\nToday, January 23, 2025, we celebrate the 61st birthday of Mariska Hargitay, a powerhouse of talent, compassion, and resilience. Best known for her portrayal of Captain Olivia Benson on NBC\u2019s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), Hargitay has spent decades captivating audiences and advocating for important causes. Let\u2019s take a closer look at the remarkable life and career of this legendary actress.\n
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964, in Santa Monica, California, to actress Jayne Mansfield and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay. As the daughter of Hollywood royalty, she was no stranger to the entertainment world, but she forged her own path to stardom through hard work and determination.\n
After graduating from UCLA\u2019s School of Theater, Film, and Television, Hargitay made her acting debut in the 1985 horror film Ghoulies. From there, she appeared in a variety of television shows and films throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, including ER, Seinfeld, and Can\u2019t Hurry Love. However, it was her casting as Detective Olivia Benson in 1999 that would change her life forever.\n
Mariska Hargitay\u2019s role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit catapulted her into international fame. Over the past 25 years, Hargitay has become synonymous with Benson, a character celebrated for her fierce determination, empathy, and commitment to justice.\n
Under her leadership, the fictional Special Victims Unit tackles cases of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence\u2014storylines that often mirror real-life issues. Hargitay\u2019s nuanced portrayal has earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award, as well as countless nominations.\n
Hargitay is now the longest-running lead actor in primetime television history, cementing her legacy in the entertainment world. Fans continue to celebrate her evolution as Olivia Benson, who went from detective to captain, embodying strength, compassion, and resilience throughout the show\u2019s historic run.\n
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Beyond her career success, Hargitay is a passionate advocate for survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse. Inspired by the stories of survivors who reached out to her after watching SVU, she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004.\n
The organization provides support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, working to transform society\u2019s response to these issues. Under her leadership, the foundation has helped more than 20,000 individuals and has played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the backlog of untested rape kits across the United States.\n
Hargitay has also testified before Congress on behalf of sexual assault survivors, using her platform to push for change and justice.\n
In addition to her work on SVU, Mariska Hargitay has directed and produced numerous episodes of the series, showcasing her talents behind the camera. She has also appeared in films such as Lake Placid and Leaving Las Vegas, displaying her range as an actress.\n
Her dedication to her craft and advocacy work has earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and recognition as one of Time magazine\u2019s 100 Most Influential People. She continues to inspire millions with her commitment to storytelling and making a difference in the world.\n
As Mariska Hargitay celebrates her 61st birthday, fans, friends, and colleagues around the globe are showering her with love and gratitude. On social media, heartfelt tributes from co-stars and supporters highlight her impact not only as an actress but as a humanitarian and role model.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mariska Hargitay Celebrates 61st Birthday as the Longest-Running Lead in TV History Today, January 23, 2025, we celebrate the 61st birthday of Mariska Hargitay, a powerhouse of talent, compassion, and resilience. Best known for her portrayal of Captain Olivia Benson on NBC\u2019s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), Hargitay has spent decades captivating audiences\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":109249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-109244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/222.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109244"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109251,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109244\/revisions\/109251"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}