Director · Actor · Producer

Mariska Hargitay

54 credited titles on WatchWise

Mariska Hargitay (born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, producer, director and activist, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe. The daughter of actress Jayne Mansfield and actor/bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, Hargitay is a former beauty queen who made her film debut in the 1985 horror-comedy film Ghoulies, and her major television debut in the 1986 adventure drama series, Downtown. She appeared in numerous roles in film and television shows throughout the late 1980s and 1990s before being cast as Olivia Benson, a role that led to her founding the Joyful Heart Foundation, which provides support to women who have been sexually abused.

Mariska Hargitay in one minute

Strongest genre

Biggest hit

Standout efficiency

Leaving Las Vegas · gross ÷ budget

Commercial performance

Associated lifetime gross

$18M

Combined reported budget

$5.4M

Gross / budget

3.4x

Bankability Index

38 / 100

All figures are associated, not attributed — box-office numbers are sourced from TMDB and Wikipedia (reused under CC BY-SA), shown in US$, and weighted by billing prominence. Coverage varies by title; figures are estimates, not audited trade data.