A Tribute to Personal Storytelling
Mariska Hargitay recently accepted a Creative Arts Emmy Award for her directorial debut, My Mom Jayne. During her emotional acceptance speech at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, the actress and director honored the legacy of the late feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who passed away on September 2 at the age of 92.
Reflecting on her journey behind the camera, Hargitay shared: “I’m utterly overwhelmed, as you can imagine. I just wanted to share with you that it took me a while to realize that this was my story to tell. I didn’t think that I could direct it, and so I just want to add something to Gloria’s pointer and that is about telling your own story.”
Connecting Through Shared Narratives
Steinem’s final interview, featured in the documentary series Famous Last Words, served as a poignant call to action for the public. In it, she famously urged people to “please tell your own story,” noting that it is “the most important thing we can do for each other.”
Hargitay, whose documentary explores the life of her late mother, Jayne Mansfield, echoed this sentiment on stage. She extended a specific invitation to women to embrace their own voices:
“I’m so excited to explore and discover and to innovate new ways of hearing stories from half of the world’s population because we don’t hear from you nearly enough. I can’t wait to get to know you. Thank you, this is meaningful.”
Discovering Her Roots
The process of creating My Mom Jayne proved to be a transformative experience for Hargitay. In an earlier interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she discussed how the documentary allowed her to bridge the gap between herself and her mother.
“During the making of this film and on this journey, I’ve had so many moments where I got to see our similarity, or what I came from,” Hargitay explained. “What I admire and revere and respect are the things about her that I’m in awe of and the things about her that are so similar to how I am. So, in that way, it has been this gift. It’s so magnificent.”