During the 1950s, Jayne Mansfield, an iconoclast of her time, garnered widespread attention in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Unfortunately, her life came to a tragic end in 1967 in a fatal car accident, with her three-year-old daughter, Mariska Hargitay, also in the car at the time. Despite the odds, Mariska miraculously survived and has since gained recognition as a prominent actress in contemporary times. Interestingly, Mariska bears a striking resemblance to her late mother.
Becoming a Hollywood superstar is no easy feat, often requiring years of hard work and dedication. Despite the long hours, sacrifices, and unwavering determination, many actors and actresses would agree that the ultimate reward of success makes it all worthwhile.
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was a quick-rising star, achieving superstardom in less than a decade. Her popularity soared during the 1950s and 1960s, thanks to her roles in multiple blockbuster films that established her as a prominent sex symbol. Despite being sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s Marilyn Monroe” due to the roles she played, many of which fell into the “dumb blonde” category, Mansfield was anything.
Unfortunately, her life was cut short in 1967 due to a tragic car accident, leaving behind five children. Nevertheless, her children continue to work tirelessly to keep her memory alive and carry on her legacy. Today, the story of Jayne Mansfield and her daughter, Mariska Hargitay, who bears a striking resemblance to her mother, is a testament to the vibrant life of a Hollywood legend.
Jayne Mansfield Childhood
Jayne Mansfield’s life was a mix of glamour and tragedy, with her childhood experiences shaping her future endeavors. Born as Vera Jayne Palmer on April 19, 1933, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Jayne was introduced to the artistic world at an early age. Her father Herbert, a musician, taught her singing and violin, providing her with an enriching upbringing.
However, Jayne’s world was shattered at the age of three when her father passed away from a heart attack during a family trip. Her mother, Vera, a former schoolteacher, was left to raise her daughter alone and had to work to make ends meet. Jayne often reminisced about her fond memories of her father, saying that “something went out of my life” when he passed away.
In 1939, Jayne’s mother remarried, and the family moved to Dallas, Texas. It was during this time that Jayne developed a desire to become a Hollywood star. She was an avid fan of Judy Garland and would dress up like her favorite actress and attend all of her movies. These early aspirations set the stage for Jayne’s future career in the entertainment industry.
Moving to Los Angeles
Jayne Mansfield’s path to Hollywood stardom began when she met Paul Mansfield, whom she married at the age of 17, before receiving her high school diploma. The young couple moved to Southern Methodist University in pursuit of acting studies, where Jayne gave birth to her first daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield, a year after their marriage.
In 1951, Jayne attended a summer course at UCLA in Los Angeles and participated in the Miss California competition, but eventually withdrew. The family then moved to Austin, Texas, where Jayne appeared in several plays while continuing her acting education. However, her ultimate goal was always to make it in Hollywood, and the family felt it was time to move to Los Angeles in 1954 to pursue her dreams.
Breaking into the entertainment industry is never easy, and Jayne faced her own set of challenges. Her curvaceous figure, which would later become a defining characteristic, initially hindered her career prospects. Casting directors often deemed her figure too seductive for commercial or advertisement work, making it difficult for her to find roles. In fact, she was even cut out of her very first print ad for General Electric due to her voluptuous figure. Despite these setbacks, Jayne remained determined to achieve success in Hollywood.
Start of Hollywood career
Jayne Mansfield’s journey to become a Hollywood star was not an easy one. She faced rejection from both Paramount and Warner Brothers studios when she first auditioned for them. However, her luck changed when she landed a role in the low-budget film “Female Jungle” in 1955. This helped her gain exposure and her career started to take off. During this time, she had also been named “Playmate of the Month” and graced the cover of Playboy Magazine.
It was not just her talent that helped her succeed, but also the guidance of Milton Lewis, the head of casting at Paramount Studios. He saw potential in her and decided to give her a chance. He transformed her appearance by lightening her hair and tightening her dresses, which boosted her confidence and changed her perception of herself. Jayne wanted to compete with Marilyn Monroe, the biggest Hollywood star of the time, and Lewis’ encouragement gave her the motivation she needed to pursue her dreams.
However, Jayne’s personal life was not as successful as her career. Her marriage to Paul Mansfield, whom she had met at Southern Methodist University, ended in divorce in 1955. Their daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield, stayed with Jayne in Los Angeles. Despite this setback, Jayne’s Hollywood career continued to flourish, and she became a major sex symbol during the 1950s and 1960s due to her roles in multiple blockbuster films.
“Marilyn Monroe King-Size”
Despite the comparisons to Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield managed to carve out her own unique niche in Hollywood with her provocative image and sultry persona. She continued to work steadily throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, starring in films such as Kiss Them for Me (1957) and The Challenge (1960). However, as the 1960s progressed, Mansfield’s career began to decline, as audiences and filmmakers grew tired of her bombshell persona.
