Mariska Hargitay is already having an extraordinary Emmy season, taking home two prestigious awards for her documentary My Mom Jayne. The HBO film, a poignant exploration of her late mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, and a personal quest to understand her biological father, was honored with the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Hargitay herself also claimed the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, marking a significant achievement for the veteran actress.
These early honors were presented during the 78th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards weekend, specifically at what were formerly known as the Creative Arts Emmys. The ceremonies will continue before culminating in the televised Primetime Emmys on Monday, September 14, airing on NBC and the Peacock streaming platform, which Hargitay is set to host.
Accepting the award for Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Hargitay paid tribute to the late feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who recently passed away at 92. "My hero and friend Gloria Steinem recently said, ‘Please tell your own story,’" Hargitay shared from the stage. "The most important thing we can do for each other is to know each other through stories. I got to know my mother through telling the story. It’s a gift that’s indescribable."
Upon receiving the directing trophy, Hargitay expressed her overwhelming joy and the personal journey behind the film. "It took me a while when I decided to make this film during the pandemic. It took me a while to realize that this was my story to tell. I could direct it," she reflected. She once again invoked Steinem's powerful advice, extending an invitation, especially to women: "I just want that invitation to go out, especially to women. I’m so excited to explore and discover and innovate new ways of telling stories from half of the earth’s population because we don’t hear from you enough. I can’t wait to get to know you."
This double Emmy win caps an already remarkable year for Hargitay, who is preparing for her 28th season as the star of Law & Order: SVU. In addition to premiering My Mom Jayne, she made her Broadway debut in Every Brilliant Thing and embraced the challenge of hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Reflecting on her busy schedule backstage, Hargitay shared her philosophy: "Dreaming is actually part of planning. I’m at a place in my life where I just say yes, I said yes to Broadway, and I said yes to hosting the Emmys. When they called me, they thought it was a joke. It’s a year of firsts and a year of saying yes. Not limiting myself or not being governed by fear. What if it all works out? That’s the process of art. I’m in that place right now, I’ll figure it out. I’m really happy right now."
In the highly competitive Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special category, My Mom Jayne bested a strong field of nominees including John Candy: I Like Me, Marty, Life Is Short, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, and Ocean with David Attenborough. For Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, Hargitay triumphed over Lawrence Kasdan for Marty, Life Is Short, Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio for Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, Alexandria Stapelton for Sean Combs: The Reckoning, and Rebecca Miller for Mr. Scorsese.
While Miller didn't win for directing, her five-part docuseries about legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese secured the marquee award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The series features an impressive lineup of luminaries like Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodie Foster, Paul Schrader, Nicholas Pileggi, Spike Lee, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Scorsese himself offered intimate interviews, delving into his career highs and lows, his complex romantic life, and his upbringing as an asthmatic child in New York City.
