You know her from “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” – Mariska Hargitay won the hearts of viewers with her empowering role in the series. Her girl-boss aura made her sexy figure look even hotter while portraying her character. Also, when she donned that bob, she still looked hot even without flaunting her bikini body. If you want to know what we’re talking about, watch our compilation of Mariska Hargitay photos.
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay must get her looks from her mother, Jayne Mansfield, who is a sex symbol in the 1950s. Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964, in California and had six siblings in total.
Hargitay’s childhood had a sorrowful start when her parents divorced before she was even born. It became even sadder when her mother, along with her stepfather, died in an accident that left her and her two brothers minor scars. In an interview, Mariska opened up that her mother’s passing left a hole in her heart that cannot get filled forever.
After her mother’s passing, Mariska and her two brothers stayed with their biological dad and his third wife.
Theatre was Hargitay’s first love when she reached high school and further learned about it when she got to college. She enrolled in the UCLA School of Theatre Film and Television while taking small roles for movies; thus, she was not able to finish her degree.
In 1982, Mariska joined Miss Beverly Hills USA and won the title. After that, she began to take her path on acting for movies and TV. Her first movie appearance was in Ghoulies where Mariska played the role, Donna. A year later, she appeared in another film called Welcome to 18 and played the part, Jesse Smith, in the crime-drama TV series, Downtown.
After her first TV series, Mariska appeared in a movie and several TV shows before she landed a recurring role in the soap opera, Falcon Crest. She played the character Carly Fixx and appeared in 15 episodes. Later that year, she got a guest cast for other TV shows.
However, Mariska’s breakthrough did not come until 2000 when she played a lead role in another crime-drama TV series. “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” was her biggest show to date since she appeared in the drama for a total of 458 episodes. Her role, Captain Olivia Benson, made her look more badass and sexier.
Throughout Mariska’s career, she revealed that she had difficulties getting roles since she always got compared to her mom. But she proved that she could do well even without showing her boobs or her ass, just like her mother. She won several awards for her role as Captain Benson. Hargitay also got a Golden Globe award in 2005.
Currently, Hargitay is married with one son and one adopted daughter.
