Mariska Hargitay Celebrates 60 With Adorable Throwback And Sweet Birthday Wishes

On Tuesday, Mariska Hargitay celebrated her milestone 60th birthday. Leading up to the landmark occasion, she ushered in a new decade around the globe by looking to the past and sharing a rare baby photo that also acted as a reference to her famous mother, model Jayne Mansfield.

Hargitay was just three years old when her mother was killed in a brutal car collision. But she has been honoring her memory at every turn, even on her own special day, through informative speeches and bold fashion statements alike. But this year, Hargitay also received a special birthday shoutout from the family she made along the way through her two and a half decades on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Mariska Hargitay ushers in her 60th birthday with a throwback photo that’s a subtle nod to her mother

On January 18, Hargitay took to Instagram to share a rare baby photo of herself.  In the picture, her usual head of dark hair is done up away from her face and secured with a bow; at that age, Hargitay had long strands of bangs hanging in front of her eyes. “Baby Bow Benson,” she captioned the post, in reference to her SVU character Olivia Benson. “ Baby Benson with a bow? #RockABow #RockABowBaby.”

The large bow look is, itself, also a reference to a style choice sported by her late mother, Mansfield, who was 34 when she died in the crash that also claimed the lives of her attorney and the vehicle driver.

Also on January 18, Hargitay appeared on the TODAY show wearing a bow in her hair, which she identified as a style choice Mansfield boasted when she was much younger; Hargitay shared a rare photo of Mansfield at that stage of her life with dark hair, minimal makeup, and, of course, two big bows in her hair.

Mariska Hargitay also got a sweet 60th birthday message from her TV son

On the actual day of her 60th birthday, Ryan Buggle, who plays her TV son Noah, shared a heartwarming message of appreciation for Hargitay. “Happy Birthday M!!” he captioned the post, accompanied by a photo of the cast happily sat together.

“You’re a masterclass for life, and I think this day should be a national holiday! When people ask me what it’s like working with you I pretty much just say that I pinch myself because they should take how great they already think you are and multiply by infinity!” Additional photos are formal shots and candid snaps of moments shared between Hargitay and 13-year-old Buggle.

Hargitay happily reported that the big day was as joyful as could be. “Thank you for making my birthday wishes come true!” she shared in a follow-up post showing her blowing out candles on a beautiful cake. “#FeelngTheLove and is that the prettiest cake or what? #BestDayEver I’m still recovering from all the love bombing.”