Mariska Hargitay’s Journey To Understand And Embrace The Public And Private Legacy Of Her Mother, Hollywood Icon Jayne Mansfield
- The HBO Original documentary MY MOM JAYNE, a film by Mariska Hargitay, directed by Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning actress and filmmaker Mariska Hargitay, debuts FRIDAY, JUNE 27 (8:00–10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Hargitay, along with two-time Academy Award® nominated producer Trish Adlesic, previously produced HBO’s Emmy®-winning documentary “I Am Evidence.”
- Synopsis: In her feature film directorial debut—and the first time she has delved into her mother Jayne Mansfield’s story—Mariska Hargitay searches for the mother she never knew almost six decades after the Hollywood legend’s tragic death. Through intimate interviews and an extensive collection of never-before-seen photos and home movies, she grapples with her mother’s complicated public and private legacy, uncovering the surprising layers and depth of who Jayne was, not only to her fans, but also to those closest to her.
Mariska was three years old when her mother, Jayne Mansfield, tragically died in a car accident at the age of 34—leaving behind five children. The film follows Mariska as she seeks to answer her long-held questions about her mother and integrate the truths she uncovers into her own sense of self. As she explores the complexities behind who Jayne Mansfield was in public, she reckons with the persona that Jayne created, but was later desperate to escape. Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings, who each has their own memories of their mother, and an excavation of the photographs, letters, and cherished belongings Jayne left behind, Mariska assembles a new picture of the extraordinary, complex woman whose image and legacy she resisted for so many years. With courage and vulnerability, Mariska engages in the process of opening herself to a new, hard-won collection of memories—and a deeper level of truth.
Featuring film clips from Jayne’s work in the 1950s and ‘60s, archival footage from her many talk show appearances and interviews, as well as striking personal footage, the film contextualizes the dazzling star power of the most photographed Hollywood celebrity of her day. A story of loss and longing, healing and transformation, MY MOM JAYNE is a testament to the rewards of an unflinching search for truth, unveiling Mariska’s journey to reclaim her mother’s story—and her own.
- Featured Participants: Mariska’s siblings Jayne Marie Mansfield, Mickey Hargitay, Jr., Zoltan Hargitay, and Tony Cimber; stepmother Ellen Hargitay; and Jayne Mansfield’s press secretary Raymond “Rusty” Strait.
- Credits: HBO Documentary Films presents MY MOM JAYNE, a Mighty Entertainment Production. Directed and produced by Mariska Hargitay; produced by Trish Adlesic; executive produced by Lauran Bromley. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller; and senior producer, Anna Klein.
Source: Warner Bros. Discovery
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