Mariska Hargitay, the actress, was conceived by two stunning individuals. But even as a young girl, she doubted her own attractiveness.
Fans criticized her weight gain and eventually accused her of plastic surgery because of how much her figure had altered since she had her baby.
She eventually learned to love her curves, and now, at age 59, she continues to stun audiences with her stunning appearance.
For those who have been following the long-running TV series ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’
the name Mariska Hargitay will be familiar. Her role as Olivia Benson, a detective who looks into cases of sex crimes, child victimization,
and domestic abuse, made her a household name and propelled her into the pantheon of Hollywood’s elite.
Since the first episode of the criminal drama in 1999, she has played the role with empathy and passion, and it is this performance that has catapulted her to stardom.
Yet, it’s only one of her many acting gigs on the small screen. Appearances in ‘Plain Truth,’ ‘The Perfect Weapon,’ and ’I Am Evidence» are a few others.
The Emmy, several Gracie Allen Awards, the People’s Choice Award, and the Muse Award are just a few of the honors she has received.
There have been a lot of other awards she could have won, but she has been nominated for many others over the years because of her unparalleled impact on the cinema business.
The beginning and the fame
Although many performers come to realize their talent at a young age, Hargitay was never interested in performing.
She was born into a renowned family, though, since both her father Mickey Hargitay (a bodybuilder) and her mother Jayne Mansfield (a screen siren) were prominent figures in Hollywood.
Needless to say, she had a guaranteed route to success in Hollywood even before she decided on a career choice.
She was placed in the care of her father and stepmother, Ellen Siano, after the tragic death of her mother when she was just three years old.
It helped that she was raised in Hollywood, which opened doors for her career in the entertainment industry.
She entered the Miss California USA pageant and made her film debut during her senior year of high school.
When she finished high school, she went to the University of California to learn improv before trying her hand at acting.
She then went on to star as Jesse Smith in ‘Downtown’ and Donna in ‘Ghoulies’ (1985), both of which catapulted her to fame.
The actress, like many young actors of the time, struggled with a lack of confidence despite her early success as
a beauty queen and her evident beauty and talent. Because of this, she encountered widespread hostility from the movie business.
She had to wait for a while before landing substantial roles, but once she did, she soared. The roles of
Didi Edelstein in ‘Can’t Hurry Love,’ Lisa Peters on ‘Baywatch,’ and Carly Fixx on ‘Falcon Crest’ were just the beginning of her TV career.
In 1997, she landed a recurring role in the hit medical drama ER, which catapulted her to stardom and cemented
her place as one of television’s most sought-after dramatic actresses. Soon after, she was cast as Olivia Benson on ‘Law & Order: SVU.»’
Her role proved to be her most fruitful, and she now holds the record for the longest run of any TV character played by the same performer.
The actress has also guest-starred on Law & Order spin-offs such ‘Trial by Jury,’ ‘Organized Crime,’ and ‘Chicago P.D.’
She has garnered a slew of accolades for her work on ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series,
the Glamour Woman of the Year Award, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance. Yet she has even more for which to be grateful; she also found true love on the show.
Peter Hermann, who plays defense attorney Trevor Langan on ‘Younger,’ and Hargitay met when he appeared as a guest star on the show.
They struck it off right away, tied the knot on August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, and are now the proud parents of three lovely children, two of whom they adopted.
During her pregnancy, fans criticized her for the weight she gained.
When Hargitay and Hermann tied the knot, she was well into her forties. Knowing that she would soon be a mother was a pleasant surprise for her,
as she had always wanted children. She was overcome with happiness. From what she could remember, she said:
‘I think I was the only person who desperately wanted to become pregnant. I started wearing maternity
jeans the moment I knew I was pregnant. And yes, I was very excited that my stomach had completely flattened.’
The actress’s pregnancy, however, did not go without its share of difficulties. In an effort to cope with the stress of her 15 days of filming and the physical changes she was experiencing,
she turned to food. She reveals that she was unable to cope with her extreme fatigue until she started eating again.
In addition to the attention-grabbing mermaid tail, the long sleeves and subtly flared shoulders of the dress emphasized her hourglass form.
She developed gestational diabetes and gained 54 pounds by the third trimester. To make matters worse, she was unable to move about much in the later stages of her pregnancy.
