by her father and can speak his native Hungarian as well as English, French, and Italian. Hargitay’s acting career began in 1985 when she landed the role as Donna in the comedy/horror film Ghoulies. The following year found her starring in the forgettable 80s teen flick Welcome to 18, with Courtney Thorne Smith. She followed the two films with guest appearances in several television shows, including Downtown, In the Heat of the Night, and Freddy’s Nightmares.

In 1988 Mariska earned the role as Carly Fixx on Falcon Crest, though her role only lasted for one season. The 1990s found Mariska Hargitay landing supporting roles in a few forgettable movies, but she mainly concentrated on television work. She had roles on Baywatch, Thirtysomething, Seinfeld, and The Single Guy. In 1997 Mariska began a thirteen-episode role on ER as Cynthia Hooper, the girlfriend of Anthony Edward’s character, Dr. Mark Greene.

Hargitay’s role on ER brought her to the attention of Law & Order’s producers and she was tapped to play the role that finally made her a recognizable star, Detective Olivia Benson. The role has earned her nominations for many television awards including the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards, The Golden Globes, and The Emmys. In 2005 Hargitay won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama.

In 2004 Mariska Hargitay became engaged to actor Peter Hermann who can currently be seen on the new television show Angela’s Eyes. They married in August of the same year in Santa Barbara. On June 28, 2006, the couple welcomed a son named August Miklos Friedrich Hermann. He weighed a very healthy ten pounds, nine ounces.In addition to acting, Mariska Hargitay co-founded a charitable organization called Joyful Heart Foundation, which gives women who have been sexually assaulted an opportunity to have a form of water therapy – swimming with wild dolphins.

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