Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay
Hargitay in 2011
Born
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay

(1964-01-23) January 23, 1964 (age 60)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Occupations
  • Actress
  • producer
Years active1984–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2004)​
Children3[a]
Parents
RelativesJayne Marie Mansfield (half-sister)
Signature

Mariska Magdolna Hargitay[1] (/məˈrɪʃkə ˈhɑːrɡɪteɪ/;[2] born January 23, 1964)[3][4] is an American actress and producer. Hargitay has played Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999, which is the longest-running character in the longest-running American primetime drama.[5] Since 2013, she is among the highest-paid actresses on television.[6][7] Her accolades include an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, and in 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is also known for her philanthropic work and activism.

Hargitay was born in Santa Monica, California, and is the daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield. She attended Marymount High School in Los Angeles and enrolled in the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, leaving before completing her degree to pursue acting. Her early credits include the series Falcon Crest (1988), Tequila and Bonetti (1992), Can't Hurry Love (1995–1996) and ER (1997–1998), and the drama film Leaving Las Vegas (1995), In the Heat of the Night (1988). Asides from SVU, she co-produced the HBO documentary I Am Evidence (2017).

Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, which provides support to people who have been sexually abused, and became a certified rape counselor. She has engaged in initiatives to support domestic violence shelters, raise awareness about untested rape kits, and contributed to other causes.


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  1. ^ Gelt, Jessica (November 10, 2013). "Mariska Hargitay". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020. Born Mariska Magdolna Hargitay on Jan. 23, 1964 in Santa Monica, CA ... .
  2. ^ "Say How: H". National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "Focus Forum". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, LA. October 1, 1995. p. T14.
  4. ^ Inside the Actors Studio: Mariska Hargitay (television production). The Actors Studio. September 22, 2014. Mariska says her own first name and the name of her father; the interviewer, James Lipton, also says her full name near the start of the show.
  5. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (September 25, 2019). "As 'SVU' Makes History, Mariska Hargitay Makes Olivia Benson's Mission Her Own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).