Mariska Hargitay Thanks Her Late ‘Mama’ Jayne Mansfield For Her Supermodel Walk

Nov 10, 2022 by apost team

Legendary Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield rose to fame in the 1950s after starring in films such as "The Girl Can't Help It," " Too Hot to Handle," and "The Wayward Bus." It was not just her acting that propelled her to stardom, though, but her dazzling good looks and alluring charm. She was also a singer and nightclub entertainer.

Mansfield's strong genes and acting prowess have clearly been passed on to her daughter, as Mariska Hargitay greatly resembles her mother and has a natural talent for acting too. She achieved great success on the series "Law and Order: SVU.” The show has been on the air since 1999 and is still making new episodes.

Hargitay had a turbulent start to life when her mother, Mansfield, died in a tragic car accident in 1967 when she was just 34 years old. Hargitay was only 3 years old and sadly was in the vehicle at the time of the incident, along with her brothers Miklós (Mickey Jr.) and Zoltán Hargitay.

Luckily, all three children escaped with minor injuries, although Hargitay has a visible scar on the side of her head. Hargitay survived the accident and the grief and has not let it ruin her life; instead, she has taken her mother's legacy and made it into her own.

In November 2021, Hargitay honored her mother by wearing a bright pink dress to Glamour's Women of the Year Awards. And a year later, she honored her mom again when she showed off her effortless supermodel walk. Read on to learn more about her touching tribute to Mansfield.

Jayne Mansfield was born on Apr. 19, 1933, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Inspired by Shirley Temple, Mansfield took acting, and dance lessons, as reported by Her Moments. She also won various beauty contests, which helped her gain exposure.

Mansfield's career finally took off when she was given a part in the low-budget film "Female Jungle" in 1955. She received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" in 1957. She continued to have roles in films such as "The Burglar" and "Too Hot to Handle," but couldn't shake off her label as "The Poor Man's Marilyn Monroe."

While driving to New Orleans from a nightclub appearance in Mississippi, Mansfield was killed in a car accident when her vehicle collided with the trailer of a tractor. She left behind her five children, Jayne Marie Mansfield, Zoltán, Mariska and Mickey Jr. Hargitay, and Tony Climber.

Mariska Hargitay is best known for starring as Captain Olivia Benson on the NBC drama series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Speaking with Glamour in 2021, Hargitay talked about how she is “so privileged” to be an actress and that she found her “purpose.” She spoke about how her life “has been a journey in healing,” and she would give her younger self the advice, “I would have grabbed that little girl’s hand and said, ‘Everything is going to be OK. Trust me. Trust me. Everything’s going to be OK.’”

It was Hargitay’s role as Olivia that the strong resemblance to her mother became apparent. Hargitay told PEOPLE the resemblance to her mother is an honor and tribute to her and helps her feel as if “she is still with me.” 

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After being compared to her mother for the majority of her life, she has now embraced the similarities. "Someone once said about (remembering) my mother: 'All you have to do is look in the mirror'," she recalled.

The gorgeous Hargitay stood out at Glamour's Women of the Year Awards in November 2021, wearing a bright pink dress, and the connection to her mother's favorite color was no accident. "The pink does have great significance because I'm bringing my mother with me tonight, and she's here. She was one of the most glamorous women in the world, and I just hope that I can do her justice," Hargitay said, according to Today.

Hargitay was honored with an award during the ceremony and mentioned her mother during her acceptance speech, Today reported. She said: 

"We have many pictures of her in our house, and my God, she is just so unbelievably glamorous. But I think that her glamour, her real glamour, the glamour of her luminous, tender, searching heart, was deeper and more beautiful than she ever knew.

In November 2022, Hargitay honored her mom once again by strutting her stuff down a backstage catwalk. Designer Christian Siriano posted a video on his Instagram page with the caption:

“New SUPER MODEL in town and her name is Mariska!!!! Thank you for being my muse tonight at the #cfdaawards @cfda @therealmariskahargitay #janemansfield bammmmm 🖤🖤🖤🖤”

In the video, Hargitay mentioned that she learned how to walk so well thanks to her talented mom. “Your walk is really good,” Siriana told the actress. Hargitay replied, “Well, don’t forget, J.M. was my mama.”

It’s clear that Hargitay will always carry on Mansfield’s legacy.

What do you think about Mariska Hargitay’s words about her late mother? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.