Every Celebrity Mariska Hargitay Mocked During Emmys Opening Monologue - Newsweek
Mariska Hargitay made her hosting debut at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, using her opening monologue to playfully roast several high-profile stars.
The appearance marked a milestone for Hargitay, who became the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years.
Celebrities Nicole Kidman, Dick Wolf, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Martin Short found themselves the target of Hargitay's lighthearted jokes as she kicked off TV's biggest night.
Newsweek contacted the representatives of Kidman, Wolf, Poehler, Fey, Short and Hargitay via email on Tuesday.
Known to millions as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), Hargitay stepped into one of television's most visible hosting roles with a mix of music, self-deprecation and celebrity ribbing. Her monologue set the tone for the ceremony while highlighting both industry icons and some of television's most recognizable faces.
Hargitay's first outing as Emmys host began before she even reached the stage.
A prerecorded opening segment showed the actress preparing for the ceremony alongside New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Hoping for reassurance, she asked whether he had ever experienced a moment when millions of people were watching and everything came down to one night.
Brunson's deadpan response, "Seriously?" immediately undercut the comparison and delivered the first laugh of the evening.
The opening package also featured a surprise appearance from Taylor Swift in a spoof Law & Order: SVU sketch. Playing a rookie detective, Swift joined Hargitay's Benson in a tongue-in-cheek investigation into whether the singer would attend the Emmys, before joking that she might instead show up in a pre-taped segment supporting the host.
Afterward, Hargitay launched into a musical number built around Joan Jett's classic "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," rewriting the lyrics to spotlight Emmy nominees before transitioning into her live monologue.
One of Hargitay's earliest jokes targeted comedy powerhouses Poehler and Fey.
Referencing that she was the first woman to host the Emmys since Jane Lynch in 2011, Hargitay quipped: "For 15 straight years, Amy and Tina said no." The former Saturday Night Live stars co-hosted the Golden Globe Awards in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2021.
The line earned a strong response from the audience and allowed her to acknowledge the significance of her hosting role without taking herself too seriously.
Drawing on her decades portraying television detective Benson, Hargitay joked that seeing so many familiar faces in the audience was comforting.
She then delivered the punchline: many of those familiar faces were people she had "arrested" during guest appearances on Law & Order: SVU.
"You guys have done some unspeakable things," she told the audience. "I'm talking to you, Martin Short. You should be ashamed of yourself, my friend."
One of the night's most memorable moments came when Hargitay spoofed Kidman's famous AMC Theatres commercial.
With dramatic music playing behind her, she began reciting a version of the speech that moviegoers have come to recognize from the cinema chain's advertisements.
"At the end of the day, we come to TV for magic. To laugh, to cry, to care, because we need that, all of us," Hargitay declared.
Kidman, seated in the audience, fired back: "That's my bit. You can't do that!"
Hargitay also directed some playful humor toward longtime collaborator Dick Wolf, the creator of the Law & Order franchise.
"I couldn't do any of this without thanking the genius behind SVU, the legendary Dick Wolf, who has created over 40 shows, 13 of which are on the air right now," she said. "And I gotta say, you know, over the years, there have been a lot of jokes about his name, which is so unfair, because Dick Wolf isn't even his real name. His real name is Richard Penis."
Hargitay's Emmy appearance was significant for reasons beyond the opening monologue.
Her documentary My Mom Jayne, which explores the life of her mother, Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield, received major recognition from the Television Academy. The film won Outstanding Documentary, while Hargitay also earned Outstanding Directing for a Documentary.
Before Marilyn Monroe's influence had fully faded from Hollywood, Mansfield emerged as one of the entertainment industry's most recognizable stars. A blond bombshell known for her glamorous image, she built a career spanning film, television, theater and nightclub performances during the 1950s and 1960s.
Beyond her public persona, Mansfield cultivated a reputation for being surprisingly multifaceted. She studied several languages, played musical instruments and was often described as far more intellectually ambitious than the image promoted by Hollywood studios.
Her life ended abruptly in a 1967 car crash at age 34, leaving behind five children, including Hargitay—who was three years old at the time.
Hargitay has been married to actor Peter Hermann since 2004. The couple met while Hermann was guest-starring on Law & Order: SVU. Their marriage has become one of Hollywood's longest-lasting relationships, and Hermann is frequently seen supporting his wife at major industry events.
Hargitay and Hermann are parents to three children. They welcomed their son, August, in 2006 and later expanded their family through adoption, adding daughter Amaya and son Andrew. Hargitay has often spoken about the importance of family life alongside her demanding television career.
"Our family is so perfect, or at least perfect for me," she told People in 2018. "Together we're just this whole, happy, joyful, chaotic, crazy unit. I've never known anything that was more right."
Update, 9/15/2026, 3:50 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
Update, 9/15/2026, 4:35 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
Update, 9/15/2026, 6:22 a.m. ET: This story was updated to show that Newsweek reached out to Kidman, Wolf, Poehler, Fey, Short and Hargitay's representatives via email for comment on Tuesday.
