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Mariska Hargitay Clarifies How to Pronounce Her Name

She explains that “Mariska” is a Hungarian diminutive of Maria that translates to “Little Maria.”

Overview

  • On Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast on Oct. 21, Hargitay said her first name is pronounced “Muh-rish-kuh.”
  • She said mispronunciations persist, recalling a cousin repeatedly calling her “Muh-ris-kuh” at a recent family lunch.
  • To cut down on corrections on set, she writes “Marishhhhka” on Law & Order: SVU call sheets to stress the H sound.
  • She listed common wrong versions, including “Mar-see-kuh” and “Mar-kis-kuh,” and said co-star Chris Meloni has playfully used “Mar-it-zah.”
  • Coverage links her clarification to a wider pattern of stars addressing name pronunciation, citing Kirsten Dunst, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Denzel Washington and Steve Buscemi.