InstagramFifty has never looked so fabulous!
Elizabeth Hurley turned the big 5-0 Wednesday. Hard to believe, right? To mark the milestone, the birthday beauty told Hello! magazine that she "chose not to have a big party but several big lunches and dinners."
"I really get to see everyone I adore," she explained.
The Royals actress was joined by her "oldest friends and family" to kick-start the festivities Sunday. Hurley shared an Instagram photo of her crown-shaped cake—a nod to her character, Queen Helena. "Wonderful day with my oldest friends and family chez moi. All hail my fabulous cake xxx," she wrote. Hurley later tweeted, "A perfect English day with old friends and the best pre birthday cake ever."
What does Hurley hope will happen in the next decade?
"I'm expecting more of the same and then some. I love my life, I love change and I love new experiences," she said. "Saying yes is so liberating; it's my favorite word."
Hurley revealed on Monday that she will begin shooting the second season of E!'s The Royals next week. After the first season finale in May, show creator Mark Schwahn told E! News' Alicia Quarles that the second season will address three major plot points: who is responsible for the king's murder, what is domino and are Liam and Eleanor illegitimate? "We're going to answer all those questions," he said.
For Hurley, starring in E!'s first scripted series was a dream come true. "I like it when Helena's bad," she said. "I like playing bad. You know what? When I started working as an actress, I played the English rose for a while. And then I played bad once, and after that I've never looked back. I've been playing bad ever since."
That said, Helena isn't all bad.
"I think I have a line in the show where I say, 'It's becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between the heroes and the villains.' I think for Helena in particular, without any doubt, she does some villainous things, but I believe that she has a heroic spirit somewhere inside her rather unpleasant, manipulative persona. I believe she really thinks that what she's doing is for the greater good," Hurley said. "Now, I don't think many people agree with her, but I think she's right."
The Royals returns for a second season in November.