Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay (born January 23, 1964) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award- winning American actress, best known for her role as Detectove. Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In 1982, Mariska Hargitay was crowned "Miss Beverly Hills USA", and was fourth runner up at the 'Miss California USA Pageant' in Oxnard. She made her screen debut with a small role in Star 80, a Mariel Hemingway feature film about the murdered Playboy centerfold Dorothy Stratten. Within a few years she had landed recurring roles in the television series Downtown and Falcon Crest, in which she played the character Carly Fixx. She portrayed police officer Angela Garcia in the 1992 series Tequila & 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 Can't Hurry Love, which starred Nancy McKeon. In 1997, Hargitay played detective Nina Echeverria on the dramatic series Prince Street, and had a recurring role as Cynthia Hooper during the fourth season of ER.

Mariska 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, JoJo's Circus, 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 ("Hooker in Bar") in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, and briefly replaced Gabrielle Fitzpatrick in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, though the footage was deemed unusable.

Since 1999, Mariska Hargitay has portrayed Det. Olivia Benson, the female lead in the drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. " As a woman, it’s gratifying to play such a multilayered part," she stated on her official website. "Olivia is not only a competent, street-smart cop, she’s also an empathetic woman who can respond emotionally to victims of terrible crimes without compromising her professionalism." As a result of her casting, Hargitay has been named as the "highest paid TV actress" working today in the Guinness Book of World Records 2008 Edition.

Mariska Hargitay speaks Hungarian, French and Italian as well as English. On August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, she married Peter Hermann, an actor and writer who has often appeared on SVU as Defense Attorney Trevor Langan. On June 28, 2006, Hargitay gave birth to August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, by caesarean section. During the last months of her pregnancy, she took maternity leave from SVU, and was temporarily replaced by Connie Nielsen.

Upon winning her Emmy on August 27, 2006, Hargitay made a point of thanking her father for everything he had done for her in her life. Just 17 days later, on September 14, 2006, her father died from multiple myeloma in Los Angeles, California, aged 80.

Mariska Hargitay co-founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that provides support to women who have been sexually assaulted. The Foundation is a proponent of the idea that swimming with dolphins promotes healing after major psychological traumas such as rape, and has provided this opportunity for many victims.

Hargitay also has worked with the Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program; NBC's “The More You Know” campaign; Safe Horizon; Santa Monica Rape Crisis Treatment Center; Project ALS; Girl Scouts of the USA; and the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. She appeared with her baby, August, in a Got Milk? ad in January 2007.

Hargitay launched her clothing line XO,M on her official website Mariska.com, in October 2007.