She continued to work in films, television, and on stage, but by the mid-1960s, she was no longer a major star. Tragically, Mansfield’s life was cut short when she died in a car accident in 1967, at the age of 34. Despite her brief and troubled life, Jayne Mansfield remains a pop culture icon and a symbol of the glamour and excess of 1950s Hollywood.
Jayne Mansfield – work in Europe
In 1960, Jayne Mansfield expressed her belief that as a celebrity, it was important to share her life with the public. While she valued her privacy, she felt that it was only fair to allow her fans to feel a connection to her. However, she maintained that certain aspects of her personal life were always kept private.
Despite her rapid rise to fame, Mansfield’s career began to decline in 1962 when she was dropped by 20th Century Fox. In response, she shifted her focus to television programs and game shows. Additionally, Mansfield expanded her career internationally, appearing in films in Germany, Italy, and the UK. She also started performing in nightclubs, touring both in the US and UK.
In 1967, Mansfield was on tour in Batley when she captured the hearts of the locals with her Hollywood glamour. The tour had been organized by Don Arden, a famous music manager and father of Sharon Osbourne
Jayne Mansfield – censorship battles
However, her success began to dwindle in the early 1960s. Mansfield struggled to find roles that went beyond her sex symbol image, and her films were not performing well at the box office. She tried her hand at theater, performing in the Broadway play “Bus Stop” in 1964, but the reviews were mixed.
In 1965, Mansfield’s career took a turn for the worse when she was involved in a serious car accident. She was traveling with her three children and her lawyer, Sam Brody, on their way to a television interview in New Orleans when their car crashed into the back of a truck. Mansfield, Brody, and the driver were killed instantly, while the children miraculously survived with minor injuries.
The tragedy of Mansfield’s death shocked Hollywood and her fans, and marked the end of an era. Although she had a relatively short career, Jayne Mansfield had become a cultural icon, known for her bombshell looks, larger-than-life personality, and tragic end. Her image continues to inspire and fascinate people to this day.
Jayne Mansfield – Death
After divorcing Mickey Hargitay, Jayne Mansfield married director Matt Cimber and gave birth to her fifth child, Anthony Cimber, in 1965. However, the couple divorced the same year. Mansfield’s final tour was in the UK. On her way to New Orleans from a nightclub appearance in Mississippi, her car collided with a tractor-trailer, resulting in her death, as well as her boyfriend Sam Brody’s and their driver’s. She was 34 years old and was buried next to her father in Pennsylvania’s Fairview Cemetery. Fortunately, her three children who were asleep in the backseat of the car during the accident survived. Mariska Hargitay, her daughter who was only three years old at the time, went to live with her father
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Mariska Hargitay pursued acting and has had a successful career. Interestingly, she bears a strong resemblance to her late mother.
Mariska Hargitay
In a 2009 interview with Redbook, Mariska Hargitay revealed that losing her mother at a young age left a deep emotional wound. She explained that the experience shaped her into the person she is today and gave her a deeper understanding of life.
Mariska pursued her passion for theater by studying at UCLA in California. She made her film debut in 1984 in the movie Ghoulies and spent the 1980s performing in various TV series to pursue a career on a bigger stage. Unlike her mother, Mariska didn’t change her name or hair color. Some people advised her to follow her mother’s footsteps by copying her sexy image and changing her name, but she refused to do so. She even declined a nude scene in the movie Jocks (1986).
Being the daughter of a Hollywood legend has not always been easy for Mariska. At times, it has been a burden, and she has expressed her frustration with constant references to her mother. She wants to be recognized for her own accomplishments and not just as the daughter of a famous icon. Mariska has described the loss of her mother as a scar on her soul, a pain that she still feels deeply.
Mariska Hargitay – Career
After acting for 15 years, Mariska landed her breakthrough role as Olivia Benson in the 1999 season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC. She went on to star in a total of 481 episodes of the show, which is still being produced today.
Thanks to the popular primetime series, Mariska has enjoyed a successful career and even won an 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. Additionally, she has received nominations for eight other prestigious awards.
Like her mother, Mariska has become a prominent figure in the entertainment industry and is well-known for her striking resemblance to her mother, especially with her gorgeous smile.
Mariska Hargitay – Family
In 2004, Mariska tied the knot with actor and producer Peter Hermann. Together, they have three children.
Although Mariska was young when her mother passed away tragically in a car accident, becoming a mother herself has brought her closer to the guardian she lost so early in life. “Being a wife and mother is my life, and that brings me the most joy,” she shared. “I now understand my mother in a new way that gives me peace. I comprehend the love she had for me, and it makes me feel more connected to her.”
When Mariska and her mother Jayne Mansfield’s stars were placed next to each other on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013, it was a moment of reconnection for the mother and daughter in a sense
Jayne Mansfield’s exceptional performances will always be remembered, even though she is no longer with us. Her daughter, Mariska, has also established herself as an outstanding actress. Interestingly, the two bear a striking resemblance to each other, don’t you think?