Actress and philanthropist Mariska Hargitay hails from the United States. She gained notoriety in the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Olivia Benson.
The Stunning Net Worth of Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Hargitay joins other well-known actresses like Sofia Vergara and Ellen Pompeo as one of the highest-paid TV actresses as a result of her fame and success as Olivia Benson. She has a $100 million net worth thanks to the long-running Law & Order: Special Victims Unit project!
Mariska Hargitay’s Career
Mariska Hargitay started her acting career by competing in beauty pageants before taking on the role of Detective Benson in 1999. In 1982, she received the Miss Beverly Hills USA title.
Ronnie Milsap, a country music performer, used Mariska as the lead in his 1984 music video for the song She Loves My Car. She also made a fleeting cameo in the slasher film Ghoulies.
Later, Mariska kept getting supporting parts in several TV shows:
- Freddy’s Nightmares
- Baywatch
- In the Heat of the Night
- All-American Girl
- The Single Guy
It turns out that Mariska has played police officers before; in Tequila and Bonetti in 1992, she played a police officer by the name of Angel Garcia.
She eventually received her big break in 1999 when she was cast as Detective Olivia Benson for the NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Samantha Mathis and Reiko Aylesworth, two additional actresses, were beaten out for the part. She won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for playing Olivia Benson.
Mariska made an appearance in Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood music video in 2015. But this wasn’t the first time the A-listers had gotten together. The Joyful Heart Nonprofit, Mariska’s foundation, once received a sizeable donation from Taylor.
Staying Loyal to New York: Mariska Hargitay’s Estates
Mariska bought a 7,000-square-foot penthouse in Manhattan in 2007. She spent $7.1 million on the penthouse. Only one year later, in 2008, she finally managed to sell the home.
Mariska Hargitay later bought an Upper West Side townhouse with her husband Peter Hermann in 2012. Before selling the 6,925 square foot home for $9.75 million, she lived there for seven years with her family.
Mariska currently resides in the Hamptons home she paid $7.34 million for with her husband Peter and their three children.
Mariska Hargitay and Her Love for Breitling Watches
Mariska Hargitay doesn’t have a reputation for being a fan of designer watches, but she does own a pair that she frequently wears.
Her Breitling Navitimer is the first item on the list. She paid between $6,600 and $8,700 for this gorgeous watch.
In addition, Mariska has a Breitling Chronomat Evolution that she purchased for anywhere from $4,590 to a whopping $25,250! Over the years, Mariska has been seen in Law & Order: SVU wearing her timepieces.
Mariska Hargitay’s Investment in Email Newsletter startup
TheSkimm is an email newsletter startup that specializes in distributing news and editorial content about women. Mariska invested in it in 2016. According to reports, Mariska invested a total of $500,000.
Mariska Hargitay’s Charitable Causes
The Joyful Heart Foundation, which Mariska founded in 2004, supports victims of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. After getting countless fan letters from Law & Order: SVU viewers who were also survivors, she discovered this nonprofit.
“Many of these letters contained firsthand accounts of abuse from the authors. Some for the first time ever,” said Mariska. “I wanted to discover a way to support individuals in taking back control of their lives and living them with a fresh feeling of possibilities and hope. And that’s what Joyful Heart strives to accomplish every day, she said.
How Much Does Mariska Hargitay Make from Law & Order: SVU?
Mariska Hargitay and her ex-costar Christopher Meloni reportedly made between $375,000 and $385,000 for each episode in 2009.
When their contracts expired the same year, they both made the same attempt that other A-list performers from the Law & Order series had made to convince NBC to accept a cut of the series’ earnings. Mariska eventually agreed to a compensation increase of between $400,000 and $500,000 each episode when NBC refused.
Law & Order: SVU typically has 22 episodes per season, so Mariska’s base wage is $11 million annually. Also, because to bonuses and backend points, it’s possible that she makes between $13 to $15 million from the TV series every year!
Summary
Mariska’s net worth is now estimated to be at $100 million. Her earnings from Law & Order: SVU and her several other business endeavors account for the majority of this.
