Mariska Magdolna Hargitay, popularly known as Mariska Hargitay, is an American actress, director, and philanthropist. She is the daughter of ‘The Loves of Hercules’ actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield.
She was born in 1964 and was only three years of age when she lost her mother, Jayne, in an accident. After Jayne’s passing, Mickey married actress Ellen Siano who helped Mariska, and her siblings get over their mother’s loss and financially supported the family.
Mariska was in college when she first realized her passion for acting. So, after making it to UCLA, she studied Theater and in 1984 landed a role in a motion picture.
After playing several minor roles, Hargitay rose to fame with her role in 1994 in the Television series called ER.
In 1999 she joined the cast of NBC’s ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ and played the character of Olivia, which turned out to be her breakthrough role, and she became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.
The actress received several awards, including the Golden Globes and Primetime Emmy, for her outstanding performance in the series.
While she was still on the show, Mariska met Peter Hermann, her fellow actor in the Law & Order series, and little did she know that he was going to become the man of her dreams.
As reported by People, the couple first met in 2002 on the set of Law & Order: SVU when Hermann appeared as a guest star on the show. During the shoot, Hargitay once cracked a joke that the actor didn’t like, and this made her sad.
According to one of the couple’s co-stars and family friend, Christopher Meloni, Mariska was quite smitten with Hermann while filming the series.
But eventually, they developed an understanding, and after the shooting finished, Hermann asked her out.
“We went to church together, and it was like getting hit with a lightning bolt,” she said.
The Baywatch actress said that when they went out for the first time, she was already in love with Peter. And at one point during the church service, she became so overwhelmed by her feelings that she started crying.
“I just started sobbing. Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service, No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one.” She said.
“As a little girl you’re told, ‘Oh, when it’s the right person, you’ll know. You’ll know’, But listen, I had been engaged previously, and I never knew.” She added.
She said that after the date, she went to see her best friend and told her that she was in love with Peter.
“I told her, ‘This is it. This is the man I’m going to marry.’”
After dating for two years, the couple eventually tied the knot in 2004 in Santa Barbara. Their wedding was attended by almost two hundred people, including family and friends. They had their reception at a Montecito estate.
“I never knew I’d so often be reminded on this journey that I married the right one,” said Mariska. “I waited and married the right one.”
Mariska and Peter are now parents to three children, August, Amaya, and Andrew. While August is their biological child, Amaya and Andrew are adopted.
“My husband is my North Star, and my kids are my teachers,” she told People in 2018.
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Mariska is one of my favorite actresses. If anyone deserves a real life love story it’s her. God blessed her to live from the accident as a child and she has made her life doing so much gud and an awesome actress ❤🙏🌺