Mariska Hargitay - wikipedia Mariska Hargitay Mariska Hargitay Hargitay in November 2011 Mariska Magdolna Hargitay ( 1964 - 01 - 23 ) January 23, 1964 ( age 53 ) Santa Monica, California, U.S. Education Marymount High School Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles Occupation Actress, director, executive producer Years active 1983 -- present Spouse ( s ) Peter Hermann ( m. 2004 ) Children Parent ( s ) Mickey Hargitay Jayne Mansfield Website www.mariska.com Signature Mariska Magdolna Hargitay ( / məˈrɪʃkə ˈhɑːrɡɪteɪ / mə - RISH - kə HAR - gi - tay ; born January 23, 1964 ) is an American actress best known for her role as NYPD Special Victims Unit Detective / Sergeant / Lieutenant Olivia Benson on the NBC drama series Law & Order : Special Victims Unit, for which she has earned multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, Hargitay 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. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Law & Order : Special Victims Unit 3 Personal life 3.1 Health problems 4 Charity work 5 Filmography 5.1 Television 5.2 Film 5.3 Video games 5.4 Director 5.5 Producer 5.6 Music videos 6 Awards and accolades 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Early Life Hargitay was born at St. John 's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of actress and 1950s - era sex symbol Jayne Mansfield. Her father was the Hungarian - born former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay. Her first and middle names are Hungarian and refer to Mary Magdalene ( Mariska is a diminutive of Mary ). Hargitay was raised Roman Catholic. She has two older brothers, Miklós and Zoltán, and three half - siblings, Jayne Marie Mansfield and Antonio `` Tony '' Cimber ( from her mother 's first and third marriages, respectively ) and Tina Hargitay ( from her father 's first marriage ). Hargitay 's parents divorced in May 1963, but a judge later found their Mexican divorce invalid. They reconciled a few months before Hargitay 's birth in January 1964, but soon separated again. In August 1964 her mother successfully petitioned the court to rule the Mexican divorce legal. A few weeks later, Mansfield married the director Matt Cimber, who had directed her in a 1964 production of the William Inge play Bus Stop. On June 29, 1967, Mansfield was killed in an automobile accident on a stretch of U.S. Route 90 between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Her boyfriend, Sam Brody, and the driver were also killed. Asleep in the back of the vehicle, Hargitay, then three and a half years old, was left with a zigzag scar on one side of her head. Her brothers Miklós and Zoltán were also in the car, but escaped with minor injuries. After the death of their mother, the three siblings were raised by their father and his third wife, Ellen Siano. Hargitay dislikes comparisons with her famous mother and at age 18 said, `` My dad was Mr. Universe, so it would be fun for me to be Miss Universe. '' While a student at her Catholic secondary school, Marymount High School, Hargitay was active in cheerleading, student government, athletics, and the theater program. She enjoyed acting and enrolled at UCLA after graduation from high school in 1982. That same year, Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA. By the time she was a freshman in college, Hargitay had an agent and several small roles to her credit. She attended UCLA School of Theater Film and Television ( where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma ). She left before completing her degree when she began her acting career. Hargitay attended Groundlings Theatre and School in Los Angeles. Her improv teacher was Kathy Griffin. Griffin stated in an interview, `` We started class, and in the Groundlings curriculum, one of the first exercises you do is the cliched ' trust ' game. I made everyone stand in a circle, with me in the center, and I said, being onstage, you have to trust your fellow actors, especially when you 're an improviser. You 're going to be there for each other, and they 're going to be there for you. For example, I 'm going to fall back, knowing that you 'll catch me. Then I let myself fall backward, and sure enough, I was caught. Everyone gets out some nervous laughter, and then they all took turns doing it. By the time it got around to Mariska Hargitay, we 'd already done it with ten or eleven students, and they had clearly gotten the point. Then it was Mariska 's turn. ' Okay, Mariska, cross your arms in front of you and gently fall back, ' I said. She fell back and nobody caught her. She fell flat on her ass. I was horrified. This had never happened in one