Jump To Mariska Hargitay's Stats
Just looking at Mariska Hargitay makes a man's neck stiffen and a woman's eyes squint. The man has to avoid starring and a women would be watching for the attendant reaction that follows this Hollywood byproduct as she struts her stuff. Hargitay is the daughter of one Jane Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, a man who knew a thing or two about fast things.
Going fast could probably describe Hargitay's career as an actress. Quick to discount the Jane Mansfield connection, Mariska made her way through substantive training at the UCLA theater department. Before she could finish, the fish in Hollywood claimed her for parts in a cult favorite, Ghoulies and Leaving Las Vegas.
But the Santa Monica, California native got her real traction when she was cast as the sexy, yet untouchable, detective Olivia Benson on the Law and Order series. As part of the Special Victims Unit – read sex – she managed to negotiated time after time of heinous crimes that involved the sordid detail of crimes anchored in sex.
While those with an aptitude with less than normal concentrated on her physical attributes, others realized that an actress who could speak more than four languages was not in the grind as a plain Jane. Don't blame her that she won the 1982 Miss Beverly Hills contest. Her entry was merely to make sure that those who entered knew that the playing field may not be just because you looked good.
Even though Mariska has been chosen on a multitude of 'Best Looking' list, she works hard to make people realize that issues involving women, rape and abuse have more impact than the world would admit. At time, Hargitay bemoans how the scripts impact her about the subject. Sometimes she would just love to shower off the thought of some of those scenes. She realized though that the strong following the show has developed has been because the subject matter brings to light the heinous nature of sex crimes and what it takes to investigate like crimes.