Mickey Hargitay dies at 80

Mickey Hargitay, the Hungarian-born body builder who won the 1995 Mr. Universe Competition and then launched a successful movie career, has died at the age of 80.

Mickey was married to Hollywood sex symbol Jayne Mansfield and was father to "Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay. Mickey died of multiple myeloma Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Walter Winchell once said that what [President] Eisenhower did for golf, Mickey Hargitay did for bodybuilding, because he brought it to the forefront," Gene Mozee, a bodybuilding historian and writer for Iron Man magazine, told The Times on Monday.

"Back in those days, bodybuilding was thought of as a freakish, unusual activity that wasn't popular with the general public," Mozee told the Times. "At that time, athletic coaches discouraged lifting weights, thinking you'd become muscle bound. And along came Mickey Hargitay, a great all-around athlete."

Mickey Hargitay's film credits include, "Promises! Promises!" "Bloody Pit of Horror" and "Primitive Love."