History of Mariska Hargitay in Timeline
Mariska Hargitay is an American actress, philanthropist, producer, and director, best known for her role as Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999. Her portrayal of Benson has garnered her an Emmy and a Golden Globe, solidifying her status as a prominent figure in television. The role is the longest-running character in American primetime drama. Hargitay received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.
1962: Troubles in Marriage
In 1962, Jayne Mansfield and Mariska Hargitay's marriage experienced troubles after Mansfield had an affair with an Italian filmmaker.
May 1963: Divorce of Mansfield and Hargitay
In May 1963, Mansfield and Hargitay divorced, but a judge later found their Mexican divorce invalid.
1963: Mother's Involvement with Nelson Sardelli
In 1963, Nelson Sardelli was involved with Jayne Mansfield, who would later be revealed to be Mariska Hargitay's mother.
January 1964: Reconciliation of Mansfield and Hargitay
In January 1964, after Mansfield realized she was pregnant with Mariska, she and Hargitay reconciled.
January 23, 1964: Mariska Hargitay's Birth
On January 23, 1964, Mariska Magdolna Hargitay was born. She is an American actress, philanthropist, producer, and director.
August 1964: Legal Divorce of Mansfield and Hargitay
In August 1964, Hargitay's mother successfully petitioned the court to rule the Mexican divorce legal.
June 29, 1967: Automobile Crash
On June 29, 1967, Mariska Hargitay, her mother Jayne Mansfield, and Mansfield's boyfriend Sam Brody were in a car accident that killed Mansfield, Brody, and the driver. Mariska, then three-and-a-half years old, and her brothers escaped with minor injuries.
1982: Miss Beverly Hills USA
In 1982, Mariska Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA and graduated from high school, enrolling at UCLA after graduation.
1984: Appeared in Ronnie Milsap's Music Video
In 1984, Mariska Hargitay appeared in Ronnie Milsap's music video for "She Loves My Car", the first country music video to appear on MTV.
1986: Offered Role on Downtown
In 1986, Mariska Hargitay was offered a role on the adventure drama series Downtown, which marked a turning point in her career, as she hadn't considered television before.
1988: Recurring Role in Falcon Crest
In 1988, Mariska Hargitay had a recurring role as Carly Fixx in the soap opera Falcon Crest.
1991: Role in Strawberry Road
In 1991, Mariska Hargitay played Jill Banner in the Japanese-American co-production Strawberry Road.
1992: Claim in Jayne Mansfield Biography
In 1992, Jayne Mansfield's publicist Raymond Strait claimed in his biography "Here They Are, Jayne Mansfield" that Nelson Sardelli was her biological father.
1992: Role in Tequila and Bonetti
In 1992, Mariska Hargitay portrayed police officer Angela Garcia in the series Tequila and Bonetti and appeared in the Seinfeld two-part fourth season finale.
1995: Can't Hurry Love role
In 1995, Mariska Hargitay appeared in Can't Hurry Love.
1995: Role in Can't Hurry Love
In 1995, Mariska Hargitay portrayed Didi Edelstein in the sitcom Can't Hurry Love.
1996: Can't Hurry Love role
In 1996, Mariska Hargitay appeared in Can't Hurry Love.
1997: Role in Prince Street and ER
In 1997, Mariska Hargitay played detective Nina Echeverria in Prince Street, and had a recurring role in ER.
1999: Portrayal of Olivia Benson begins
In 1999, Mariska Hargitay began portraying Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
1999: Starring in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
In 1999, Mariska Hargitay began starring as Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
August 28, 2004: Marriage to Peter Hermann
On August 28, 2004, Mariska Hargitay married Peter Hermann, an actor she met on the set of Law & Order: SVU, in Santa Barbara, California.
2004: Establishment of the Joyful Heart Foundation
In 2004, Mariska Hargitay established the Joyful Heart Foundation to support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking.
2004: Certified Rape Counselor
In 2004, Mariska Hargitay was reported to be a certified rape counselor and an advocate for ending the stigma surrounding sexual assault.
2005: Voice in True Crime: New York City
In 2005, Mariska Hargitay's voice was featured in the video game True Crime: New York City.
June 28, 2006: Birth of Son
On June 28, 2006, Mariska Hargitay gave birth to her and Peter Hermann's son via an emergency caesarean section.
2006: Maternity Leave from SVU
During the last months of her pregnancy in 2006, Mariska Hargitay took maternity leave from Law & Order: SVU.
2006: The More You Know PSA
In 2006, Mariska Hargitay appeared in the 17th season of NBC's The More You Know public service announcements.
