Mariska Hargitay on Entering Her ‘Badass Era’ at 60 and Finding Strength Through Every Challenge

Mariska Hargitay is a mainstay in television, not to mention female empowerment, and is looking to her new decade with vigor, rigor and clarity. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star recently stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show to share her thoughts on what it’s been like to enter her 60s, reflecting on aging and entering what she’s calling her “badass era.”

“Sixty is the new 50,” Hargitay declared. “But 50 was great because it got me ready for my badass era.”

Hargitay, who turned 60 in January, is ready to live this new era fully, focusing on what truly matters to her.

Reflecting on this decade, she explains, “As we age, we step into our power. Our focus on what’s truly important narrows, and we gain more time and clarity.” Hargitay describes this shift as “the gift of clarity.”

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Hargitay says she’s ‘stronger than ever’ after turning 60

Aging has always been something Hargitay embraces. She finds beauty in growing older, noting that the best things in life happened later, including getting married and becoming a mom.

“ I’m so excited . I announce it constantly. I’m proud of it. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been,” says Hargitay. “The age thing was never something I was scared of. I didn’t get cast [on SVU ] until I was 35 and then the show kept going as I aged…I got married at 40. I had August [her eldest son] at 42. So, it was like defying all the odds.”

Hargitay has found new clarity and strength in her 60s

Despite challenges, including a difficult childhood and personal losses, Hargitay says turning 60 has brought her renewed peace. After Barrymore asked if she  could have found clarity sooner, Hargitay explained that her journey was complicated.

“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.”

Though Hargitay has faced immense challenges, including losing her mother—actress Jayne Mansfield—at just 3 years old, and surviving an assault in her 30s, she hasn’t allowed hardships to define her. “ A lot of things happened to me and none of it defined me because my soul is evolving and I’m letting the butterfly spread its wings,” she says.

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Hargitay shares that you can overcome pain later in life

While Hargitay is candid about her struggles, she remains optimistic, believing that pain is not a permanent state. “You feel like it’s a bottomless well of pain,” she told Barrymore, “but then you realize that you can come out of it.”

As for turning 60, Hargitay couldn’t be happier, and she is ready to embrace her new badass era as she enters a new phase of life.

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