of my classes before. '' Career In 1982, after Hargitay was crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA, she then competed in the Miss California USA pageant the following year, placing fourth runner - up to Julie Hayek, who was later crowned Miss USA. In 1984, she appeared in Ronnie Milsap 's music video for `` She Loves My Car ''. A year later she had a small role in the horror film, Ghoulies. Hargitay said in 1986 that she never thought about doing television until a role for the one - hour adventure drama series Downtown was offered. In 1988, she had a recurring role as Carly Fixx in the soap opera Falcon Crest. She portrayed police officer Angela Garcia in the 1992 series Tequila and Bonetti, and appeared in an episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld. Two years later, Hargitay portrayed Didi Edelstein, the sexy next - door neighbor, in the 1995 sitcom Ca n't Hurry Love, which starred Nancy McKeon. In 1997, Hargitay played detective Nina Echeverria on the drama series Prince Street, and had a recurring role as Cynthia Hooper during the fourth season of ER. Hargitay has appeared on numerous other television programs, including : Freddy 's Nightmares ; Ellen ; All - American Girl ; Baywatch ; Cracker ; Gabriel 's Fire ; In the Heat of the Night ; The Single Guy ; Wiseguy and thirtysomething. Her voice is featured on the 2005 video game True Crime : New York City. Hargitay also had a minor role in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, and briefly replaced Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as Dulcea, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers : The Movie, although her scenes were cut from the film and was let go when Fitzpatrick recovered from her surgery and returned to the film. In January 2007 she and her son, August, appeared in a Got Milk ? advertisement. Law & Order : Special Victims Unit Hargitay on set of season 12 of Law & Order : SVU in August 2010 Casting for the lead characters of NBC police procedural television drama series Law & Order : Special Victims Unit occurred in the spring of 1999. Dick Wolf, along with officials from NBC and Studios USA, were at the final auditions for the two leads at Rockefeller Center. The last round had been narrowed down to six finalists. For the female lead -- Detective Olivia Benson -- Samantha Mathis, Reiko Aylesworth, and Hargitay were being considered. For the male role -- Detective Elliot Stabler -- the finalists were Tim Matheson, John Slattery, and Christopher Meloni. Meloni and Hargitay had auditioned in the final round together and after the actors left, there was a moment of dead silence, after which Wolf blurted out, `` Oh well. There 's no doubt who we should choose -- Hargitay and Meloni. '' The duo, who Wolf believed had the perfect chemistry from the first time he saw them together, were his first choice. Garth Ancier, then head of NBC Entertainment, agreed, and the rest of the panel assembled voiced their assent. Hargitay trained as a rape crisis advocate to prepare for the role of Benson. During the last months of her pregnancy in 2006, she took maternity leave from SVU, and was temporarily replaced by Connie Nielsen. In May 2009, after the show 's tenth season, Hargitay and Meloni 's contracts expired when they were reportedly making $375,000 -- $385,000 per episode. During negotiations in April for a new contract, the duo attempted to receive a percentage of the show 's profits as other high - profile Law and Order actors had done in the past. It was rumored that NBC threatened to replace Hargitay and Meloni if they persisted in their demands. However, two months later it was officially reported that both their contracts had been renewed for two more years. When the thirteenth season was about to air, initial reports indicated that Hargitay would appear in only the first 13 episodes. However, NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt later clarified that she would be in every episode of the season. As of August 2012, Hargitay was earning approximately $400,000 -- $500,000 per episode. Personal Life Hargitay in May 2007 Hargitay speaks five languages : English, French, Hungarian, Spanish, and Italian. On August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, Hargitay married Peter Hermann, an actor whom she met on the set of Law & Order : SVU, on which he plays the recurring role of Defense Attorney Trevor Langan. On June 28, 2006, Hargitay gave birth to their son, August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, by an emergency caesarean section. In April 2011, she and her husband adopted Amaya Josephine and attended her