January 2007: Got Milk? Advertisement
In January 2007, Mariska Hargitay and her older son appeared in a Got Milk? advertisement.
December 2008: Partially Collapsed Lung
In late December 2008, Mariska Hargitay suffered a partially collapsed lung after a fall during a stunt on the set of SVU.
March 3, 2009: Hospitalized for Chest Pains
On March 3, 2009, Mariska Hargitay was hospitalized after suffering from chest pains related to her earlier lung injury, causing her to miss an episode of SVU.
May 2009: Contract Expiration and Negotiations
In May 2009, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni's contracts expired, leading to negotiations for a new contract and a potential threat of replacement from NBC.
November 2009: Building Wellness Kits
In November 2009, Mariska Hargitay and the Joyful Heart Foundation built healing and wellness kits for women living in Los Angeles County's domestic violence shelters and donated money to domestic violence services.
November 2010: Therapeutic Programs
As of November 2010, the Joyful Heart Foundation had sent over 5,000 women and children on therapeutic programs in New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii.
2010: Identifies as Christian
In a 2010 interview with Good Housekeeping, Mariska Hargitay stated that she considers herself a Christian.
April 2011: Joyful Heart Foundation Fundraising
According to Mariska Hargitay, the Joyful Heart Foundation had raised $20 million as of April 2011.
April 2011: Adoption of Daughter
In April 2011, Mariska Hargitay and her husband, Peter Hermann, adopted a baby girl.
September 27, 2011: Donation to UCLA
On September 27, 2011, Mariska Hargitay donated $100,000 to her alma mater, the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television, for scholarships.
October 2011: Adoption of Son
In October 2011, Mariska Hargitay and her husband, Peter Hermann, adopted a son.
2011: UCLA's TFT Distinguished Alumni Award
In 2011, Mariska Hargitay received UCLA's TFT Distinguished Alumni Award and was honored at the school's June commencement ceremony.
August 2012: Earning Per Episode of SVU
As of August 2012, Mariska Hargitay was earning approximately $400,000–$500,000 per episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
2012: Campaign for Violence Against Women Act
In 2012, Mariska Hargitay campaigned for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
2013: Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In 2013, Mariska Hargitay received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2014: Ranked Second-Highest-Paid TV Actress
In 2014, Mariska Hargitay was ranked by Forbes as the second-highest-paid television actress.
2015: MTV Video Music Award
At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, Mariska Hargitay won the "Video of the Year" Award for Taylor Swift's song "Bad Blood", shared with Taylor Swift and other celebrities in the music video.
2017: Co-producing I Am Evidence
In 2017, Mariska Hargitay co-produced the HBO documentary I Am Evidence, which later won a News and Documentary Emmy.
2018: Release of I Am Evidence Documentary
In 2018, Mariska Hargitay produced a documentary, I Am Evidence, discussing untested rape kits, released by HBO. The film received Best Documentary at the 40th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
July 2021: Broken Ankle
In July 2021, Mariska Hargitay suffered a broken ankle after falling in the rain while leaving the screening of Black Widow. Her injury was written into the season 23 premiere of SVU.
2022: Guest Narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional
In 2022, on December 19 and 20, Mariska Hargitay was a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional.
2024: Essay on Sexual Assault
In 2024, Mariska Hargitay wrote an essay for People magazine, advocating for sexual assault survivors to receive the same support and celebration as cancer survivors, free from shame.
2024: Named 11th Highest-Paid Actor
In 2025, Forbes named Mariska Hargitay as the 11th highest-paid actor of 2024, 2nd highest-paid actress after Nicole Kidman, and the highest-paid actor on television.
June 2025: Release of My Mom Jayne
In June 2025, Mariska Hargitay's feature film directorial debut, My Mom Jayne, was released in the United States. The film delves into the life and death of her mother Jayne Mansfield.
2025: Named 11th Highest-Paid Actor
In 2025, Forbes named Mariska Hargitay as the 11th highest-paid actor of 2024, 2nd highest-paid actress after Nicole Kidman, and the highest-paid actor on television.
2025: Launching Mighty Entertainment
In 2025, Mariska Hargitay launched Mighty Entertainment, her production company.
2025: Disclosure of Biological Father
In 2025, Mariska Hargitay publicly disclosed that her biological father was Nelson Sardelli, who had been involved with her mother Jayne Mansfield in 1963.
2025: TIME100 Philanthropy List
In 2025, Mariska Hargitay was included on the inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list for her work.
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