The Story Of Mariska Hargitay's Troubled Childhood To Becoming A Successful Actress

Feb 10, 2022 by apost team

Mariska Hargitay is an American actress best known for her role as Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” She is the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award. The star is the daughter of Hollywood legend Jayne Mansfield and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay and has been acting since 1984. In 2018, Mariska recalled memories of her mother and honored her memory. 

When Mariska was 3-years-old, she was asleep in the back of the car driving with her mother and siblings when they got into an accident, and the entire top of the car was ripped off. Mansfield was killed instantly while Mariska and her two brothers, Miklos and Zoltan, survived with minor injuries. Mariska still has a zig-zag scar on the side of her head.

Losing her mother so young had a huge impact on Mariska’s life. The actress has shared that experiencing trauma at a young age has made her a more empathetic person and helped her as an actress and as an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse. Mariska founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, which provides care and support for victims of sexual violence.

In 2004, Mariska married Peter Hermann after first meeting him on the set of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Hermann played the recurring character Trevor Langan. The couple welcomed their son August into the world in June of 2006 and adopted their daughter Amaya in 2011. Later that same year, they also adopted a boy named Andrew. Keep reading to hear what the star has to say about being a working mom in Hollywood.

Mariska Hargitay has been through a lot in life. Her father passed away in 2006 from multiple myeloma at the age of 80. In 2018, she sat down with People and shared how she has dealt with loss in the past. Mariska said:

“The way I’ve lived with loss is to lean into it. As the saying goes, the only way out is through. In my life, certainly, I’ve tried to avoid pain, loss, feeling things. But I’ve learned instead to real­ly lean into it because sooner or later you have to pay the piper.”

In spite of all the tragedy, Mariska chooses to remain positive and not lose sight of what truly matters. “I’m not saying it’s easy, and it certainly hasn’t been for me,” she said. “There’s been a lot of darkness. But on the other side things can be so bright.”

The actress has happy memories of her mom and speaks very highly of her, and she is proud of what they have in common. “My mother was this amazing, beautiful, glamor­ous sex symbol — but people didn’t know that she played the violin and had a 160 IQ and had five kids and loved dogs. She was just so ahead of her time. She was an inspiration, she had this appetite for life, and I think I share that with her,” Mariska said.

Mariska doesn’t mind being compared to her mother anymore. She shared, “Someone once said about (remembering) my mother: ‘All you have to do is look in the mirror.’ She’s with me still.”

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Being a working mom is a serious challenge, and finding balance can take time. Mindfulness is something that has helped the star in this area of her life. “It’s hard. I’m not going to say it’s easy, it’s hard. I’m learning to (balance). I try to be super present with where I am. When I’m at work, I’m at work. When I’m with my kids, I’m with my kids,” Mariska shared.

Fortunately, the actress is not alone and has her husband Peter Hermann to help out as well. “I have an incredible support system with my husband. He’s an actor so he also understands,” Mariska said. “I try to keep it organic. The kids come to set all the time. I have worked out my schedule a bit so that I have a little more flexibility. I have a great time behind me.”

Everyone struggles, and Mariska is no different, but luckily she is surrounded by great people who can help. “There are days I go home and just cry. There have been days when I didn’t see my kids. Those are the days I’m, like, ‘Maybe I’m done,’” she said. “But now, this is a gift of doing something for 20 years. We’re such a well-oiled machine. I go in there and I’m like, Guys, I’ve got a kids thing. I’m out.’ They’re like, ‘Got it, boom.’”

No matter how hard it can be, Mariska loves being a parent and wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, she feels that being a mom has made her better at her job. Mariska said: “Being a mother has changed me as an actor — given me greater depth. There are things you can’t understand before you’re a mother. It was a marker for me, a rite of passage.”

Are you a working parent? If so, how do you find balance? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family.