birth. In October 2011, she and her husband adopted a baby boy, Andrew Nicolas Hargitay Hermann, who had been born in mid-2011. Upon winning her Emmy on August 27, 2006, Hargitay made a point of thanking her father. On September 14, 2006, her father died from multiple myeloma in Los Angeles, California, at age 80. Health problems In late December 2008, Hargitay suffered a partially collapsed lung after taking a fall during a stunt on the set of SVU. She underwent surgery in January and returned to work shortly afterward. On March 3, 2009, she was hospitalized after suffering chest pains related to the injury. She missed one episode on SVU 's tenth season. Charity work Hargitay reading Oh ! The Places You 'll Go ! by Dr. Seuss at the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll Hargitay is founder and president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization established in 2004 to provide support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. According to Hargitay, she was inspired by an encounter with a school of dolphins that surrounded her while she was swimming off the coast of Hawaii at the age of 15. The encounter, which had ignited profound spiritual feelings within her, was one that Hargitay hoped to share with others. As of November 2010, the Joyful Heart Foundation has sent over 5,000 women and children on therapeutic programs in New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, which combine yoga, meditation, massage, journaling, and swimming with dolphins. Hargitay said, I started getting fan mail from survivors who felt a connection to Olivia. In many of these letters, people would disclose their personal stories of abuse -- some for the very first time. I remember getting the sense that many were living in isolation with so much shame, but the shame belonged to the perpetrators. I wanted to help find a way to help people reclaim their lives and live them with a renewed sense of possibility and hope. And that 's what we work to do every day at Joyful Heart. According to Hargitay, the Foundation has raised $20 million and helped approximately 5,000 survivors as of April 2011. Reference to the Joyful Heart Foundation was worked into episodes of Special Victims Unit, via a necklace containing two pendants representing the Foundation that Hargitay 's character began wearing in the show 's 13th season. Hargitay has worked with Michigan Police and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to raise awareness about the statistics of untested rape kits. While planning to produce a documentary called Shelved, about the thousands of untested rape kits, Hargitay call this lack of testing `` the clearest and most shocking demonstration of how we regard these crimes in our country. Hargitay appeared in the 17th season of NBC 's The More You Know public service announcements in 2006, and again in the spring of 2009. She is an honorary board member director of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. On September 27, 2011, Hargitay donated $100,000 to her alma mater, the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television for scholarship. In 2012, Hargitay campaigned for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act ( VAWA ). On February 17, 2012, Hargitay made a donation of $35,800 to the Obama Victory Fund, the maximum individual contribution allowed by law at the time. Filmography Television Year Title Role Notes 1986 Downtown Jesse Smith 14 episodes 1988 In the Heat of the Night Audine Higgs Episode : ``... And Then You Die '' 1988 Freddy 's Nightmares Marsha Wildmon Episode : `` Freddy 's Tricks and Treats '' 1988 Falcon Crest Carly Fixx 15 episodes 1989 Finish Line Lisa Karsh Television film 1989 Baywatch Lisa Peters Episode : `` Second Wave '' 1990 Wiseguy Debbie Vitale Episode : `` Romp '' 1990 thirtysomething Courtney Dunn Episode : `` Fathers and Lovers '' 1990 Booker Michelle Larkina Episode : `` Black Diamond Run '' 1990 Gabriel 's Fire Carmen Episode : `` Windows '' 1991 `` Adam - 12 ( 1990 TV series ) '' Michelle Brown Episode : `` Anatomy of a rape '' 1992 Tequila and Bonetti Officer Angela Garcia 11 episodes 1992 Grapevine Katie Episode : `` The Katie and Adam Story '' 1993 Hotel Room Diane Episode : `` Getting Rid of Robert '' Episode : `` Blackout '' 1993 Blind Side Melanie Television film 1993 Key West Laurel Episode : `` Less Moonlight '' 1993 Seinfeld Melissa Shannon Episode : `` The Pilot '' Gambler V : Playing for Keeps Etta Place Television film 1995 All - American Girl Jane Episode : `` Young Americans '' 1995 -- 96 Ca n't Hurry Love Didi Edelstein 19 episodes Ellen Dara Episode : `` The Mugging '' Single