Mariska Hargitay

- Full name: Mariska Magdolna Hargitay
- Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
- Born: January 23, 1964
- Of German/English and Hungarian descent
- Mother: The late actress Jayne Mansfield
- Father: Former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay
- Fluent in Hungarian, French, Spanish, Italian and English
- 2006: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- 2005: Golden Globe Award as Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama for Law & Order: SVU
- Spouse: Peter Hermann (2004-Present)
- Children: One son, August Miklos
- Co founder of Joyful Heart Foundation

Mariska Hargitay is a Golden Globe and Emmy award winning actress who has appeared in well known films and television shows including ER, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Leaving Las Vegas.
People Magazine revealed the source of Hargitay's recent health problems on May 19, 2009. According to the article, Hargitay collapsed her lung while doing a stunt on the set of Law & Order: SVU. She underwent surgery for the injury in January of 2009 and returned to the hospital in early March to undergo routine testing.People: Mariska Hargitay's Health Mystery Revealed (May 19, 2009)
Back to Work

On March 23, 2009, People magazine reported Hargitay is going back to work on SVU. In her first episode back since missing several weeks due to complications of a collapsed lung, Hargitay will be working with Hilary Duff on an episode titled "Selfish". Duff is guest appearance is scheduled to air on April 28, 2009.People: Mariska Hargitay to Head Back to Work (March 23, 2009)
Collapsed Lung
In early January 2009, Access Hollywood reported that Hargitay suffered a partially collapsed lung during a sledding accident while vacationing in the Hamptons over the New Years holiday. A representative for the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit actress said that the injury will not prevent her from appearing in all episodes of the show. SVU began filming in January 2009 with Hargitay still recuperating from her collapsed lung.People: Mariska Hargitay Recuperating While SVU Begins Filming (January 14, 2009)
On March 9, 2009, it was announced that Hargitay would miss several more weeks of shooting due to a second surgery on her collapsed lung.Entertainment Weekly: Exclusive: Mariska Hargitay sidelined from SVU (March 9, 2009) She was hospitalized on March 3, 2009, after experiencing chest pains on the set of Law & Order: SVU. It was the actress' third hospitalization since December of 2008.TMZ: Mariska Hargitay Hospitalized Again (March 3, 2009)
The injury also prevented Hargitay from attending the 2009 Golden Globes Awards on Sunday, January 11, 2009. Hargitay was nominated for best actress in a television drama for the awards ceremony.People: Mariska Hargitay Suffers a Collapsed... (January 12, 2009)
On May 19, 2009, People Magazine disclosed that Hargitay collapsed her lung while doing a stunt on the set of Law & Order: SUV.