Jamie Lee Curtis and Mariska Hargitay: A Late-Blooming Sisterhood Rooted in Hollywood Legacy

Both actresses descend from iconic Hollywood families—Curtis, daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh; Hargitay, daughter of Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay. Their families intersected when Hargitay’s childhood home on Sunset Boulevard, a pink house later bought by Tony Curtis, placed the two as next-door neighbors. A photo captured them together as children, though they never formed a friendship at the time.

Mariska Hargitay & Jamie Lee Curtis Share Surprise Childhood Connection: "We Were..."Express Tribune

In 2023 a mutual acquaintance re-linked the pair while Hargitay was filming her HBO documentary *My Mom Jayne*, which explores Mansfield’s life and premiered in 2025. Hargitay described the first call as “a missing piece of my life” and praised Curtis as “one of the most deeply sensitive, empathetic and compassionate humans that I’ve met.” Curtis called the renewed bond “deep, raw, human and has nothing to do with show-off business,” underscoring its personal significance.

Mariska Hargitay & Jamie Lee Curtis Share Surprise Childhood Connection: "We Were..."

Both women highlighted the series’ shift to female creative leadership. Hargitay noted Michele Fazekas as showrunner and Brenna Malloy as directing producer, calling the arrangement “everything.” Curtis observed that “both women, now over 60, are working on productions led by female creative leaders.” Their current projects reflect this trend: Curtis serves as star and producer on the upcoming series *Scarpetta* with Nicole Kidman, while Hargitay prepares for her stage debut in *Every Brilliant Thing*, describing it as “a dream come true… a different sandbox.”

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The actresses agreed that female leadership on *SVU* has injected fresh energy into the show and aligns with their advocacy for women’s empowerment. Hargitay credited Fazekas and Malloy for expanding her creative range, while Curtis emphasized the importance of seeing women over 60 helm major productions. Together they frame their friendship as both personally meaningful and emblematic of a broader industry shift toward senior female representation.

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• “You have really funny legs.” — John Ritter, Actor

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• “I am very unlike Olivia Benson, but nobody knows that except for my friends.” — Mariska Hargitay, Actress

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• “For anyone uninitiated, that's how we met, and that's where the connective tissue is," she said.” — Jamie Lee Curtis, Actress

Mariska Hargitay & Jamie Lee Curtis Share Surprise Childhood Connection: "We Were..."

Hargitay will appear in *Every Brilliant Thing* later this year, while Curtis continues production on *Scarpetta*. *Law & Order: SVU* is slated for Season 28 with its female-led creative team, though a premiere date remains unannounced. Both women anticipate further collaborations that reinforce their shared commitment to senior female representation in entertainment.

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