During the 1950s, Jayne Mansfield, an icon of her generation, achieved stardom in the realm of Hollywood. Mariska Hargitay, her daughter of merely three years old back then, was also present in the car during the tragic accident that claimed Jayne’s life in 1967.
Mariska’s survival was indeed fortunate, and she has since risen to prominence as a contemporary actress. Her resemblance to her mother is strikingly evident!
For numerous actors and actresses, attaining the status of a Hollywood sensation demands persistent dedication over many years. The majority of well-known individuals would likely concur that, despite the considerable sacrifices and the demands of time, patience, and determination, the ultimate outcome justifies the journey.
Jayne Mansfield Yet, it took Jayne Mansfield under a decade to attain the status of a mega-star. She emerged as a prominent sex symbol throughout the 1950s and 1960s due to her involvement in numerous hit movies.
On occasion, she earned the moniker “the budget-friendly Marilyn Monroe” due to the type of roles she was cast in. However, despite these roles, often falling into the “naive blonde” archetype, her true persona was far from that image.
In 1967, a car accident resulted in the heartbreaking loss of a mother raising five children. Nevertheless, today, her offspring are putting in dedicated efforts to uphold her lasting influence.
This narrative recounts the lively journey of Jayne Mansfield and Mariska Hargitay, whose resemblance to her mother is truly striking.
Jayne Mansfield – childhood
Jayne Mansfield experienced a life marked by both opulence and tragedy.
During her formative years, Vera Jayne Palmer, born on April 19, 1933, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, was immersed in the more artistic facets of existence. Her musician father, Herbert, provided her with singing and violin lessons when she was a young girl.
However, sorrow befell Jayne Mansfield at the tender age of three when her father succumbed to a heart attack while the family was on a journey. Left with her mother Vera, a former schoolteacher, and the responsibility of her child, she had to return to work to support her family.
“My life lost something,” she remarked. “My earliest memories are the fondest. I always try to hold onto the positive moments when Daddy was alive.”
In 1939, Jayne’s mother remarried, and the family relocated to Dallas, Texas. Concurrently, Jayne Mansfield nurtured aspirations of becoming a Hollywood luminary. She avidly attended all of Judy Garland’s films and even took the extraordinary step of emulating the iconic entertainer’s style.
Moving to Los Angeles
Mansfield’s high school diploma hadn’t even been conferred upon her when she encountered her initial significant other. The future luminary, Paul Mansfield, 20 years old at the time, became her husband in 1950. The pair set off for Southern Methodist University to pursue their studies in acting. Just a year after their marriage, Jayne gave birth to their first daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield.
Having taken a summer course at UCLA in Los Angeles, Mansfield entered the Miss California competition, but eventually withdrew. The family opted to enroll at the University of Texas in Austin, where Jayne participated in numerous theatrical productions.
While the experience in Austin was indeed enjoyable, her sights remained set on Hollywood. The family believed it was the right time to make the move, understanding that presence in Hollywood was essential for success. Consequently, in 1954, Mansfield relocated to Los Angeles along with her family.
Naturally, breaking into the entertainment industry is a formidable challenge, a reality faced by every budding actor and actress. As Jayne embarked on her modeling journey, her curvaceous figure swiftly became not just a considerable obstacle, but the central focus of her life.
Casting directors perceived the future pinup icon’s alluring and shapely physique as excessively provocative for commercial purposes, which led to difficulties in securing work. This reached a point where she was even edited out of her very first advertisement—a print ad for General Electric.
Start of Hollywood career
Jayne had a strong aspiration to grace the screen and her momentous opportunity came knocking soon after. She ventured into auditions at both Paramount and Warner Brothers studios, although neither exhibited interest in her.
However, it was during her reading at Paramount that a pivotal moment occurred, reshaping Jayne’s self-perception. Milton Lewis, the head of casting, did something that would alter her perspective on herself.
“Before heading to Hollywood, I had attended multiple universities and several acting schools, all in preparation for my desired career as an actress. I presented a soliloquy of Joan of Arc to Milton Lewis, who oversaw casting at Paramount Studios during my audition. Surprisingly, he seemed to believe I was underutilizing my ‘evident talents’. He lightened my hair and refined my wardrobe, and this is the outcome.”
Jayne Mansfield sought to rival Marilyn Monroe, the era’s most prominent and illustrious Hollywood star. However, while her Hollywood journey was starting, her husband Paul had reached his limit. In 1955, the couple divorced, leaving their daughter in Jayne’s care in Los Angeles.
Jayne’s career began to gain momentum when she secured a role in the budget-friendly film “Female Jungle” (1955), a role that provided her with significant exposure. In that same year, she was crowned “Playmate of the Month” and graced the cover of Playboy Magazine.
“Marilyn Monroe King-Size”
Her fresh persona, embodying the allure of a pinup, a provocative blonde bombshell, aimed to solidify her position as the successor to Marilyn Monroe. To a certain extent, she unquestionably achieved that goal. The hue pink became her signature, with Jayne even acquiring a pink Cadillac as her vehicle of choice.
The studios clamored for more of her, promptly securing her under contract. Fox Studios took to promoting her as the “Marilyn Monroe King-Size,” propelling her success to new heights. At this juncture, she transcended her role as merely an actress, transforming into an emblematic sex symbol of the 1950s.
A journalist even asserted, “Her frequent on-stage strap and zipper mishaps made nudity a professional occupational hazard for her.”
Jayne garnered even greater attention with her appearance in Fox’s 1957 comedic sensation “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”. In that very year, she earned a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female. The subsequent year saw her starring alongside Kenneth More in the Western film “The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” (1958).
Jayne secured several other roles that were, for the era, audaciously alluring, including “The Burglar” (1957) and “Too Hot to Handle” (1960). Tragically, though, she was often unfairly labeled as “The Poor Man’s Marilyn Monroe.”
