Mariska Hargitay Celebrates 50th Birthday on Set in N.Y.C.

The Law & Order: SVU star shows off her gluten-free birthday cake

Photo: Zelig Shaul/ACE/INF

Age is clearly nothing but a number for Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, who happily celebrated turning 50 on set in N.Y.C. Thursday, flaunting it with a pair of giant silver glasses announcing her milestone birthday.

Hargitay was all smiles as she accepted a pink rose, lily and daisy-covered birthday cake, Tweeting a photo of the colorful confection, which she noted was gluten-free.

Hargitay, who plays the tough and tender Sergeant Olivia Benson on the long-running show, now in its 15th season, has been a poster girl for embracing beauty and change as she grows older in the celebrity spotlight. She told Ladies’ Home Journal last year that she was proud of her curves as a mother of three children, eschewing Hollywood’s over-sexualized and unrealistic expectations of women.

“I don’t think women should label themselves based on the way they look,” Hargitay said. “What about defining yourself by a different kind of measurement? What about your heart, your soul, your compassion, your generosity, your strength, and your power? There are so many other things to focus on besides your waistline.”

Well put, Birthday Girl!