Mariska Hargitay Reveals Stunning Flashback Of Herself With Teen Idol

While Mariska Hargitay is an idol to many young viewers of her Captain Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, a role she has played for over two decades, we can all relate to having been young once and looking up to a star — even Hargitay herself. Late yesterday, the talented star revealed a stunning Wayback Wednesday photo of herself with a young man who was pretty much the biggest star in the world at that time.

Mariska Hargitay and David Cassidy

It may be hard for young kids to imagine it now, but The Partridge Family (which ran from 1970-1974), and David Cassidy in particular, who portrayed Keith Partridge, the lead singer of the fictional band the show was about, was hugely popular and a pop culture phenomenon. Millions of little girls had a crush on the actor/musician.

While we don’t know if Hargitay was one of those girls with a crush, she did get a picture of herself with the legendary star, who passed away on November 21, 2017. She posted it to Instagram — which you can see below — and it’s absolutely adorable. Hargitay, on the right, looks pretty happy as his arm is around her shoulders.

“On the …. day of Christmas my true love gave to me ….. , … , …, …. , and a partridge in a pear tree,” she wrote in the caption next to the incredible image. “🍐🎄 #tbt #70s #davidcassidy #bangs #BabyBensonInBellBottoms #BeforeTheBadge #minimariska #merrychristmas”

One thing Hargitay could certainly relate to the teen idol on is having famous parents. His father was Jack Cassidy, a famous actor (who didn’t necessarily appreciate that his son eclipsed his fame) and his stepmother was legendary actress and singer Shirley Jones, who played his mother on The Partridge Family.

Hargitay’s famous parents were of course big-screen siren Jayne Mansfield and 1955 Mr. Universe and actor Mickey Hargitay. You can enjoy Mariska Hargitay when Law & Order: SVU returns to the NBC lineup in 2021 on January 7. Check your local listings for airtimes.