Hargitay won the Mr. Universe title in 1955. He also held the titles Mr. America and Mr. Olympia.
Mickey Hargitay was born Miklós Hargitay in Budapest in 1926. In 1947, he fled Hungary to escape the draft and settled in Cleveland. Here he started body building. He used his magnificent physique to land a performance career when he joined Mae West?s New York revue. In 1958, he was married to the sex siren Jayne Mansfield. The two had three children, among them the Emmy Award-winning actress Mariska Hargitay.
Hargitay started acting when he met his wife, making his big-screen debut in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." He went on to star opposite his wife in three films: "The Loves of Hercules," "Promises! Promises!" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"
Mansfield died in a car crash in 1967.
The politician and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Hargitay in the 1982 TV movie "The Jayne Mansfield Story," offered his condolences and called Hargitay "a magnificent individual."
"Mickey was such an inspiration and always had such a positive attitude," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "He was a role model of mine for being a successful immigrant who came to this country and pursued his dreams."
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / AP / AFP / Reuters
