Mariska Hargitay to Direct HBO Documentary About Her Mom Jayne Mansfield: ‘Mother I Never Knew’
Mariska Hargitay is set to direct “My Mom Jayne,” an HBO documentary centered on her mother, actress and Playboy model Jayne Mansfield.
“This movie is a labor of love and longing. It’s a search for the mother I never knew, an integration of a part of myself I’d never owned, and a reclaiming of my mother’s story and my own truth,” Hargitay said of the project and opportunity, which comes 60 years after her death in 1967. “I’ve always believed there is strength in vulnerability, and the process of making this film has confirmed that belief like never before.”
The film, which will serve as Hargitay’s directorial debut, will also be produced by Hargitay and Trish Adlesic (“I Am Evidence”). Lauren Bromley will executive produce.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Mariska Hargitay was three years old when her mother, Jayne Mansfield, tragically died in a car accident at the age of 34. The film follows Mariska as she seeks to know, understand, and embrace her mother for the first time. Through intimate interviews and a collection of never-before-seen photos and home movies, she grapples with her mother’s public and private legacy and discovers the layers and depth of who Jayne was, not only to her audience but to those who were closest to her.”
Born on April 19, 1933 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Mansfield is best known for her work as an actress and Playboy Playmate, and was one of the most notable sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. Though she had a brief stint in the motion picture business, she starred in several success Hollywood box office successes, including “Too Hot to Handle,” “The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” and more. She starred in “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter” and “The Hercules” with her ex-husband, actor and Mr. Universe winner Mickey Hargitay. She took home a Golden Globe for “The Girl Can’t Help It.”
Mansfield and Hargitay divorced in 1964, but welcomed three children together. Two years later, Mansfield died at age 34 after a car accident. At the time, Hargitay was just 3 years old.
“My Mom Is Jayne” will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
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