Guy, The The Single Guy Kate Conklin / The Mounted Cop Episode : `` Mounted Cop '' Episode : `` Kept Man '' Episode : `` The Virgin '' 1997 Night Sins Paige Price Television film 1997 Prince Street Det. Nina Echeverria 6 episodes 1997 Cracker Det. Penny Hatfield Episode : `` True Romance 1 '' 1997 The Advocate 's Devil Rendi Television film 1997 -- 98 ER Cynthia Hooper 13 episodes 1999 Love, American Style Wendy Segment : `` Love And The Blind Date '' 1999 -- present Law & Order : Special Victims Unit Detective / Sergeant / Lieutenant Olivia Benson 410 episodes 2000, 2005 Law & Order Detective Olivia Benson Episode : `` Entitled '' Episode : `` Fools For Love '' Episode : `` Flaw '' Plain Truth Ellie Harrison Television film 2005 Law & Order : Trial by Jury Detective Olivia Benson Episode : `` Day '' Kathy Griffin : My Life on the D - List Herself Episode : `` Kathy with a Z '' 2011 Barefoot Contessa Herself Episode : `` Sweet Charity '' 2014 -- 16 Chicago P.D. Sergeant / Lieutenant Olivia Benson Episode : `` They 'll Have to Go Through Me '' Episode : `` The Number of Rats '' Episode : `` The Song of Gregory Williams Yates '' 2015 Chicago Fire Episode : `` We Called Her Jellybean '' 2015 The Jim Gaffigan Show Herself Episode : `` Maria '' 2017 Nightcap Herself Episode : `` Guest in a Snake '' Film Hargitay attending the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 21, 2008. She received eight consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations from 2004 to 2011, winning once in 2006. Year Title Role Notes 1985 Ghoulies Donna 1986 Welcome to 18 Joey Jocks Nicole 1988 Mr. Universe Herself ( Mickey Hargitay 's daughter ) 1991 Hard Time Romance Anita 1991 Perfect Weapon, The The Perfect Weapon Jennifer 1991 Strawberry Road Jill Banner 1993 Bank Robber Marisa Benoit 1995 Leaving Las Vegas Hooker at Bar 1999 Lake Placid Myra Okubo Perfume Darcy ( as Marishka Hargitay ) 2006 Tales from Earthsea Tenar Voice 2008 Love Guru, The The Love Guru Herself Cameo Video games Year Title Role Notes 2005 True Crime : New York City Deena Dixon Voice Director Year Title Episodes 2014 -- Law & Order : Special Victims Unit Criminal Stories ( 2014 ) Padre Sandunguero ( 2015 ) A Misunderstanding ( 2016 ) Sheltered Outcasts ( 2016 ) Motherly Love ( 2017 ) Producer Year Title Notes 2014 -- present Law & Order : Special Victims Unit seasons 15, 16, 17, 18 2017 I am Evidence Music videos Year Title Artist Role Ref 1984 `` She Loves My Car '' Ronnie Milsap 2015 `` Bad Blood '' Taylor Swift Justice Awards and accolades Hargitay won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role as Detective Olivia Benson. She received UCLA 's TFT Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011 and was honored at the school 's June commencement ceremony. Hargitay was awarded with the 2,511 th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 8, 2013. Her star is placed next to the star of her mother, which is located at 6328 Hollywood Boulevard. All award and nominations are for the television show Law & Order : Special Victims Unit, except for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, won by Taylor Swift and all of the celebrities that appeared in the music video for her song `` Bad Blood ''. Year Award Result 2000 Satellite Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Drama Nominated Viewers for Quality Television Awards Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series Nominated TV Guide Award Favorite Actress in a New Series Nominated Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated Gracie Allen Awards Individual Achievement for Best Female Lead - Drama - Series Won Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated 2005 Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama Won Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Won 2007 TV Land Awards Favorite Lady Gumshoe Nominated Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated 2008 Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated People 's Choice Awards Favorite Female TV Star Nominated Gracie Allen Awards Outstanding Female Lead - Drama Series Won Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama Nominated Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated People 's Choice Awards Favorite TV Drama Actress Nominated 2011 People 's Choice Awards Favorite TV Crime Fighter Nominated Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated 2012 Muse Awards New York Women in Film & Television Won TV Guide Award Favorite Actress Nominated 2013 Star on the Walk of Fame Television Won 2014 People 's Choice Awards People 's Choice for Best Dramatic Actress Nominated Gracie Allen Awards Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama Won TV Guide Award Favorite Actress Nominated 2015 People 's Choice Awards Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress Nominated MTV Video Music Award Video of the Year Won 2016 People 's Choice Awards Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress Nominated 2017 People 's Choice Awards Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress Nominated Gracie Awards Actress in a Leading Role - Drama Won Notes ^ Jump up to : `` Mariska Hargitay Biography ''. Encyclopedia of Biography. 