Mariska Hargitay Father and Mom: She is the daughter of Mr. Mickey Hargitay and his former wife Jayne Mansfield. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype. Now I understand the love she had in her, and it makes me feel closer to her. "She's with me still. Mariska Hargitay was in the 1967 car accident that tragically killed her mother, '50s- and '60s-era blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield, as well as the 19-year-old driver, Ronald B. Harrison, and Mansfield's lawyer and then-boyfriend, Samuel S. Brody. But success didn't come easily for her. This content is imported from Instagram. Actress Mariska Hargitay has starred on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999. So were Mansfield's other two children from her marriage to ex-husband and former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay. Her father is a well known bodybuilder and actor while her mother is actress and model. ", A post shared by Mariska Hargitay (@therealmariskahargitay), But, as the actress said to Closer Weekly in August, those kinds of comparisons weren't always easy to hear. “But I got to say goodbye, and I remember it was very calm, and he just looked at me and he said, ‘Mariska… Always.’ I was the most like him, and the gift that I got, in addition to being able to say goodbye, was knowing that he was in me. ", The mother and daughter also share an uncanny resemblance. If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: Mariska Hargitay Remembers Her Famous Mom: 'All I Have to Do Is Look in the Mirror'. The car had been traveling from Biloxi, Mississippi, to New Orleans, where Mansfield was to appear on television. Mariska Hargitay was a toddler when her mom Jayne Mansfield died in a tragic car accident. Mariska became an actress best known for her role as Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Mariska Hargitay was in the 1967 car accident that tragically killed her mother, '50s- and '60s-era blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield, as well as the 19-year-old driver, Ronald B. Harrison, and Mansfield's lawyer and then-boyfriend, Samuel S. Brody. Long before there was Pamela Anderson, there was Jayne Mansfield. Mariska Hargitay -- TV's favorite cop -- on managing tricky marriage moments, ignoring her son's bedtime -- and staying safe and sane when life is moving a little too fast. It did not take long for people to see the strong resemblance between mother and daughter. Country Living participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Country Living editors select each product featured. After her mother’s death, Hargitay was raised in Los Angeles by her dad, former Mr. Universe bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, and her stepmother, Ellen, along with two brothers and three half siblings. That really gave fans the chance to see Hargitay’s strong resemblance to her mother. "I used to hate constant references to my mom because I wanted to be known for myself. Watch the full episode of PEOPLE Cover Story: Mariska Hargitay, streaming now on PeopleTV. Mariska Hargitay Age: She has recently celebrated her 53 rd birthday on 23 rd January in 2017. Victoria Will. "Being a wife and mother is my life, and that gives me the most joy," Hargitay continued to Closer Weekly. I understand the journey of life. Like many other working moms, there are times when her job requires her to travel. Bettmann/Getty, | Mariska Hargitay reveals how she coped with the loss of her mother It's been over 50 years since Mariska Hargitay's mother's tragic death. Although the mother of three was only 3-year-old at the time and had no memory of her mother, it has not deterred her from keeping Mansfield memory live. Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more. “My dad taught me to listen and to learn,” she reflects. Now, she's speaking out about what it was like to lose her mom. "I understand [my mother] in a new way that gives me peace. Her father, Mickey Hargitay, was a Hungarian-born actor and one-time Mr. Universe winner (Mr. Universe, now called Universe Championships, is an international bodybuilding competition). Get push notifications with news, features and more. Mariska Hargitay is a married woman. Now I do feel that he’s with me. “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 says, tearing up a little. Mariska Hargitay Shared a Sweet Photo of Her Mom, How Mariska Hargitay Balances Work With Family, Walker Hayes Opens Up About His Daughter's Death, 35 TV Shows Moms and Daughters Should Binge Watch, Radio Host Delilah Opens Up About Her Son's Death. In June 1967, Mariska and her brothers Zoltan and Mickey Jr. were in the back seat of a car when it was involved in the fatal accident which killed her mother. Having kids (August, Amaya, and Andrew, whom she shares with husband Peter Hermann), she said, has helped her heal. Losing my mother at such a young age is the scar of my soul. Andrew, 8, Amaya, 8½, and August, 13, were all along for the ride with mom Mariska Hargitay and dad Peter Hermann at the Big Apple Circus on Sunday There are shells and books and family photos, including some of Mariska's famous actress mother, Jayne Mansfield, and her father, Mickey Hargitay, a former Mr. Universe. Today, the actress is a proud parent herself: She and husband Peter Hermann, 50, currently starring on TVLand’s Younger, share sons August, 11, Andrew, 6, and daughter Amaya, 7. Hargitay, who is the daughter of a famed actress and one of the early Playboy Playmates, Jayne Mansfield, says that grief is now a part of her. So were Mansfield's other two children from her marriage to ex-husband and former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay. Find out what your cat is trying to tell you with a new cat app, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, Engineer Creates App To Translate Your Cat, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, Sean Connery's Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After He Dies at Age 90. ", The Emmy award-winning actress and Joyful Heart Foundation founder said something similar to Redbook in 2009, adding, "But I feel like it ultimately made me into the person I am today.