Mariska Hargitay Changed a Record-Breaking Number of Times During Emmys 2026 Hosting Gig
Mariska Hargitay Changed a Record-Breaking Number of Times During Emmys 2026 Hosting Gig
Lara WalshTue, September 15, 2026 at 4:06 PM UTC
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Host Mariska Hargitay on stage at the 2026 Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026Credit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -
Mariska Hargitay claimed the record for the most outfit changes at the 2026 Emmy Awards on September 14.
The Law & Order: SVU actress kicked off the evening in a plunging red-hot gown that paid homage to her late mom, Jayne Mansfield.
Hargitay paired her glamorous Emmy looks with equally daring hair transformations.
Mariska Hargitay embraced the evening’s chameleon assignment as she transformed the 2026 Emmy Awards stage into her own personal fashion show. The Law & Order: SVU actress swapped out her tailored blazers for bombshell glamour with a record-breaking 13 looks during her hosting gig—including kicking off the night in a plunging red-hot gown that nodded to her late mom, Jayne Mansfield.
Mariska Hargitay at the 2026 Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026Credit: Getty Images
As she posed on the red carpet with her husband Peter Hermann and all three of their kids for a rare joint appearance, Hargitay leaned into a multi-generational family style moment with her red sequined Monse gown—a reference to Mansfield’s red dress in the 1956 film The Girl Can’t Help It.
As Hargitay made the iconic look her own with a plunging sweetheart neckline and an asymmetrical train that was dripping with feathers, she swapped out her bob haircut for glamorous chest-length bombshell curls. Her daughter Amaya, 15, twinned with her mom in a midi-length recreation of the same look.
Host Mariska Hargitay on stage at the 2026 Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026Credit: Getty Images
As the evening progressed, Hargitay kept fans guessing with a dozen more outfit changes, which she complemented with equally headline-worthy beauty moments. The Emmy-winning star kept her voluminous long extensions, switching up her hairline and texture as she entertained the crowd in a strapless black gown with long leather gloves.
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Host Mariska Hargitay speaks onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.Credit: Getty Images
At one point, Hargitay took her extensions to new lengths, showing off a long dark brown hair transformation styled in retro-inspired va-va-voom curls. She kept the Old Hollywood scheme going with her red lipstick and a plunging black sequin gown, which was trimmed with silver along the low-cut neckline and down her skirt. She also kept her long locks as she changed into a silky white suit paired with a matching dress shirt during the show.
Mariska Hargitay with husband Peter Hermann and kids Andrew, August, and Amaya at the 2026 Emmy AwardsCredit: Getty Images
However, Hargitay proved that her bob era isn’t going anywhere as she also rocked her natural shoulder-length brunette locks on Monday night. At one point, the 62-year-old star wore her bob in a slicked-back style as she lit up the stage in a plunging silver sequined gown that featured a keyhole cutout. At another moment in the night, Hargitay’s cropped haircut was styled in side-parted waves as she dazzled in a bejeweled gray midi-length gown that was encrusted with jewels along her scoop neckline and glittered with rhinestones on her mermaid-style skirt.
The My Mother Jayne director—who also treated attendees to a House of the Dragon-themed spoof and a Law & Order: SVU skit featuring Taylor Swift—closed out the evening by coordinating with her sons August, 20, and Andrew, 14. She matched their tuxedos in a bodycon halterneck LBD with subtle waist cutouts and white panels running down the sides of her gown.
on InStyle
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