2006. Jump up ^ `` Focus Forum ''. The Times - Picayune. Advance Publications. October 1, 1995. p. T14. Jump up ^ Inside the Actors Studio : Mariska Hargitay ( television production ). The Actors Studio. September 22, 2014. Mariska says her own first name and the name of her father ; the interviewer, James Lipton, also says her full name near the start of the show. Jump up ^ `` Jayne shows new baby ''. The Cumberland News. Cumberland, Maryland. January 25, 1964. Retrieved November 27, 2016. Jump up ^ A. Keeps, David ( December 10, 1998 ). `` Mariska Hargitay : Staying Sane When Life Is Moving Fast ''. Annie Daly. Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2010. Though she was raised Catholic and has a very strong faith, Hargitay calls herself a Christian who does n't go to church every Sunday. Jump up ^ Graydon, Carter E. ( June 7, 1982 ). `` People : Jun. 7, 1982 ''. Time. Time Inc. p. 2. Jump up ^ Woliman Rusoff, Jane ( February 14, 2001 ). `` Jayne 's little girl kicks on ''. Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times : H10. ^ Jump up to : Graydon, Carter E. ( June 7, 1982 ). `` People : Jun. 7, 1982 ''. Time. Time Inc. p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Bruin Life 1983, The Yearbook at UCLA ''. University of California, Los Angeles. Internet Archive. 1983. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2009. Jump up ^ `` NOTABLE ALUMNI ACTORS ''. UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Retrieved September 29, 2014. Jump up ^ Virtel, Louis ( March 4, 2010 ). `` Was Kathy Griffin 's Censored SVU Scene Payback from an Injured Mariska Hargitay ? ''. Movieline. PMC. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Gladstone, Mark ( January 10, 1983 ). `` New Rules Make Runner - up in Beauty Contest a Winner '' ( PDF ). Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 23, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Buck, Jerry ( January 7, 1988 ). `` Mariska Hargitay Joins ' Falcon Crest ' Cast ''. Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. p. 4. ^ Jump up to : Mills, Bart ( August 12, 1986 ). `` Hargitay goes ` Downtown ' ''. Daily Breeze : C1. Jump up ^ `` Interview with David Yost Part 2 ''. Anime Festival Orlando 2010. YouTube. Augusta 25, 2010. accessed August 10, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The hottest mom in Hollywood ''. Self. No. January 2007. Condé Nast Publications. January 1, 2007. pp. 24 -- 25. Archived from the original on February 22, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2010. Jump up ^ Green, Susan ; Dawn, Randee ( 2009 ). Law & Order : Special Victims Unit Unofficial Companion. BenBella Books, Inc. p. 11. ISBN 978 - 1 - 933771 - 88 - 5. ^ Jump up to : Oglethorpe, Alice. `` Real American Heroes '' Shape, November 2010, Page 186 Jump up ^ Silverman, Stephen ( January 25, 2006 ). `` Maternity Leave Looms for Mariska Hargitay ''. People. Time Inc. Retrieved January 24, 2010. Jump up ^ `` SVU `` Replaces '' Benson ``. TV Guide. February 1, 2006. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2010. Jump up ^ Schneider, Michael ( June 29, 2009 ). `` Meloni, Hargitay seal deal with ' SVU ' ''. Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Martin, Denise ( June 29, 2009 ). `` ' Law & Order : SVU ' stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay sign on for two more years ''. Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2010. Jump up ^ Ausiello, Michael ( April 8, 2009 ). `` ' SVU ' exclusive : NBC to replace Chris and Mariska ? ! ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2010. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( May 14, 2011 ). `` Law & Order : SVU Scoop : Hargitay Inks New Deal, Jennifer Love Hewitt May Succeed Her ''. TVLine. PMC. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011. Jump up ^ Porter, Rick ( August 1, 2011 ). `` ' Law & Order : SVU ' : Mariska Hargitay is n't going anywhere, NBC chief says ''. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Battaglio, Stephen ; Schneider, Michael ( August 26, 2013 ). `` What They Earn ''. TV Guide. pp. 16 - 20. