Fresh Air Best Of: Mariska Hargitay / Marc Maron
Aug 2, 2025
Mariska Hargitay, Emmy-winning star of Law & Order: SVU, shares insights about her deeply personal documentary, My Mom Jayne, honoring her late mother, Jayne Mansfield. Marc Maron discusses his mixed feelings about ending his podcast, reflecting on grief and his quirky cats, while promoting his new HBO special, Panicked. Both guests connect through their creative journeys, exploring themes of loss, identity, and reinvention. Meanwhile, Ken Tucker celebrates Parliament’s iconic album, Mothership Connection, marking its 50th anniversary.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Parker's Hidden Depths
- Colonel Tom Parker was much deeper and more vulnerable than the character he portrayed.
- His sensitivity and openness were unexpected traits revealed through his letters and interviews.
Parker Defends Elvis' Choice
- Elvis insisted on recording 'Heartbreak Hotel' against RCA's wishes.
- Colonel Tom Parker resolutely defended Elvis' artistic choices, which ultimately paid off with the song's huge success.
Parker's Reinvented Identity
- Colonel Tom Parker was born Andreas Cornelius van Kerk in Holland and reinvented himself as an American showman.
- His early life marked by family trauma, he fully embraced self-invention in America.
