Mariska Hargitay
Actor
Biography
Mariska Hargitay (born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, producer, director and activist, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.
The daughter of actress Jayne Mansfield and actor/bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, Hargitay is a former beauty queen who made her film debut in the 1985 horror-comedy film Ghoulies, and her major television debut in the 1986 adventure drama series, Downtown. She appeared in numerous roles in film and television shows throughout the late 1980s and 1990s before being cast as Olivia Benson, a role that led to her founding the Joyful Heart Foundation, which provides support to women who have been sexually abused.
As Director
Filmography
Leaving Las Vegas
as Hooker At Bar 1995
Lake Placid
as Myra Okubo 1999
The Love Guru
as Mariska Hargitay (uncredited) 2008
Ghoulies
as Donna 1985
Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live
as Self - Special Guest 2015
The Perfect Weapon
as Jennifer 1991
My Mom Jayne
as Self 2025
Blind Side
as Melanie 1993
Perfume
as Darcy 2001
I Am Evidence
as Self 2017
Jocks
as Nicole 1986
Plain Truth
as Ellie Harrison 2004
Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She Called
as Actress on the Stage (archive footage) (uncredited) 2022
Bank Robber
as Marisa Benoit 1993
30 Rock: A One-Time Special
as Mariska Hargitay 2020
Stuck
as Narrator 2013
The Advocate's Devil
as Rendi 1997