American television and film actor, a ruggedly handsome man of Italian and French-Canadian descent whose best-known character is detective Elliot Stabler on TV’s Law and Order: Special Crimes Unit. Meloni appeared in 272 episodes from 1999 to 2011, playing the fiercely family-protective sex-crime detective who hates certain criminals so much that he fantasizes about “getting away” with murdering some of them himself. He received his first Emmy nomination in 2006 for this lead role and contracted a US$6.5 million salary deal for the 2007-2008 seasons. In the 2020–2021 television season, Meloni will be reprising his role. Meloni created quite a stir, especially in the gay community, with his graphic portrayal of a bisexual serial killer, Chris Keller, in the HBO prison drama Oz from 1998 to 2003. The movie script required full frontal and rear nudity in the shower as well as kissing between men.
While known primarily for his more dramatic roles, his extensive comedic background includes several short-lived TV sitcoms The Fanelli Boys (1990), Misery Loves Company (1995) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). More recent comedy feature films include Wet Hot American Summer(2001), Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) and Harold and Kumar 2 (2008).
A former history major at the University of Colorado at Boulder, he dropped out in his junior year (1981) to pursue his acting career, but returned 6 weeks later, finishing his B.A. degree in 1983. Following graduation Meloni apprenticed at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, studying for 2 years with noted acting coach Sanford Meisner. This training eventually resulted in his first big break as the lead in the NBC sitcom The Fanelli Boys.
Christopher Meloni was born to Robert (endocrinologist) and Cecile (homemaker) Meloni in Washington, D.C. and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. The youngest of three siblings, he has a sister, Michele (born in 1955) and a brother, Robert Jr. (born in 1957). He admits to being somewhat of a bully in elementary school who skipped classes a lot, but in high school, he was a “quarterback non-jock” with a B+ average. Meloni distained academics in general and math was his worst subject. History classes, however, captured his full attention. After graduating from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church School, a 12-grade college preparatory school in Alexandria, the athletically built Meloni worked a variety of jobs including construction worker, bouncer, bartender and personal trainer, before getting his big acting break in 1989. Today, he has homes in New York, Connecticut and California with his production designer wife, Doris Sherman Williams (married 1 July 1995). Their first child, Sophia Eva Pietra, was born on 23 March 2001 followed by a son, Dante Amadeo, born 2 January 2004. Both children were conceived using a surrogate mother.
In his spare time, Meloni is an accomplished card shark and chess player. He enjoys baseball, football, basketball, water skiing, weight lifting and the martial arts. Raised in a conservative, Republican household, Meloni is a practicing Roman Catholic, but admits to having an intense fascination with Asian spiritualism and decor. He claims to have been a “long-hair”, lost his virginity and had his ear pierced at age 15. Tall and muscular with a charming presence and easy smile, he stands 6’ 1/2” (1.84 m) tall. He is often confused with actor Elias Koteas, with whom he shares more than a passing resemblance. Meloni appeared in many public television service announcements in the ‘90s against domestic violence, child, drug and alcohol abuse and for protection of the environment.
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