In January 2024, as Mariska Hargitay celebrated her 60th birthday, she was bestowed with a gift beyond her wildest dreams. The occasion was marked in "My Mom Jayne," Hargitay's poignant documentary chronicling the life and enduring legacy of her late mother, Jayne Mansfield. At the film's heartwarming conclusion, Hargitay's husband, Peter Hermann, orchestrates a stunning surprise: the reappearance of her mother's cherished white grand piano.
The scene unfolds in a Los Angeles storage facility, where Hargitay arrives to find the meticulously restored instrument, flanked by her husband and their three children, eagerly awaiting her reaction. With eyes wide in anticipation, Hargitay hurriedly inquiries if the piano, which she had long been on a quest to locate, had finally come home to roost. "Happy birthday," Hermann affirms, sealing the moment with a smile.
The Tribeca Festival premiere of "My Mom Jayne" on June 13th was held at the hallowed halls of Carnegie Hall in New York City—a venue that had long been a dream stage for Mansfield. A talented pianist and violinist, she tragically passed away at the age of 34 in 1967, when Hargitay was just a toddler of three.
The documentary delves into Hargitay's, now 61, quest to comprehend the mother she barely knew. This poignant journey included amassing whatever tokens or possessions of Mansfield's she could lay her hands on. Among these, the piano held a special place, once owned by singer Engelbert Humperdinck, who had purchased Mansfield's Los Angeles mansion and retained possession of the instrument. Hargitay had harbored hopes that Humperdinck might one day part with it, engaging in months-long negotiations through his daughter Louise.
During the film's grand international premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May, Hargitay captivated the audience with an enchanting anecdote about the heartwarming surprise orchestrated by her husband. "It was my very first day on set when Peter rang, having already whisked the kids back home," she recounted, her voice filled with nostalgia. "He was on his way back to New York with them, directing me with urgency, 'Get in the car immediately. An Uber is waiting just outside,'" she continued. She playfully responded, "Are you drunk?" she chuckled, explaining that she had an interview with her brother Zoltan lined up.Relenting to Hermann's insistence, Hargitay stepped into the Uber, blissfully unaware of her ultimate destination. "Peter wouldn't answer my calls. Neither would August, my kids, nobody. That's when I pulled up to the storage facility. Peter had alerted [producer] Trish [Adlesic]. My director of photography and camera crew, who were meant to be at my brother's house, were there instead," she revealed. "I had no inkling that the piano would feature in the movie. It was a complete shock, pure, unadulterated magic."
"My Mom Jayne" premieres on HBO and Max on June 27th.