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Lesley ( April 20, 2012 ). `` ' Law & Order : SVU ' Star Mariska Hargitay Inks New Deal With Universal Television ( Exclusive ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 20, 2012. Jump up ^ Diaz, Johnny ( November 13, 2005 ). `` Speaking volumes : Use of Spanish booms on network programs ''. The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company : N1. Archived from the original on June 21, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Law & Order 's Mariska Hargitay Gets Married ''. People. Time Inc. September 2, 2004. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Ravitz, Justin ( October 19, 2011 ). `` Mariska Hargitay Adopts For Second Time in Six Months : New Details ''. Us Weekly. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2011. Jump up ^ Masterson, Lawrie ( September 17, 2007 ). `` Mum 's the word for Mariska ''. Sunday Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times : X06. Jump up ^ Kimpton, Roger ( Summer 2010 ). `` Hollywood on the Palisades ''. Palisade : 13. Jump up ^ Triggs, Charlotte ( April 6, 2011 ). `` Mariska Hargitay Adopts a Baby ''. People. Time Inc. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2011. Jump up ^ Hubbard, Amy ( October 19, 2011 ). `` Mariska Hargitay adopts second baby in 6 months : Give ' em an ' A ' ''. Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011. Jump up ^ Triggs, Charlotte ( October 19, 2011 ). `` Mariska Hargitay Adopts Son Andrew Nicolas ''. People. Time Inc. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Mariska Hargitay ''. Television Academy. Retrieved February 23, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Biography for Mariska Hargitay ''. Turner Classic Movies. Time Warner. Retrieved January 25, 2010. Jump up ^ Bonawitz, Amy ( September 19, 2006 ). `` Actor Mickey Hargitay Dead At 80 ''. CBS News. CBS Corporation. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2006. Jump up ^ McLellan, Dennis ( September 20, 2006 ), `` Bodybuilder - actor Mickey Hargitay dies '', Bangor Daily News, p. 25, retrieved January 25, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Mariska Hargitay Says `` Stunt '' Led to Partially Collapsed Lung ``. TVGuide. OpenGate Capital. May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Mariska Hargitay hospitalized for chest pains ''. Access Hollywood. March 4, 2009. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2009 -- via Today. Jump up ^ Dos Santos, Kristin ; Megan Masters ( March 16, 2009 ). `` Exclusive ! SVU Boss : Mariska Hargitay Will Be Back This Season ''. E ! Online. Comcast. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2009. Jump up ^ Martin, Crystal. `` Behind the Scenes with Mariska Hargitay ''. Redbook. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The Guide : What 's Worth Watching ''. TV Guide : 8. July 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Ross, Robyn ( February 19, 2010 ). `` SVU 's Mariska Hargitay Helps Trauma Survivors On - Screen and Off ''. TV Guide. Lionsgate. Archived from the original on February 23, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010. Jump up ^ Sonia Harmon, Kate Meyers and Susan Pocharski. `` Ladies Who Give Back '', Ladies ' Home Journal ( April 2011 ), pages 84 -- 85 Jump up ^ Keck, William. `` Ask Keck ''. TV Guide. November 7, 2011. Page 10. Jump up ^ `` 100 serial rapists identified by DNA among ignored rape kits ''. Russia Today. March 13, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` NBC Universal 's `` The More You Know '' Launches Its 17th Season of Public Service Announcements with new Theme, New Look and New Faces '' ( PDF ). The More You Know. NBC Universal. December 16, 2005. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on July 3, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The More You Know ''. The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011. Jump up ^ `` MMRF Honorary Board of Directors ''. 2007. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Goldberg, Lesley ( September 27, 2011 ). `` ' Law & Order : SVU 's ' Mariska Hargitay Donates $100,000 to UCLA ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2011. Jump up ^ Hargitay, Mariska ( April 26, 2012 ). `` Violence Against Women Act Helps Restore Lives ''. The Huffington Post Jump up ^ `` Mariska Hargitay Political Campaign Contributions 2012 Election Cycle ''. CampaginMoney.com. Retrieved December 21, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The surreal music - video masterpiece in Mariska Hargitay 's past ''. the Bleader. Retrieved May 7, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Taylor Swift 's ' Bad Blood ' Video : Cindy Crawford, Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo Posters REVEALED ( SEE PICS ) ''. Fashion & Style. Retrieved May 16, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Mariska Hargitay to join mum on Hollywood Walk of Fame ''. Hollywood.com. November 1, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` All stars of the Bad Blod music video to win a Moon Man award ''. Instagram.com. November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015. References D'Arminio, Aubry. Mariska Hargitay Biography. Allrovi ( All Media Guide ). Circa 2007. Accessed January 24, 2010. