Check out this throwback red carpet photo of the SVU star from 20 years ago!

2005 had it all: the first-ever video uploaded to YouTube, The Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps” taking over the airwaves, and Mariska Hargitay rocking stunning, beachy blonde hair. This subtle waves frame her face perfectly.

The longtime Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star unveiled her summery look at the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 18, 2005. By this time, Hargitay was already six years deep into her multi-decade SVU run and was well on her way to becoming the feminist icon she is today. For someone who always looks as fantastic as she does, seeing Hargitay with long, bouncy hair like this is just a bonus.

(Let’s add these unforgettable locks to the long list of fantastic hairstyles Hargitay has had over the years.)

Mariska Hargitay during 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California on September 18, 2005. 

Mariska Hargitay declares she is in her “badass era”

It’s official: the star has officially entered a new era! During a 2024 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Hargitay spoke about this exciting new stage of her life.

“60 is the new 50,” Hargitay told Drew Barrymore. “But 50 was great because it got me ready for my badass era. As we age, we step into our power. Our focus on what’s truly important narrows, and we gain more time and clarity.”

Fittingly, Hargitay calls this shift “the gift of clarity.” And that’s the simple key to why she feels how she does at her age.

Hargitay is no stranger to trauma, but fortunately, she’s come out the other side a stronger woman — and a certified badass!

“For me — and you know, both of us had these very specific childhoods with pain and trauma that gets in our bodies — and for me, as a young person, I spent my time running from it,” Hargitay said. “The only way out is through, I mean the only way out is through. For me I remember having a couple rough years where I had to really go in and face it, face the demons, face the monsters.”