Mariska Hargitay has conveyed a heartfelt message to her former colleague in response to the recent news of Christopher Meloni reprising his role as Elliot Stabler in a new "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" spinoff. Hargitay, who is 56 years old, expressed her joy and celebrated Meloni's birthday on Instagram. She shared a photograph of them together, both wrapped up warmly and smiling at each other. In the caption, she wrote, "Happy Birthday @chris_meloni. Congratulations and welcome home Elliot Stabler. #It’sBeenAWhile #MissedYou #ElliotStabler."

Meloni, who is now 59, worked alongside Hargitay on "SVU" from the very first episode in 1999 until his departure in 2011.

According to Deadline, the upcoming spinoff, which is still untitled, will focus on the NYPD organized crime unit, with Stabler leading the team. When Meloni left the show, his character retired from the police force, whereas Hargitay's character, Olivia Benson, continued her work.

Since his time on "SVU," Meloni has been involved in several notable projects, including "Veep," "Pose," and "The Handmaid's Tale."