“Badass” is a word that describes Mariska Hargitay on and off the screen. Whether portraying Olivia Benson or being a feminist icon in her day-to-day life, her strength has defined her for decades.

In 2024, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show to speak about how “badass” she felt at age 60 — and how she decided to stop running from the pain that defined much of her younger self.

“60 is the new 50,” Hargitay told Drew Barrymore. “But 50 was great because it got me ready for my badass era.”

Nobody is more comfortable in their own skin these days than Hargitay. As it turns out, she’s gained a newfound perspective on the things that truly matter as she’s gotten older.

“As we age, we step into our power,” she explained. “Our focus on what’s truly important narrows, and we gain more time and clarity.”

Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) on Law & Order Season 24 Episode 3. Photo: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

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.

From dealing with the death of her mother at a young age and surviving an assault in her 30s, Hargitay is no stranger to trauma. But fortunately, she’s come out the other side a stronger woman — and a certified badass!

The longtime SVU star went on to explain that she doesn’t run from those traumas anymore — she deals with them head-on.

“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.”

Mariska Hargitay reflects on reaching milestones later in life

Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann at the inaugural Gotham TV Awards held at Cipriani 25 Broadway on June 4, 2024 in New York City. Photo: John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Hargitay turned 61 this past January, and during a conversation with PEOPLE a few weeks before her big day, she admitted she couldn’t help but be excited about her latest milestone.

“I’m so excited,” she confessed. “I announce it constantly. I’m proud of it. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”

A perennial “late bloomer,” Hargitay listed all the things she accomplished later in life — and it’s awe-inspiring!

“The age thing was never something I was scared of. I didn’t get cast until I was 35, and then the show kept going as I aged. At 45, we’d been on for ten years and I just met my husband. The man of my dreams. I got married at 40. I had August at 42. So it was like defying all the odds.”