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.
He certainly still looked good for his age. My prayers for the comfort of his family.
An in-law who knew Mickey Hargitay claims that he told everyone to pronounce his name "Haggerty".
I was in the ER at Charity Hospital of NO the night they brought the three children in after the wreck. It was very very sad.
What kind of a dunce would tear down the house and savage the beautiful gardens and pool? I know. Money man.
Yup. To build mini-mansions on the 10 acres he bought (including 2 other houses). I almost despise Humperdink for selling it to a developer. He had to know what the guy was going to do.
Of course he knew. Damn.
No I hadn't, but now I have. Thanks.
Thanks for the link.
I knew a co-worker many years ago who was decapitated in a similar accident. We bumped into each other in the grocery store and chatted and the next morning I found out he was killed on his way home. He was a cheerful, well-liked guy and he died at a very young age. Haven't thought of him in years.
You're welcome. :)
it sounds Armenian. Big Armenian community in the LA area.
Just goes to show that no amount of money confers taste. And that's coming from someone who's seen Graceland.
It is an urban legend, and a false one. Mansfield's wig was thrown clear of the crash, and someone -- either in person or seeing the photos of the crash site, I don't recall -- thought it was still attached to her head.
Actually, I misremembered. She was not decapitated, but did suffer severe head trauma. Snopes.com says "scalped" would be the more accurate term.
(A note on the term urban legend: It does not always equate to "false." Some are completely true, and many more have a nugget of truth but become less and less accurate as they're passed around, like any form of folklore.)
There were elements of the Mansfield house that were lovely.
Prettier and a better actress, though I admit that I'm biased on both counts by generational differences. I'm a big Law & Order fan, and Mariska's certainly part of the reason, not just because she's easy on the eyes. She's also shown a lot of range in the run of the show.
Btw, when those interior pics were taken, Englebert Humperdink owned it. It was his furniture etc.
I'm sure, and I was too harsh based on a few old and grainy photos. Every era has its design atrocities -- I'd hate to be judged forever by what I wore and hung on the walls in the 1970s.
That said, Graceland is still appalling.
Then, never mind.
And to elaborate on what I said in the last post, it isn't fair to be too harsh on whoever picked the pieces. We don't know if the owner/decorator chose entirely garish stuff, or if the photographer focused on those because he didn't know better.
It's in the really curvy part of Sunset Blvd just about a mile east of Brentwood but not as far as UCLA. I went to school at Marymount right close by. The house is white now.
I work in Brentwood and usually take the freeway home. Next time I take surface streets I'll look for a cross street ... but, as you know, they are far and few between.
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