Christopher Meloni
Christopher Meloni is an American actor renowned for his role as Detective Elliot Stabler on the acclaimed television series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and its spin-off "Law & Order: Organized Crime." Born on April 2, 1961, in Washington, D.C., Meloni initially had an uncertain career path, engaging in high school athletics and humor rather than academics. His journey into acting began in college, where he discovered his passion for drama while studying at the University of Colorado Boulder, ultimately graduating with a degree in history.
Meloni's career in acting took off in New York City, where he began landing various roles, including a significant part on HBO's "Oz." His portrayal of Stabler from 1999 to 2011 solidified his status as a prominent figure in television, earning him an Emmy nomination. Following his tenure on "SVU," he diversified his roles across genres, appearing in films like "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" and series such as "Happy!" and "The Handmaid's Tale." Meloni is also recognized for his ability to play both comedic and serious roles, showcasing his versatility as an actor. Outside his professional life, he has been married to production designer Sherman Williams since 1995 and has two children.
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Subject Terms
Christopher Meloni
Actor
- Born: April 2, 1961
- Place of Birth: Washington, DC
Contribution: Christopher Meloni is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Detective Elliot Stabler on the hit television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Background
Christopher Meloni was born on April 2, 1961, in Washington, DC. He did not originally plan on becoming an actor. In fact, he did not have any plans for a specific career while he was in school. Meloni played high school football, and he did not take his academic studies particularly seriously. He has described himself as the class clown whose parents were called in frequently for school meetings.
After high school, Meloni attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. He began taking drama classes and realized that he enjoyed acting immensely. During his junior year, the overly confident Meloni rode his motorcycle from Colorado to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in his newfound interest. He was woefully unprepared, however, and when he was asked for a résumé, Meloni decided he should return to Colorado to complete his studies. After graduating with a degree in history in 1983, the aspiring actor moved to New York City—this time much more prepared—to pursue an acting career.
Career
In New York City, Meloni supported himself by working as a bouncer. His first acting job came in 1988 with a single-episode role in the television series The Equalizer. This part paved the way for his first major role, a season-long recurring role on the television series 1st & Ten: The Championship. Meloni followed this with the television movie When Will I Be Loved? (1990).
These early roles gave him the experience he needed to land a starring role in the sitcom The Fanelli Boys. Though the show only lasted one season, it proved to be a milestone for Meloni. After the series ended, he landed another lead in the comedy The Boys in 1993. This show had the same fate as The Fanelli Boys, however, lasting only several episodes.
After some small parts in films and other projects, Meloni was cast as the lead in the new television series Misery Loves Company in 1995. The show suffered the same fate as his other two sitcoms. The actor then kept himself busy with roles in the films Twelve Monkeys (1995) and Bound (1996). After a recurring role on the series NYPD Blue from 1996 to 1997, Meloni was cast in the ill-fated series Leaving LA, which aired for a single season in 1997.
Despite his bad luck streak in television, the actor continued to pursue work on the small screen. His fate changed in 1998 when he was cast in the second season of the HBO (Home Box Office) television series Oz as convicted murderer Chris Keller. His character recurred on the show in more than three dozen episodes over six years, from 1998 to 2003.
One year after beginning work on Oz, Meloni was cast in the role for which he would become best known: the role of Detective Elliot Stabler on the award-winning crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He stayed in this role from 1999 to 2011, leaving the show after a contract dispute. For his role on Law & Order: SVU, Meloni was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 2006.
While working on Law & Order, Meloni took on a slew of other roles. He appeared in the comedy film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) and its sequel, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008). He also starred in Nights in Rodanthe (2008) and played the dramatic role of R/Subject #3 in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009).
After leaving Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Meloni played vampire government head Roman Zimojic on a five-episode story arc on the popular HBO television series True Blood in 2012. In 2013, he landed a starring role in the comedy film Awful Nice and appeared in the Superman reboot Man of Steel (2013) and the comedy 42. The following year, he appeared in several films, including Small Time, They Came Together, White Bird in a Blizzard, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. He also had several television roles, including starring in the series Surviving Jack and Beef, and guest-starring in Veep.
During the mid- to late-2010s, Meloni continued to take on lead roles in several projects, including the crime drama I Am Wrath (2016), the thriller Marauders (2016), the historic television drama and Underground (2016–17). Starting in 2017, Meloni starred as injured hitman Nick Sax in the dark comedy series Happy!. Sax wakes up on a television gurney to find that he has a new acquaintance: a perky blue unicorn named Happy. Meloni also served as an executive producer for the show. In 2018, Meloni guest-starred as the wealthy and powerful Dick Ford on the award-winning television drama Pose and was nominated for several awards for his performance. Meloni played another powerful character, Commander George Winslow, on the third season of the award-winning dystopian drama, The Handmaid's Tale (2019).
In the 2020s, the actor returned with fanfare to the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit series for which he was best known. He went on to star in a new series in the franchise, Law & Order: Organized Crime, in 2021. Meloni was writing an episode for the fifth season of the new series, which had begun its run on NBC before it was moved to the network's streaming service, Peacock. He was also busy with voice roles in animated series, including Harley Quinn (2019-23) and Captain Fall (2023).
Impact
Meloni originally made a name for himself by playing characters on both sides of the law. After a twelve-year stint on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit playing a detective, Meloni broke free from the legal drama typecast and secure a variety of comedic and dramatic roles that demonstrate the range of his acting ability. He returned as the star of another series in the Law & Order franchise.
Personal Life
Meloni married production designer Sherman Williams in 1995. They have two children, Sophia and Dante.
Bibliography
Hays, Holly. “Why Christopher Meloni is TV’s Foxiest Detective.” Redbook. Hearst Communication, n.d. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Huff, Richard. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Star Chris Meloni on Belonging as an Actor in New York.” Daily News. NYDailyNews.com, 26 Mar. 2010. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Jeffery, Morgan. “Chris Meloni: ‘No Regrets Over Law & Order: SVU Exit.’” Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK, 28 June 2011. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Jewel, Dan. “Runaway Guy.” People. Time Inc., 6 Sept. 1999. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Schonfeld, Alexandra. "Christopher Meloni Is Writing a Season 5 Episode of Organized Crime—and Mariska Hargitay Will Guest Star! (Exclusive)." People, 1 Aug. 2024, people.com/christopher-meloni-writing-season-5-episode-organized-crime-mariska-hargitay-guest-star-exclusive-8686921. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.
Vineyard, Jennifer. “Chris Meloni on Man of Steel and Almost Shooting His Stunt Double.” Vulture. New York Media, 18 June 2013. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.