Context:

Mariska Hargitay, renowned for her role as Captain Olivia Benson on 'Law & Order: SVU', continues to face challenges with the pronunciation of her name, which features a silent 'H'. Despite her fame and efforts to clarify, including a playful spelling adjustment on call sheets, mispronunciations persist among colleagues and family, with her longtime co-star humorously contributing to the confusion. Hargitay's name, rooted in her Hungarian heritage, translates to 'Little Maria', a nod to her grandmother. Recently, she directed a documentary about her mother, Jayne Mansfield, unveiling personal family revelations that add depth to her story as she navigates her public persona and private identity.

Dive Deeper:

• Mariska Hargitay has been correcting the pronunciation of her name on set for 26 seasons, revealing that even those close to her struggle with it. During a podcast, she shared experiences of family members mispronouncing her name despite knowing her for years.

• To help others get her name right, Hargitay has humorously altered the call sheet spelling to 'M-A-R-I-S-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-K-A', indicating the emphasis on the silent 'H'. However, mispronunciations still occur, including intentional ones by co-star Christopher Meloni.

• Hargitay's name reflects her Hungarian roots, derived from a nickname for Maria, meaning 'Little Maria'. She explained that the ending of her name adds an endearing touch, originating from her grandmother's name.

• In her recent documentary, 'My Mom Jayne', Hargitay explores her mother's legacy, revealing significant details about her own identity, including the discovery that her biological father is Italian comedian Nelson Sardelli, not Mickey Hargitay, who raised her.

• The actress, who lost her mother in a tragic car accident at age three, expressed profound emotions regarding her family history, emphasizing her strong connection to her upbringing and the truth about her parentage.