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mariska Hargitay. Official website Joyful Heart Foundation, founded by Hargitay Mariska Hargitay on IMDb Awards for Mariska Hargitay Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Television Series Drama Linda Cristal ( 1969 ) Peggy Lipton ( 1970 ) Patricia Neal ( 1971 ) Gail Fisher ( 1972 ) Lee Remick ( 1973 ) Angie Dickinson ( 1974 ) Lee Remick ( 1975 ) Susan Blakely ( 1976 ) Lesley Ann Warren ( 1977 ) Rosemary Harris ( 1978 ) Natalie Wood ( 1979 ) Yoko Shimada ( 1980 ) Linda Evans / Barbara Bel Geddes ( 1981 ) Joan Collins ( 1982 ) Jane Wyman ( 1983 ) Angela Lansbury ( 1984 ) Sharon Gless ( 1985 ) Angela Lansbury ( 1986 ) Susan Dey ( 1987 ) Jill Eikenberry ( 1988 ) Angela Lansbury ( 1989 ) Sharon Gless / Patricia Wettig ( 1990 ) Angela Lansbury ( 1991 ) Regina Taylor ( 1992 ) Kathy Baker ( 1993 ) Claire Danes ( 1994 ) Jane Seymour ( 1995 ) Gillian Anderson ( 1996 ) Christine Lahti ( 1997 ) Keri Russell ( 1998 ) Edie Falco ( 1999 ) Sela Ward ( 2000 ) Jennifer Garner ( 2001 ) Edie Falco ( 2002 ) Frances Conroy ( 2003 ) Mariska Hargitay ( 2004 ) Geena Davis ( 2005 ) Kyra Sedgwick ( 2006 ) Glenn Close ( 2007 ) Anna Paquin ( 2008 ) Julianna Margulies ( 2009 ) Katey Sagal ( 2010 ) Claire Danes ( 2011 ) Claire Danes ( 2012 ) Robin Wright ( 2013 ) Ruth Wilson ( 2014 ) Taraji P. Henson ( 2015 ) Claire Foy ( 2016 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Helen Hayes ( 1952 ) Loretta Young ( 1954 ) Loretta Young ( 1956 ) Loretta Young ( 1959 ) Barbara Stanwyck ( 1961 ) Barbara Stanwyck ( 1966 ) Barbara Bain ( 1967 ) Barbara Bain ( 1968 ) Barbara Bain ( 1969 ) Susan Hampshire ( 1970 ) Susan Hampshire ( 1971 ) Glenda Jackson ( 1972 ) Michael Learned ( 1973 ) Michael Learned ( 1974 ) Jean Marsh ( 1975 ) Michael Learned ( 1976 ) Lindsay Wagner ( 1977 ) Sada Thompson ( 1978 ) Mariette Hartley ( 1979 ) Barbara Bel Geddes ( 1980 ) Barbara Babcock ( 1981 ) Michael Learned ( 1982 ) Tyne Daly ( 1983 ) Tyne Daly ( 1984 ) Tyne Daly ( 1985 ) Sharon Gless ( 1986 ) Sharon Gless ( 1987 ) Tyne Daly ( 1988 ) Dana Delany ( 1989 ) Patricia Wettig ( 1990 ) Patricia Wettig ( 1991 ) Dana Delany ( 1992 ) Kathy Baker ( 1993 ) Sela Ward ( 1994 ) Kathy Baker ( 1995 ) Kathy Baker ( 1996 ) Gillian Anderson ( 1997 ) Christine Lahti ( 1998 ) Edie Falco ( 1999 ) Sela Ward ( 2000 ) Edie Falco ( 2001 ) Allison Janney ( 2002 ) Edie Falco ( 2003 ) Allison Janney ( 2004 ) Patricia Arquette ( 2005 ) Mariska Hargitay ( 2006 ) Sally Field ( 2007 ) Glenn Close ( 2008 ) Glenn Close ( 2009 ) Kyra Sedgwick ( 2010 ) Julianna Margulies ( 2011 ) Claire Danes ( 2012 ) Claire Danes ( 2013 ) Julianna Margulies ( 2014 ) Viola Davis ( 2015 ) Tatiana Maslany ( 2016 ) Elisabeth Moss ( 2017 ) VIAF : 61756676 LCCN : nr2002001211 ISNI : 0000 0001 1473 6009 BNF : cb14185376t ( data ) NKC : xx0151924 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mariska_Hargitay&oldid=801033483 '' Categories : 1964 births 20th - century American actresses 21st - century American actresses Activists from California Actresses from Santa Monica, California American film actresses American humanitarians American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Hungarian descent American Roman Catholics American television actresses American television directors Best Drama Actress Golden Globe ( television ) winners Living people Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners UCLA Film School alumni Sexual abuse victims activists Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from November 2016 Biography with signature Articles with hCards All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from May 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Bân - lâm - gú Български Čeština Corsu Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano עברית Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 07 : 49. 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Question: who plays olivia benson in law and order
Answer: Mariska Magdolna Hargitay