Castle Yoga with Mariska

Mariska Hargitay (born as Mariska Magdolna Hargitay in January 23, 1964) is an American actress of Hungarian descent. She is the daughter of actor and professional bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield. After winning the Miss Beverly Hills 1982 beauty pageant, she competed in the Miss California USA pageant the following year and placed fourth runner-up to Julie Hayek, who was later crowned Miss USA. Mariska then went on to study theater at UCLA and started acting at age 20 with her film debut in the 1985 horror-comedy film Ghoulies. She made her major television debut in the 1986 one-hour adventure drama series Downtown. She had small roles in television shows throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Hargitay has appeared on numerous other television programs, including Freddy's Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series; Ellen; All-American Girl; Baywatch; Cracker; Gabriel's Fire; In the Heat of the Night; The Single Guy; Wiseguy and thirtysomething. Her voice is featured on the 2005 video game True Crime: New York City. In 1999 she was cast as Olivia Benson, a New York City detective who investigates sex crimes on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), a role that has earned her multiple award nominations and an Emmy and Golden Globe. She is stoic, dominant, and jocular. She enjoys practicing yoga and meditation to maintain her inner peace. Having grown up in a family of performers, she often draws on her theatrical background in her roles. She is passionate about animal rescue and has adopted several pets over the years. She has a deep connection to her Hungarian heritage and frequently visits her ancestral homeland.