Mariska Hargitay’s Surprising 40-Year Acting Journey: From ‘Ghoulies’ to ‘SVU’ Star

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  • Mariska Hargitay Started at the Bottom With ‘Ghoulies’
  • ‘Ghoulies’ Inspired Three Bad Sequels
  • It Took 15 Years for Hargitay to Be Taken Seriously as an Actress

Back when Mariska Hargitay was relatively unrecognized, she landed the role of Olivia Benson in the long-running crime drama TV series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” When the show initially aired in 1999, Benson started as a junior detective. Over the span of the series’ impressive 26 seasons, her rank progressed significantly, moving from sergeant to commanding officer, lieutenant, and eventually captain. In portraying the longest-running character in one of television’s longest-running dramas, Hargitay has ascended to becoming one of TV’s highest-paid actresses and claimed two Emmy Awards.

Similar to how Mark Harmon’s portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS is what he’s most known for, overshadowing other aspects of his career, Mariska Hargitay has become so closely associated with the Benson character that her extensive acting history before 1999, which includes her early roles like the one in the cheesy horror film Ghoulies from 1985, often gets overshadowed. However, it’s worth noting that Hargitay’s career-defining move in 1999 with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is especially remarkable when considered against her less inspiring early years in the acting industry.

In the movie Ghoulies, Hargitay portrays Donna, a member of a group of jovial college students who accept an invitation from a young man residing in a remote California mansion, known for his occult practices, which accidentally summons a horde of tiny demonic entities called Ghoulies, accompanied by two dwarves. Although it may seem dated and unoriginal, Ghoulies is still intriguing to watch nowadays, as we can appreciate how the 61-year-old Hargitay managed to rise above the silliness of the film and establish herself as a talented dramatic actress.

Mariska Hargitay Started at the Bottom With ‘Ghoulies’

As a cinephile, I find an intriguing parallel between the illustrious career of Jamie Lee Curtis and Mariska Hargitay. Born into the glamorous world of Hollywood, Mariska is the daughter of the iconic Jayne Mansfield, who tragically passed away in a car accident on June 29, 1967. Remarkably, at the time of her mother’s death, Mariska was only three years old, sharing that fateful journey with her beloved mother.

Her heritage, coupled with her striking beauty, paved the way for her initial foray into acting, as evidenced by her role in Ghoulies. In this film, Hargitay’s captivating looks and radiant smile were on full display, yet the role seemed to lack meaningful dialogue or action that could fully showcase her talents.

In the movie “Ghoulies”, the character portrayed by Hargitay, named Donna, is initially depicted as a carefree college girl attending a party at the central mansion in Los Angeles. However, her weekend of frivolity takes a gruesome turn when she’s brutally attacked and killed by the Ghoulies near the courtyard fountain. In a surprising twist, Donna is later resurrected in the movie’s final scene. Unfortunately for Hargitay, her distinctive, deep voice led the producers of “Ghoulies” to use sound effects to mimic Donna’s screams during the attack scenes, hindering any potential dreams she might have had of becoming a scream queen.

‘Ghoulies’ Inspired Three Bad Sequels

When the movie “Ghoulies” premiered in North America in January 1985, it was quickly identified as a shameless imitation of the popular 1984 horror-comedy film “Gremlins.” Since “Ghoulies” was being made around the same time as “Gremlins,” Warner Bros., the distributor of “Gremlins,” took legal action to stop “Ghoulies” from using a title that was too similar, but they were unsuccessful in their attempt.

Despite receiving poor critical reception, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 7% from critics and 20% from audiences, the film Ghoulies managed to generate an impressive $35 million in combined box office and home video revenue, significantly surpassing its production budget of $5 million. This “so-bad-it’s-good” reputation has even fostered a dedicated fanbase for Ghoulies, leading to several sequels. The saga began with the 1987 release of Ghoulies II, set in an amusement park, followed by Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go College in 1991 and Ghoulies IV in 1994.

Mariska Hargitay didn’t show up in any of the Ghoulies sequels, but her presence continued to be significant in B-Movies from the mid-80s to early 90s. For instance, in the 1987 teen comedy Jocks, she played an older love interest for a young tennis prodigy. In the 1991 romantic comedy Hard Time Romance, directed by John Lee Hancock for his debut, Hargitay portrayed a woman yearning to wed a second-rate rodeo cowboy. This was followed by her role as a karate instructor in the 1991 martial arts action film The Perfect Weapon.

It Took 15 Years for Hargitay to Be Taken Seriously as an Actress

Prior to the mid-1990s, Mariska Hargitay, who transitioned from being a teen beauty queen to an actress, was often stereotyped in roles that primarily demanded her to appear attractive rather than showcase acting skills. However, in the 1995 drama film “Leaving Las Vegas,” Hargitay portrayed a hooker competing with Elisabeth Shue’s prostitute character Sera. Additionally, she was initially cast as Dulcea, the scantily-dressed warrior, in the 1995 superhero film “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie,” but was eventually replaced by Gabrielle Fitzpatrick.

Initially, her past work didn’t seem to indicate that she was the ideal candidate for portraying Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. However, Hargitay has proven herself exceptionally skilled and compelling in this role across 26 seasons, demonstrating both her hidden talents and the foresight of Law & Order creator Dick Wolf. It’s evident that he recognized qualities within Hargitay that were not visible during her time in Ghoulies, a fact that can be confirmed by streaming it for free on Tubi.

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2025-02-16 18:32