She overate since she felt responsible for ensuring her newborn had sufficient amounts of all nutrients.
Because of the baby’s big size during birth, the actress needed a quick C-section. Despite the difficulties, on June 28, 2016, she and her husband became the proud parents of a baby boy named August.
Getting back into shape after giving birth was challenging for me, as it is for many new mothers. Hargitay hired trainer Jay Wright to help her get back into shape after having a baby.
She also lost weight due to a change in her diet she made while breastfeeding. But she claims it had nothing to do with her appearance.
She casually embraced childbirth and its many perks, including the accompanying pouch in her abdominal region. From what she could remember, she said:
‘My C-section left me with a pouch on my belly that has just recently begun to fade, but I’ll take it as a badge of honor anyway.
I’m really pleased with it. I finally felt like a part of the in-crowd after becoming a mother.’
Hargitay’s physical appearance has been a source of criticism throughout her career. The actress has been accused
by some of her fans of getting plastic surgery to improve her appearance, something she strongly refutes.
She admitted that she had a negative outlook on plastic surgery at first since her father had a strong aversion to any sort of alteration to the human body, including the use of cosmetics.
Yet as time went on, she realized that ladies had to do what they had to in order to appear their best.
Although she has strong opinions on the subject of plastic surgery, she warns ladies not to overdo it, insisting that the most attractive appearance is a natural one.
She says she fully supports anyone who want to undergo such operations, although she has never done it herself.
She is Confident in Her Curves and Owns Them
Throughout her career, Hargitay had a difficult time due to constant criticism of her physical looks.
She told Ladies Home Journal that others have said she has a huge nose and others have said it’s too little.
Hargitay was born to a mother whose stunning beauty made her a Hollywood icon and a father who deeply cared about how his daughters felt about their bodies,
but she never felt confident in her own attractiveness. She explained that for much of her early twenties, she was subjected to people’s unending rejection of her on the basis of her appearance:
‘Sometimes casting directors would tell me to change my name or tell me that I wasn’t tall enough, pretty enough,
blonde enough, or that my nose was either too wide or too little. So much hostility was expressed.’
Her confidence plummeted to dangerously low levels, and it took her eight years to find a job after she gave up looking. The story, however, did not end there.
Some of her followers also complained that she was ‘growing fat’ on social media. Prior to Hargitay’s weight
gain, she was considered ‘hot’ by one fan. The more she focused on the good, despite the bad, the better things became.
Instead of dwelling on her appearance, she doted on her husband and three beautiful children, and thanked
her lucky stars. ‘I try to concentrate on the person I am rather than the person I am not,’ she says.
Several of her devoted followers also found her new figure to be stunning and were perplexed by reports that she was overweight.
One fan praised Hargitay for her beauty, walk, and undeniable presence whenever she entered a room, while another noted that the actress’s beauty was underrated.
And maybe that’s all she needed: to be accepted. The curvy woman she is today is fiercely confident in her body
and does her best to avoid Hollywood’s idealized standards of beauty. She is proud of her curves since they represent her experience as a mother.
She is confident in her new body and enjoys flaunting it. She wore an outfit to the recent CFDA Fashion Awards that astonished onlookers and fans from afar.
The actress entered, her curvy figure highlighted by a black Christian Siriano bodycon dress. In addition to
the attention-grabbing mermaid tail, the long sleeves and subtly flared shoulders of the dress emphasized her hourglass form.
After nightfall, the ‘Lake Placid’ starlet had her spouse snap a picture of her against the glittering New York City skyline;
in the picture, her silhouetted beauty is a sight to behold. The 59-year-fans old’s gushed about her stunning appearance and wonderful wardrobe in the comments area.
One admirer said that installing a queen in front of New York would make the city even more stunning.
Hargitay has turned her life around after receiving a barrage of criticism about her appearance, and the public is applauding her efforts.
She enjoys her thriving work and takes great pride in caring for her three children, whom she and her devoted husband are raising together.
And yet, despite all the odds that were stacked against her from an early age, she managed to rewrite history and come out on top.
Today, she is a well-known actress with a long list of credits and accolades, the devoted wife of the ‘Goodnight Mommy’ actor, and a nurturing mother to her three young children.
