Christopher Meloni is an acclaimed American actor best known for his portrayal of NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which ran from 1999 to 2011 and was revived in 2021.
He is also featured in the spin-off series Organized Crime, which started airing in 2021, and received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work.
Early Life & Education
Christopher Peter Meloni was born on April 2, 1961, in Washington, D.C. He grew up with two older siblings and distinguished himself as a quarterback on his high school football team, which achieved an undefeated record in 1978.
Following his high school graduation, Meloni pursued acting at the University of Colorado at Boulder before relocating to New York City to train with the renowned acting instructor Sanford Meisner.
Christopher Meloni Career
Christopher Meloni’s acting journey began at a gradual pace, as he secured minor roles in commercials, television programs, and films.
His breakthrough came with significant performances in movies such as Bound and Runaway Bride, as well as the television series NYPD Blue.
In the subsequent years, Meloni’s career gained momentum with notable roles in Oz and Dick Wolf’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Although he departed from SVU following unsuccessful contract negotiations, he revealed in 2020 his intention to return to the character in a spin-off series.
In addition to his roles in Oz and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Christopher Meloni has featured in a variety of other television series, such as Scrubs, True Blood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Pose, and Happy!, the latter of which he also served as an executive producer.
Furthermore, Meloni has gained recognition for his performances in several films, including Wet Hot American Summer, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Man of Steel, They Came Together, and the Harold and Kumar series.
Beyond his “traditional roles,” Christopher Meloni has made a name for himself as a voice actor in both animated series and video games.
He is particularly recognized for his portrayal of the Green Lantern in the 2009 film Green Lantern: First Flight and for voicing John Taylor in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
Personal Life
On July 1, 1995, Christopher Meloni wed Doris Sherman Meloni, a production designer. The couple has two children, both born via surrogacy: a daughter who arrived in March 2001 and a son born in January 2004.
Mariska Hargitay, who starred alongside Meloni in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and maintains a close friendship with him, serves as the godmother to his daughter.
Net Worth
Christopher Meloni is a prominent American actor with an estimated net worth of $30 million. While he is widely recognized for his role as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, his career encompasses a diverse array of television shows and films.
