Mariska Hargitay is an acclaimed American actress, producer, and philanthropist best known for her role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999. This role has made her one of the highest-paid actresses on television. She has received numerous accolades for her acting, including two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In 2013, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Beyond her acting career, Hargitay is also recognized for her significant philanthropic work and activism.
In 1962, Jayne Mansfield had an affair with an Italian filmmaker, leading to troubles in her marriage with Mickey Hargitay.
In May 1963, Mariska Hargitay's parents, Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, divorced, although the divorce was later deemed invalid.
In January 1964, Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay reconciled shortly before Mariska's birth.
On January 23, 1964, Mariska Magdolna Hargitay was born. She is an American actress, producer, and philanthropist, most known for her role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In August 1964, Jayne Mansfield successfully petitioned the court to rule her Mexican divorce from Mickey Hargitay as legal.
In July 1966, Jayne Mansfield filed for divorce from Matt Cimber, although it was never finalized.
On June 29, 1967, Jayne Mansfield, Mariska Hargitay's mother, died in a car accident. Mariska, then three-and-a-half years old, survived with a scar.
In 1982, Mariska Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA after graduating high school.
In 1984, Mariska Hargitay appeared in Ronnie Milsap's music video for "She Loves My Car".
In 1986, Mariska Hargitay accepted a role on the adventure drama series Downtown, marking a turning point in her consideration of television roles.
In 1988, Mariska Hargitay had a recurring role as Carly Fixx in the soap opera Falcon Crest.
In 1992, Mariska Hargitay portrayed a character in the series Tequila and Bonetti, expanding her television roles.
In 1995, Mariska Hargitay appeared in the film Leaving Las Vegas and the sitcom Can't Hurry Love, expanding her roles.
In 1995, Mariska Hargitay had a minor role in the film Leaving Las Vegas.
In 1995, Mariska Hargitay portrayed Didi Edelstein in the sitcom Can't Hurry Love.
In 1996, Mariska Hargitay continued her role in the sitcom Can't Hurry Love.
In 1997, Mariska Hargitay played a recurring role in the fourth season of ER.
In 1997, Mariska Hargitay played detective Nina Echeverria in Prince Street and had a recurring role as Cynthia Hooper in ER.
In 1998, Mariska Hargitay continued her recurring role in ER.
In 1999, Mariska Hargitay began her role as Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This is the longest-running character in the longest-running American primetime drama.
In 1999, Mariska Hargitay began portraying Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and trained as a rape crisis advocate for the role.
On August 28, 2004, Mariska Hargitay married actor Peter Hermann in Santa Barbara, California. They met on the set of Law & Order: SVU.
In 2004, Mariska Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation to support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other forms of abuse.
In 2005, Mariska Hargitay's voice was featured in the video game True Crime: New York City.
On June 28, 2006, Mariska Hargitay gave birth to her son, August, via an emergency caesarean section.
In September 2006, Mariska Hargitay's father, Mickey Hargitay, died from multiple myeloma at age 80.
In 2006, Mariska Hargitay appeared in the 17th season of NBC's The More You Know public service announcements.
In 2006, during her pregnancy, Mariska Hargitay took maternity leave from Law & Order: SVU and was temporarily replaced by Connie Nielsen.
In January 2007, Mariska Hargitay and her older son appeared in a Got Milk? advertisement.
In December 2008, Mariska Hargitay suffered a partially collapsed lung after a stunt injury on the set of SVU, requiring surgery.
On March 3, 2009, Mariska Hargitay was hospitalized due to chest pains related to her lung injury, causing her to miss an episode of SVU.
In May 2009, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni's contracts expired, leading to negotiations for higher pay and a percentage of the show's profits, with potential threats of replacement.
In November 2009, Mariska Hargitay and the Joyful Heart Foundation built healing kits for women in Los Angeles County's domestic violence shelters and donated money to support domestic violence services.
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.
In 2010, Mariska Hargitay stated in an interview with Good Housekeeping that she considers herself a Christian.
As of April 2011, the Joyful Heart Foundation had raised $20 million and helped approximately 5,000 survivors, with references worked into SVU via a necklace worn by Hargitay's character.
In April 2011, Mariska Hargitay and her husband adopted a baby girl named Amaya.
On September 27, 2011, Mariska Hargitay donated $100,000 to the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television for scholarships.
In October 2011, Mariska Hargitay and her husband adopted a son named Andrew.
In 2011, Mariska Hargitay received UCLA's TFT Distinguished Alumni Award and was honored at the school's commencement ceremony.
As of August 2012, Mariska Hargitay was earning approximately $400,000–$500,000 per episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 2012, Mariska Hargitay campaigned for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
In 2013, Mariska Hargitay received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was among the highest-paid actresses on television.
In 2013, Mariska Hargitay was awarded the 2,511th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, placed next to her mother's star.
In 2013, Mariska Hargitay was ranked by Forbes as the second highest-paid television actress.
In 2014, Mariska Hargitay was ranked by Forbes as the second highest-paid television actress.
At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, Mariska Hargitay won the "Video of the Year" Award for her appearance in Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" music video.
In 2017, Mariska Hargitay co-produced the HBO documentary I Am Evidence.
In 2018, Mariska Hargitay produced the documentary "I Am Evidence", which focuses on the issue of untested rape kits. She won an Emmy for her work as a producer on the film.
In July 2021, Mariska Hargitay suffered a broken ankle after a fall, which was written into the season 23 premiere of SVU.
Mariska Hargitay served as a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional on December 19–20, 2022.
In 2024, Mariska Hargitay revealed in a personal essay published by People that she is a survivor of rape, crediting other survivors for her strength.
In 2024, Mariska Hargitay wrote an essay calling for an end to the stigma surrounding sexual assault, advocating for survivors to be celebrated, similar to cancer survivors.
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