Mariska Hargitay Secures Three Emmy Nominations for a Deeply Personal Project That Forced Her to Confront Long-Held Family Secrets
An embarrassment of riches.
Mariska Hargitay just scored three Emmy nominations for My Mom Jayne, a project that forced her to confront long-buried family secrets and the legacy of her mother Jayne Mansfield. The HBO film earned nods for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, marking major milestones for Hargitay as both a storyteller and a daughter.
The nominations come just months after the documentary premiered at the Cannes and Tribeca Film Festivals to critical acclaim, and ahead of another career highlight. Hargitay will host the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, she called the recognition “an emotional moment” and expressed gratitude for the chance to share it with her late mother.
“I’m profoundly grateful to have this moment with her,” she said. “My gratitude also extends to my producer, the truly formidable Trish Adlesic, our nominated cinematographer, Tony Hardmon, and the rest of my extraordinary team who shepherded this film into reality.”
My Mom Jayne dives into Mansfield’s life and tragic death in a 1967 car accident
The accident left Hargitay motherless at just three years old. The film goes deeper, unearthing family secrets and forcing Hargitay to reckon with her own identity. During a post-screening Q&A at New York’s Wythe Hotel in October 2025, she said, “I think that telling this story was a transformative part of my life’s work.”
She added, “I feel like a different human being since I made the film. It not only cleared a lot of internal space, but organized me in a new way. And I’m so proud to be my mother’s daughter.” The documentary has already earned two Critics Choice Documentary Award nominations, and Hargitay says its real success lies in its emotional impact on audiences.
“I hope that people come away with the universality of the film, and they realize it’s a family story,” she said. “I’d like to think of it as a gentle invitation to look at our own families.” That message seems to have resonated. Viewers have told her the film inspired them to confront their own family histories. “That’s what has been the biggest through line is that people have said, ‘I never thought I could, but now I think I can,’” she added.
For Hargitay, the film also offered a new perspective on her mother’s legacy
While sorting through decades of archival footage, she discovered Mansfield’s sharp wit and comedic talent. “We could have built a 20-minute set section that would’ve shown that [Jayne] was a comedian,” she said on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. “I mean really so funny and so fast and so witty and lightning sharp that then we were like, ‘Okay, we have to pick and choose.’”
The sheer volume of material was both a blessing and a challenge. “The archival was a gift from God. It was an embarrassment of riches. It was a blessing and a curse because there was so much of it,” she admitted. Despite the emotional weight of the project, Hargitay has no regrets. “There’s so much love and healing from all factions of the family. Now we’re all one.”
That sense of closure seems to have fueled her creative energy, as she’s also stepping into a high-profile role as this year’s Emmy Awards host. The ceremony, airing live on NBC and Peacock, will mark the first time a woman has hosted the Emmys in 15 years, per Variety. Hargitay joins an exclusive club – only four women have hosted the show this century, including Ellen DeGeneres, Heidi Klum, and Jane Lynch.
NBC’s decision to tap Hargitay aligns with the network’s 100th-anniversary celebrations, and executives praised her as a fitting choice to honor television’s legacy. “Mariska has earned her place among television’s icons,” said Jen Neal, NBC’s executive VP of live events and specials. “Few performers have left the kind of mark on television that Mariska has. For 27 seasons, she has brought strength, compassion and humanity to one of the most beloved characters on TV.”
Hargitay’s hosting gig caps off a remarkable year
She recently wrapped her Broadway debut in the solo play Every Brilliant Thing and celebrated the New York Knicks’ NBA championship win. And with Law & Order: SVU – the longest-running primetime live-action drama in TV history – entering its 28th season this fall, her influence on the industry shows no signs of slowing down.
She’s no stranger to the Emmy stage, having won Outstanding Lead Drama Actress in 2006 for SVU and a News and Documentary Emmy in 2017 for producing I Am Evidence. She’s also been nominated eight times for her role as Capt. Olivia Benson and has appeared as a presenter at past ceremonies.
“Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career,” Hargitay said in a statement. “It’s my great honor to host the 78th Emmy Awards – in the 100th birthday year of my beloved NBC – and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers.”
My Mom Jayne is streaming now on HBO Max, offering a raw and intimate look at Hargitay’s journey through grief, discovery, and healing. It’s a project that has clearly resonated with audiences and critics alike, and these Emmy nominations only solidify its impact. As Hargitay prepares to take the stage as both a nominee and a host, it’s clear that her work—both on-screen and behind the camera – continues to redefine what it means to tell a story.
(Featured image: NBC/Michael Parmelee/NBC – © 2016 NBCUniversal Media, LLC)
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