Christopher Peter Meloni (/məˈloʊni/; born April 2, 1961)[1][2] is an American actor. He is known for portraying NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC legal drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–2011, 2021–present) and its spin-off Organized Crime (2021–present), for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. He also played Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama Oz (1998–2003), and starred in and executive produced the Syfy series Happy! (2017–2019).
Christopher Meloni | |
|---|---|
 Meloni in 2024 | |
| Born | Christopher Peter Meloni April 2, 1961 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Other names | Chris Meloni |
| Education | University of Colorado Boulder Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse |
Doris Sherman Williams
(m. 1995) |
| Children | 2 |
Meloni's film credits include 12 Monkeys (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Runaway Bride (1999), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Green Lantern: First Flight (2009), 42 (2013) and Man of Steel (2013).
Early life and education
editMeloni was born in Washington, D.C., the youngest of three children of Cecile (née Chagnon; 1926–2016),[3] a homemaker, and Charles Robert Meloni (1927–2012), an endocrinologist.[4][5][6] He has an older brother and sister. His maternal ancestry is French Canadian, and he is a descendant of Matthias Farnsworth and Edmund Rice.[7] His paternal ancestry is Italian; one great-grandfather was born in Sardinia and another was born in Velva.[8]
Meloni attended St. Stephen's School,[9] now St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, in Alexandria, Virginia, where he was a quarterback on the football team. After graduating he attended the University of Colorado-Boulder where he took acting classes for electives. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1983. After college, he went to New York continuing to study acting. He took classes with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre as well as at the Center for the Media Arts.
Meloni was a construction worker prior to getting a break becoming known in acting. He has worked as a bouncer, bartender, and personal trainer.[citation needed]
Career
editMeloni worked his way up the ladder acting in commercials,[10] short-lived TV series, and bit parts in a number of films. His first noticeable role was the hotheaded son of a Mafia don in the 1996 thriller Bound. He appeared as Robbie Sinclair's friend Spike in Dinosaurs in the early 1990s. He played criminal Jimmy Liery in eight episodes of NYPD Blue during 1996-1997 and the fiancé of Julia Roberts's character in the 1999 romantic comedy Runaway Bride.
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From 1998 to 2003, Meloni portrayed the bisexual criminal Chris Keller on the HBO series Oz. Law & Order producer Dick Wolf signed Meloni to play Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 1999. Meloni appeared on both Oz and Law & Order: SVU simultaneously until Oz was cancelled in 2003. Meloni was nominated for the 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Elliot Stabler.[11] In May 2011, Meloni announced that he had been unable to agree on a contract and would not be returning for season 13 of SVU.[12] His character was written out as having put in his retirement papers. After nearly a decade, Meloni announced in March 2020 that he would be reprising his role of Stabler in the Law & Order franchise on a spin-off show titled Law & Order: Organized Crime. Meloni appeared in a crossover event during season 22 of SVU.[13]
Meloni appeared as the character Gene in Wet Hot American Summer in 2001, the puppet-loving pediatrician Dr. Norris in a 2003 episode of Scrubs, and the character of "Freakshow" in the 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. He made a cameo in its sequel, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, as The Grand Wizard. In 2005, he appeared on Episode 107 of MTV2's adult puppet show Wonder Showzen in a series of parody public service announcements warning of the threat of cooties. He had an uncredited role as a gay hotel desk clerk in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.[citation needed]
In July 2009, Meloni portrayed DC Comics character Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie Green Lantern: First Flight. He briefly appeared in the first episode of the Comedy Central series Michael & Michael Have Issues, portraying himself for a fake film starring Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter.[citation needed]
In 2012, Meloni joined the cast of True Blood during the series' fifth season as Roman, a "powerful, 500-year-old vampire who sits at the head of the table of the Vampire Authority."[14]
Meloni played Colonel Hardy, a supporting role, in the Superman reboot film Man of Steel, which was released in 2013.[15] That year, he played Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher in the historical baseball feature 42. Meloni starred in the 2014 comedy They Came Together.[16] He stars as John Taylor in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops III. In 2016, Meloni shot the heist film Marauders.[17]
Meloni starred in and executive produced the Syfy series Happy!, based on the comic book series created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Darick Robertson, which premiered in 2017.[18] The series was canceled on June 4, 2019.[19]
In 2018, Meloni guest starred in two episodes of the FX drama series Pose, opposite Dominique Jackson.[20] He appeared on the third season of The Handmaid's Tale as Commander Winslow in 2019.[21]
Philanthropy
editIn 2004 and 2006, respectively, Meloni competed in the fourth and the eighth series of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown; in the eighth series, he finished in second place, behind Robin Tunney, and ahead of Macy Gray, Joy Behar, and Andy Dick. He played for Feed the Children.
He appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy! on November 10, 2006, defeating fellow Law & Order stars Sam Waterston and Kathryn Erbe. Meloni split his $50,000 charity prize between the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program and the Montefiore Advocacy Center. He also appeared on the program's Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational that aired on December 17, 2009. Although defeated by Joshua Malina and Harry Shearer, he won a $25,000 charity prize in the name of Smile Train.[citation needed]
Public image
editMeloni has appeared in many public service announcements in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues.[22] In 1999, Meloni jokingly kissed Lee Tergesen (who played Tobias Beecher, Meloni's on-screen boyfriend on Oz) at an awards dinner for GLAAD. In 2006, Meloni was given the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Award, along with actor Jake Gyllenhaal and director Ang Lee, for his work on behalf of LGBT issues.[22][23] In addition, in 2011, Meloni appeared in the Human Rights Campaign's "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality" video.[24]
Meloni was included in the 2006 edition of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive.[citation needed]
Personal life
editMeloni married Doris Sherman Meloni (née Williams), a production designer, on July 1, 1995. They have two children through surrogacy, a daughter born in March 2001[25] and a son born in January 2004.[26] Mariska Hargitay, who co-starred with Meloni on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and remains close friends with him, is the godmother to his daughter.[27]
Meloni has three tattoos: a Cubist-inspired representation of the crucifixion of Christ on his upper left arm, a butterfly on his left upper thigh, and a Chinese astrological chart of his family on his right lower leg.[28] In 2007, Meloni was inducted into his high school's athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the undefeated 1978 football team, for which he was quarterback.[29]
In 2014, Meloni bought the house used in the television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.[30][31]
In 2021, on an episode of PBS' Finding Your Roots, it was revealed that Meloni is a distant relative of Nancy Pelosi.[citation needed]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Clean Slate | Bodyguard | |
| Junior | Mr. Lanzarotta | ||
| 1995 | 12 Monkeys | Lt. Halperin | |
| 1996 | Bound | Johnnie Marzzone | |
| 1998 | Brown's Requiem | Sgt. Cavanah | Uncredited |
| Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Sven, Clerk at Flamingo Hotel | ||
| The Souler Opposite | Barry Singer | ||
| 1999 | Carlo's Wake | Bennetto Torello | |
| Runaway Bride | Bob Kelly | ||
| 2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Gene Jenkinson | |
| 2002 | That Brief Moment | Ken | Short film |
| 2004 | Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle | Freakshow | |
| 2008 | Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay | Grand Wizard | Credited as "Reverend Clyde Stanky" |
| Nights in Rodanthe | Jack Willis | ||
| 2009 | Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | R / Subject #3 | |
| Carriers | Frank | ||
| 2010 | Green Lantern: First Flight | Hal Jordan / Green Lantern | Voice role |
| 2011 | National Lampoon's Dirty Movie | Producer Charlie LaRue | |
| 2013 | Awful Nice | Jon Charbineau | |
| Man of Steel | Colonel Nathan Hardy | ||
| 42 | Leo Durocher | ||
| 2014 | Beef | Lou | |
| White Bird in a Blizzard | Brock Connors | ||
| Small Time | Al Klein | ||
| They Came Together | Roland | ||
| Sin City: A Dame to Kill For | Mort | ||
| 2015 | The Diary of a Teenage Girl | Pascal MacCorkill | |
| 2016 | I Am Wrath | Dennis | |
| Marauders | Agent Jonathan Montgomery | ||
| Almost Friends | Howard | ||
| 2017 | Snatched | Roger Simmons | |
| 2024 | IF | Cosmo (voice) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1990 | 1st & Ten | Vito Del Greco / Johnny Gunn | 11 episodes |
| 1990 | When Will I Be Loved? | Ron Weston | TV film |
| 1990–1991 | The Fanelli Boys | Frankie Fanelli | 17 episodes |
| 1991 | In a Child's Name | Jerry Cimarelli | TV film |
| 1991–1994 | Dinosaurs | Spike | Voice; recurring role |
| 1992 | Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story | David | TV film |
| 1993 | Without a Kiss Goodbye | Ray Samuels | TV film (aka Falsely Accused) |
| The Boys | Doug Kirkfield | 6 episodes | |
| Golden Gate | Douglas "BW" Carlino | Unsold pilot | |
| 1995 | A Dangerous Affair | Tommy Moretti | TV film |
| Hope and Gloria | Billy | Episode: "Love with an Improper Stranger" | |
| Misery Loves Company | Mitch | 8 episodes | |
| 1996–1997 | NYPD Blue | Jimmy Liery | 5 episodes |
| 1997 | The Last Don | Boz Skannet | Miniseries |
| Leaving L.A. | Reed Sims | 6 episodes | |
| Every 9 Seconds | Richard Sutherland | TV film | |
| Brooklyn South | Joe | 3 episodes | |
