Mariska Hargitay

Biography: The daughter of bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay and tragic Hollywood bombshell Jayne Mansfield, Hargitay embarked on an acting career in the early '80s. Primarily a small-screen player, Hargitay floundered in a succession of short-lived series (Tequila and Bonetti, Prince Street) before a recurring part as Dr. Greene's ditzy girlfriend on ER jump-started her career in the late '90s. In 1999 she landed a leading role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a tough but empathetic sex-crime detective. Her work on the show earned her an Emmy in 2006 — the same year she gave birth to her son with husband Peter Hermann — and inspired her to found the Joyful Heart Foundation, which assists sexual-assault survivors.