Mariska Hargitay is a prominent American actress, producer, and philanthropist. Since 1999, she has portrayed the character Olivia Benson on NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, making her the longest-serving character in the history of the longest-running American primetime drama.
Early Life & Family
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964, at Providence Saint John’s Health Center located in Santa Monica, California.
She is the offspring of actress Jayne Mansfield, who was a prominent sex symbol in the 1950s. Her father, Mickey Hargitay, was a former Mr. Universe originally from Hungary.
She is the youngest of five siblings, having two older brothers named Miklós and Zoltán, along with three half-siblings: Jayne Marie Mansfield and Antonio “Tony” Cimber, who are from her mother’s first and third marriages, respectively, and Tina Hargitay, who is from her father’s first marriage.
Mariska Hargitay Career
Mariska Hargitay started her acting career in high school and was awarded the title of Miss Beverly Hills USA in the early 1980s.
After graduating from Marymount High School in 1982, she enrolled at UCLA, where she studied at the School of Theater Film and Television.
Nevertheless, she did not complete her degree and left college early to join the Groundlings improv group in Los Angeles, which led to her taking on smaller television roles.
By the late 1980s, she had begun to receive guest starring roles in various series, including “Falcon Crest,” “Tequila & Bonetti,” “Seinfeld,” and “ER.”
In the spring of 1999, Mariska Hargitay auditioned for the police procedural drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” created by Dick Wolf.
She sought the role of the lead female character, Detective Olivia Benson. To prepare for her portrayal of Benson, Hargitay engaged in training to become a rape crisis advocate.
Mariska Hargitay has established herself as the longest-serving cast member of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” having been a part of the series since its inception in 1999.
The only time she stepped away from the show was during the final months of her pregnancy in 2006, coinciding with the sixth season, when she took maternity leave.
During her absence, Connie Nielsen portrayed the character Dani Beck. Hargitay’s performance in the series has earned her both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
As Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay has featured in several other television programs, including three episodes of “Law & Order,” one episode of “Law & Order: Trial by Jury,” three episodes of “Chicago P.D.,” and an episode of “Chicago Fire.”
She has also made a brief appearance as Olivia Benson on the sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live.” In addition, Hargitay has directed a number of episodes of “Law & Order: SVU,” such as “Criminal Stories” (2014), “Padre Sandunguero” (2015), “Sheltered Outcasts” (2016), and “Mea Culpa” (2018).
Personal Life
In 2004, Mariska Hargitay married actor Peter Hermann after he featured on her show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Their son, August, was born on June 28, 2006, via an emergency cesarean section.
In April 2011, the couple adopted a baby girl, Amaya, and were present for her birth. Subsequently, in October 2011, they adopted a son named Andrew, who was also born in 2011.
Net Worth
Mariska Hargitay is a renowned American actress with a net worth estimated at $100 million. She is best known for her role in the television series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Hargitay has received multiple accolades for her performance as Detective Olivia Benson, including both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.