| 1998 | Target Earth | Detective Samuel "Sam" Adams | TV film |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | Bounty Hunter Dennis Knoll | 2 episodes | |
| 1998–2003 | Oz | Chris Keller | Main role |
| 1999 | Shift | Louis | TV film |
| 1999–2011, 2021–present | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Elliot Stabler | Main role (seasons 1–12); Recurring role (season 22–) |
| 2000, 2022 | Law & Order | Episodes: "Entitled", “Fools for Love" & “Gimme Shelter – Part 3” | |
| 2002 | Murder in Greenwich | Mark Fuhrman | TV film |
| 2003 | Scrubs | Dr. Dave Norris | Episode: "My White Whale" |
| 2004 | Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: 4065 |
| 2005 | Wonder Showzen | Cooties Spokesman | Episode: "Health" |
| Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Detective Elliot Stabler | Episode: "Day" | |
| 2008 | Gym Teacher: The Movie | Dave Stewie | TV film |
| 2009 | Michael & Michael Have Issues | Himself | Episode: "Greg the Intern" |
| 2011 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Tony Bologna | Cameo |
| Ice Loves Coco | Himself | ||
| 2012 | True Blood | Roman Zimojic | 5 episodes |
| 2013 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Dr. Phillip Banhauser | Episode: "Aziz Ansari Wears a Charcoal Blazer" |
| 2014 | Veep | Ray Whelans | 2 episodes |
| Surviving Jack | Jack Dunlevy | 8 episodes (including one unaired episode in the US) | |
| 2015 | The Jack and Triumph Show | Agent Ryker | Episode: "Siri" |
| Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp | Gene Jenkinson / Jonas Jurgenson | Main role; 6 episodes | |
| Drunk History | Othniel Marsh | Episode: "New Jersey" | |
| 2016–2017 | Underground | August Pullman | Main role; 15 episodes Directed episode: "Auld Acquaintance" |
| 2017 | Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later | Gene Jenkinson | 4 episodes |
| At Home with Amy Sedaris | Ranger Russell | Episode: "Nature" | |
| 2017–2019 | Happy! | Nick Sax | Main role; 18 episodes |
| 2018 | Pose | Dick Ford | Episodes: "The Fever", "Pink Slip" |
| 2019, 2022 | American Dad! | Gangsters | Voice, episodes: "Twinanigans", "The Book of Fischer" |
| 2019 | The Handmaid's Tale | Commander Winslow | 4 episodes |
| 2019–present | Harley Quinn[32] | Commissioner James Gordon, Two-Face Goon 2, Bouncer | Voice; 16 episodes |
| 2020 | Family Guy | George Townshend | Voice; episode: "Short Cuts" |
| Maxxx | Don Wild | Recurring role; 6 episodes | |
| Rick and Morty | Jesus Christ, Unnamed Rick disguise | Voice, episode: "Never Ricking Morty" and "Full Meta Jackrick" | |
| The Twilight Zone | Robert | Episode: "A Human Face" | |
| Helpsters | Detective Dudley | Episode: "Camper Cortez/Artist Andrew & Detective Dudley" | |
| 2021–present[33] | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Detective Elliot Stabler | Lead role; also executive producer |
| 2021 | Bless the Harts | Detective Voccola[34] | Voice; 1 episode |
| 2023 | Captain Fall | Agent Steel | Voice; 10 episodes |
| Celebrity Jeopardy! | Himself | Contestant |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Call of Duty: Black Ops III | Commander John Taylor |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | OFTA Television Awards | Best Guest Actor in a Cable Series | Oz | Won |
| 2004 | Prism Awards | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series Episode | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Nominated |
| 2006 | OFTA Television Awards | Best Actor in a Drama Series | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |||
| 2008 | Prism Awards | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series Episode | ||
| 2009 | ||||
| 2014 | Gold Derby Awards | Best Comedy Guest Actor | Veep | |
| 2019 | Best Drama Guest Actor | Pose | ||
| International Online Cinema Awards[35] | Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series | |||
| 2021 | Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards[36] | Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama | Law & Order: Organized Crime | |
| 2022 | ACCEC Awards[37] | Favorite Television Actor | Won |
References
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- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, February 9, 2021
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- ^ Abrams, Natalie (May 24, 2011). "Christopher Meloni Exits Law & Order: SVU". TV Guide. Portland, Oregon: NTVB Media. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
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- ^ a b "Jake Gyllenhaal, Ang Lee and Christopher Meloni to Accept Award at Human Rights Campaign New York Gala Dinner". HRC. January 17, 2006. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ "Jake Gyllenhaal and Ang Lee to be honored by HRC, Feb. 11 in NYC". www.advocate.com. February 10, 2006. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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External links
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