Jayne Mansfield – censorship battles
During that era, Mansfield had entered into a marriage with her second husband, the actor and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay. They exchanged vows in 1958, in a high-profile ceremony held in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Before long, their family began to expand. In 1959, their son Mickey Hargitay was born, and subsequently, two more children were added to the brood. Zoltan Hargitay arrived in 1960, followed by their daughter Mariska Magdolna Hargitay in 1964.
Subsequent to her role in “Too Hot to Handle,” Jayne became embroiled in her first legal dispute involving film censorship. The film’s release was postponed due to her appearance in what was then considered a scandalous dress, in which she was depicted nude.
A couple of years later, she found herself ensnared in another battle of a similar nature. Her film “Promises! Promises!” (1963) ignited a significant controversy when Mansfield became the first American Hollywood movie star to be shown nude on screen. The scene was regarded as excessively explicit, resulting in censorship and, in certain instances, even banning the film worldwide.
By this juncture, Mansfield had ascended to the stature of a major Hollywood celebrity, with a public image that was perceived to be “public property” at the time.
Jayne Mansfield – work in Europe
It was an aspect she derived pleasure from and deemed obligatory.
“In reality, I believe that a star owes it to her audience to allow them into her life,” she expressed in 1960.
“Fans tend to feel a certain ownership over you, and if you were to keep your life completely shrouded in secrecy, it wouldn’t be equitable to them. However, when I refer to my private life, it is genuinely kept private.”
Just as swiftly as Jayne soared to stardom, her career also encountered setbacks. She was released from her contract with 20th Century Fox in 1962, subsequently making appearances in numerous television programs and game shows. Expanding her horizons beyond Hollywood, Mansfield opted for an international trajectory in the 1960s, taking on roles in several German, Italian, and British films. Additionally, she ventured onto nightclub stages, embarking on tours both within the US and the UK.
In 1967, a tour was organized by Don Arden, the legendary music manager and father of Sharon Osbourne. During one week, she was performing in the town of Batley.
Her Hollywood glamour sure did something to the people there.
“As the days went by,” clarified Neil Sean, an entertainment correspondent for NBC News, “those women who initially arrived at Batley with rollers and headscarves on evolved into something more glamorous, arriving with styled hair and lipstick.”
Jayne Mansfield – Demise During this period, Mansfield had already gone through a divorce with Hargitay and subsequently married director Matt Cimber. Their fifth child, Anthony Cimber, was born in 1965, only for the couple to divorce within the same year.
The UK tour marked Jayne Mansfield’s final engagement. While traveling from a nightclub performance in Mississippi en route to New Orleans, she met her tragic end in a car collision with a tractor-trailer. Jayne was just 34 years old.
The accident resulted in the immediate fatalities of Mansfield, her then-boyfriend Sam Brody, and their driver. She was laid to rest beside her father at the Fairview Cemetery in Pennsylvania.
Accompanying her in the car were three of her children, who were sleeping in the backseat, fortunately emerging unscathed. Mariska Hargitay, her daughter, merely three years old at the time, moved to live with her father, Mickey Hargitay.
So, what transpired afterward? Well, Mariska followed in her mother’s footsteps, pursuing a career in acting. And there’s no denying the striking resemblance between the two!
“The imprint of losing my mother at such a tender age remains etched in my soul,” she shared with Redbook in 2009. “Yet, I believe it ultimately forged the person I stand as today. I comprehend the journey of life. I needed to traverse the path I did to arrive at this point.”
Opting to pursue a theater education at UCLA in California, Mariska made her cinematic debut in 1984 with “Ghoulies.” Throughout the 1980s, she dedicated her efforts to numerous television series, aspiring to make her mark on the grander stage. However, in contrast to her mother, she refrained from altering her name or her hair color. Despite suggestions to adopt her mother’s alluring image, she remained steadfast in her identity. On one occasion, she declined a nude scene in the film “Jocks” (1986).
Being the offspring of a Hollywood luminary hasn’t been without its challenges. At times, it even became a burden for Mariska.
“Once, I loathed the constant allusions to my mother, as I yearned to be recognized for myself,” she shared with Closer. “The loss of my mother during my formative years has left an indelible mark on my soul.”
Mariska Hargitay – career
Before attaining her pivotal breakthrough role, Mariska had been immersed in the realm of acting for a span of 15 years. Her portrayal of Olivia Benson in the 1999 season of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” on NBC marked her significant stride. Across the ongoing production of the show, Mariska has featured in a total of 481 episodes.
Through her association with this renowned primetime series, Mariska has constructed an impressive career trajectory, garnering accolades like the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama. Furthermore, she has earned nominations for eight other distinctions.
Mariska Hargitay is now a prominent figure in the entertainment landscape, mirroring the ascent of her mother. Her striking resemblance to her mother is accentuated by her radiant smile.
Mariska Hargitay – Family
In 2004, Mariska wed actor and producer Peter Hermann, with whom she shares three children. Though Marika was quite young when her mother’s tragic car accident occurred, embracing motherhood herself has bridged the gap between her and the guardian she lost so early in life.
“Becoming a wife and mother is the cornerstone of my existence, providing me with immense joy,” she affirmed. “I now comprehend [my mother] in a fresh light that grants me serenity. I’ve gained insight into the love she possessed, fostering a sense of proximity to her.”
In 2013, their stars aligned once again as Mariska Hargitay and her mother Jayne Mansfield were symbolically reunited on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The unforgettable portrayals of Jayne Mansfield will forever endure in our collective memory.
Even in her absence, she remains etched in our recollections, and her daughter Mariska has blossomed into a remarkable actress herself. Isn’t the resemblance between them striking?
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