Mariska Hargitay will direct the story of her late mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, in the HBO Original documentary My Mom Jayne. This is the Law & Order: SVU star’s feature film directorial debut, and also the first time she’s discussed her mother’s legacy. In a statement, Hargitay said that “this movie is a labor of love and longing.” She added: “It’s a search for the mother I never knew, an integration of a part of myself I’d never owned, and a reclaiming of my mother’s story and my own truth.” Mansfield was a Golden Globe winner and Hollywood bombshell in the ‘50s and ‘60s. She died in a car accident aged 34, with Hargitay and her two brothers in the backseat. Hargitay was only three at the time. In this film, she is now seeking “to know, understand, and embrace her mother for the first time,” according to a statement by Warner Bros. Discovery. “I’ve always believed there is strength in vulnerability, and the process of making this film has confirmed that belief like never before,” Hargitay said. The documentary will present a collection of “never-before-seen” photos and home movies as Hargitay “grapples with her mother’s public and private legacy and discovers the layers and depth of who Jayne was, not only to her audience but to those who were closest to her,” said Warner Bros. Discovery. The actress previously produced the Emmy-winning documentary I Am Evidence on HBO and is currently producing an HBO Original doc with Trish Adlesic. Adlesic will also be a producer for My Mom Jayne. The documentary will available to stream on Max in June.
