Posted on 09/18/2006 7:50:16 PM PDT by Borges
LOS ANGELES - Mickey Hargitay, the actor and world champion bodybuilder who was married to 1950s sex siren Jayne Mansfield and whose daughter is Emmy-winning winning actress Mariska Hargitay, has died. He was 80.
Hargitay died Thursday in Los Angeles, according to a family statement issued Monday through publicist Gary Mantoosh. The cause of death was not released.
"Words cannot express how saddened we are by the loss of Mickey," the statement said. "At the same time, we are so grateful for who he was and is to all of us, and for the love he gave us in our lives. He will continue to be our source of inspiration and strength."
Born Miklos Hargitay in 1926, he emigrated from his native Hungary to the United States after World War II. He became interested in bodybuilding in the 1950s and was named Mr. Universe, Mr. America and Mr. Olympia in 1955.
"My dad's a bit of a superhero," Mariska Hargitay told the National Public Radio show "Fresh Air" last year.
He parlayed his perfect physique into a performing career when Mae West tapped him to be one of the musclemen in her stage show.
It was there that Hargitay met Mansfield, whom he married in 1957. That same year, he made his big-screen debut in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." He went on to star opposite his wife in three films: "The Loves of Hercules," "Promises! Promises!" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"
The couple had three children together, including Mariska, before divorcing in 1964. Mansfield died in a car crash in 1967.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Hargitay in the 1982 TV movie "The Jayne Mansfield Story," offered his condolences and called Hargitay "a magnificent individual."
"Mickey was such an inspiration and always had such a positive attitude," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "He was a role model of mine for being a successful immigrant who came to this country and pursued his dreams."
Hargitay's career continued after his divorce with appearances in a half-dozen Italian films and horror flicks. He even guest-starred in a 2003 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the show in which his daughter Mariska plays a leading role.
When she won an Emmy for her work last month, Mariska tearfully thanked her father, "because he is the reason I'm standing here today."
Besides Mariska, survivors include his wife, Ellen, sons Mickey Jr. and Zoltan, and another daughter, Tina.
I don't know if you know this Freepers but Mickey was on 100th episode of law and Order SVU he look good he play witness to a crime
Never knew about him. But his offspring sure is a pleasure to look at.
I hadn't realized that she was jane mansfields daughter!
She was in the car when it crashed.
I always think of Jayne Mansfield when I drive by her old home on Sunset Blvd ... a huge pink Spanish mansion. Still lovely.
Dahling, let me trowe you arOWn like a fooootball...
For some reason I remember that... or something like it.
Ahhnold played him in the TV movie, with Lonnie Anderson as Jayne.
A friend of mine knew Jayne when Mariska was a baby, must've been not too awfully long before Jayne died.
That is a cute movie.
What a shame, he'd just become a grandfather too. Condolences to Mariska and family.
Poor kid... Seeing *that*...
the infoarrior
Actually I heard that Mansfield being decapitated was an urban legend.
While I've never heard or seen anything debunking it, I do hope you're right...
the infowarrior
May he rest in peace. Prayers for his family.
I think I would've changed my name...
Mariska favors her mother, though I think she's prettier than Jayne.
She was "scalped" as opposed to being decapitated. All 3 of the front seat occupants of the car she was riding in were killed. Had 3 of her children not been sleeping in the backseat, they might've died as well.
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