My Mom Jayne (2025) reminds me of Stewie Griffin’s suggesting that, while they’re not actually related, Brad Pitt being John Lithgow’s nephew sounds like something that could be true. Discovering that Mariska Hargitay is Jayne Mansfield’s daughter kind of has the opposite effect. First, there’s the apparent lack of physical resemblance. Then, there’s the antithetical career paths. Mansfield was a celebrity, a movi…

It's a strange kind of coincidence that trying to find out more about a family member you didn’t really know can end up being a journey of self-discovery. That’s what happened to actress Mariska Hargitay, daughter of screen legend Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967), who directed this new and revealing HBO documentary exploring her connection—or lack thereof—with the famous mother she lost in a car accident when she was only…