Miklós Károly "Mickey" Hargitay (January 6, 1926 – September 14, 2006) was a Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder. Born in Budapest, Hargitay immigrated to the United States at age 21 in 1947. Known as "Mickey", he eventually became a naturalized American citizen. He became known as a competitive bodybuilder, helping to popularize the sport and winning Mr. Universe in 1955. His bodybuilding gave him an entree to acting. In 1958, Hargitay married actress Jayne Mansfield. Hargitay and Mansfield made four movies together: Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957), The Loves of Hercules (1960), Promises! Promises! (1963), and Primitive Love (1964).
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Early life and early career
Miklós Károly Hargitay was born in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (present-day, Hungary) on January 6, 1926. His parents were Ferenc Hargitay and Mária Hargitay (née Rothsischer). Hargitay's father was an acrobat. During his youth, Hargitay was part of an acrobatic act with his brother. After being introduced to speed skating by his brother, Hargitay began competing in meets. In 1946, he won the Central European championship at 500 and 1,500 meters, and placed second in the 5,000 meter race. He was also a proficient football player, and was a resistance fighter during World War II.
