Mariska Hargitay Wears Pink Dress In Honor Of 'Glamorous' Mother Jayne Mansfield

Nov 12, 2021 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," which has surpassed its 500th episode. 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 Mariska has a visible scar on the side of her head. We can only imagine how traumatizing it was to witness the accident first-hand. But 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. Read on to learn more about her touching tribute to Mansfield. 

Jayne Mansfield was born Vera Jayne Palmer on April 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." It was in this role that Hargitay's strong resemblance to her mother became apparent. Even Hargitay herself brought the fact to light with some beautiful photos she shared of her iconic mother. 

Hargitay, who is now 57, 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." 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.

apost.com

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.

Mansfield famously adored the color pink, and Hargitay kept her memory alive by choosing to wear the pink Valentino gown. Her mother was known for her popular estate, the Pink Palace, which was covered by Architectural Digest. They wrote:

"Mansfield's favorite color had been pink ever since she was a little girl in Dallas. Accordingly, the house, previously unexceptional in white stucco, was repainted in a pink mixed with a generous salting of quartz grains that sparkled in the southern California sun."

Hargitay was honored with an award during the ceremony and mentioned her mother during her acceptance speech, Today reports. 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.

She would be 88 now, and I think she would have liked this evening very much. I also think that she knows more now than when she died. She is here with us, and she is here with me, sitting with us and sitting with me, and I am so happy and grateful that we get to learn these things together."

Jayne Mansfield's legacy lives on through her daughter. Do you think the pair look alike? Share this story with any film fans you know!