Mariska Hargitay has been holding it down on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for over 25 years now, but that doesn’t mean anyone’s gotten better at pronouncing her name right.
While making an appearance on Amy Poehler’s delightful (and GoldenGlobe-winning)podcast “Good Hang,” Hargitay explained just how hard it is for people, even those close to her, to correctly pronounce her name. “I had brunch yesterday for my sister and my cousin was there,” explained Hargitay. “I’ve known him for 19 years since 1994 and he kept calling me ‘Mar-is-ca.'”
Despite looking a lot like the name Marissa with a “k” before the final vowel, the “ska” at the end of her Hungarian name produces an “sh” sound. So, to stop people from getting it wrong, Hargitay found a simple solution: intentionally misspell her own name on the call sheet.
“On the call sheet now, it’s M – A -R – I – S – H – H – H – H – H…K – K – K -… A,” she said. Idiot proofing the pronunciation of her name on the call sheet works for any newcomers on set, but it won’t stop her oldest pal (and potential “Law & Order” love interest) Christopher Meloni from intentionally calling her Marissa on set just to confuse people.
Hargitay has spent some time on her family legacy
Having your name mispronounced may seem like a minor thing, but for Hargitay, the name is her connection to her family history. “The name is actually Maria, after my grandmother. Both of them!” she revealed. In Hungarian, “Mariska” is a nickname for Maria; the “ka” added to the end of the name means “little Maria … like a little endearment.”
Hargitay has spent the last several years diving deep into her family’s legacy, focusing on the life and tragic death of her mother, actress and Playboy Playmate Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield passed away at the age of 34 in a tragic car accident, and Hargitay’s HBO Max documentary,“My Mom Jane,” gave her a means with which to explore the life of the mother she lost too soon.
