| Christopher Meloni | |
|---|---|
Meloni near the Civic Center in New York City, March 2011 |
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| Born | Christopher Peter Meloni April 2, 1961 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse | Sherman Williams |
| Children | Sophia Meloni Dante Meloni |
Christopher Peter Meloni (born April 2, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and as inmate Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama Oz.
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Meloni was born the youngest of three children in Washington, D.C., the son of Cecile, a homemaker, and Dr. Charles R Meloni, an endocrinologist.[1] His maternal ancestry is French Canadian and his paternal ancestry is Sardinian. Meloni is a typical and widely diffused Sardinian surname.[2] He attended St. Stephen's School (now St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School) and the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he first studied acting, graduating with a degree in history in 1983. After graduation, Meloni went to New York where he continued his studies with Sanford Meisner at the famed Neighborhood Playhouse, as well as the Center for the Media Arts.
Meloni worked as a construction worker prior to getting his acting break. He has also worked as a bouncer, bartender, and personal trainer. Meloni worked his way up the acting ladder with commercials,[3] short-lived TV series', and bit parts in a number of films. His first noticeable role was as the hotheaded son of a Mafia Don in the 1996 thriller Bound. He also appeared as Robbie Sinclair's friend Spike in Dinosaurs and Julia Roberts' fiance in Runaway Bride.
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; until Oz went off the air in 2003, Meloni appeared on both Oz and Law & Order: SVU simultaneously. In 2006 Meloni was nominated for an Emmy Award, in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for his role as Stabler.
In May 2011, Meloni announced that he would not be returning to SVU in fall 2011 for its 13th season.[4]
He returned to his comedic roots when he portrayed 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" (albeit in heavy make-up) in the 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. He would make another 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 PSAs warning of the threat of cooties. He also played the gay hotel desk clerk getting yelled at by an infuriated cop, in "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas" (Uncredited.)
In July 2009, Meloni portrayed renowned 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 movie starring Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter.
On June 24, 2011, it was announced that Meloni is in negotiations to play a "major role" in the Superman reboot Man of Steel.[5]
On November 30, 2011 it was announced that Meloni is in talks with HBO bosses to take on a 'major role' in the fifth season of True Blood as an 'incredibly powerful' vampire. [6] It was later confirmed that he would be taking a role as a series regular for season 5 as an "ancient, powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands." [7]
Meloni has appeared in many public service announcements in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.[8] 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 GLBT issues.[8]
In 2004 and 2006 respectively, Meloni competed in both 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 also 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.
Meloni was included in the 2006 edition of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive.
Meloni is married to production designer (Doris)Sherman Meloni (née Williams) and they have two children, daughter Sophia Eva Meloni (b. March 23, 2000), and son Dante Meloni (b. January 2, 2004).
He has a Cubist-inspired representation of the crucifixion of Christ tattoo on his upper left arm, as well as a butterfly tattoo on his left upper thigh and a Chinese astrological chart of his family on his right lower leg.[9]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Clean Slate | Bodyguard | |
| 1994 | Junior | Mr. Lanzarotta | |
| 1995 | 12 Monkeys | Lt. Halperin | |
| 1996 | Bound | Johnnie Marzzone | |
| 1997 | Money Talks | SPY | |
| 1998 | Apt Pupil | Unnamed Homeless Man | Uncredited Role |
| 1998 | Brown's Requiem | Sgt. Cavanah | Uncredited Role |
| 1998 | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Sven, Clerk at Flamingo Hotel | |
| 1998 | The Souler Opposite | Barry Singer | |
| 1999 | Carlo's Wake | Bennetto Torello | |
| 1999 | Runaway Bride | Bob Kelly | |
| 2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Gene | |
| 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" |
| 2008 | Nights in Rodanthe | Jack Willis | |
| 2009 | Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | R / Subject #3 | |
| 2009 | Carriers | Frank | |
| 2010 | Green Lantern: First Flight | Hal Jordan/Green Lantern | Voice Actor |
| 2011 | National Lampoon's Dirty Movie | Producer Charlie LaRue | Direct to video |
| 2012 | Awful Nice | ||
| 2013 | The Man of Steel | Colonel Hardy |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | 1st & Ten | Vito Del Greco/Johnny Gunn | 11 episodes |
| 1990 | When Will I Be Loved? | Ron Weston | TV film on NBC |
| 1990–91 | The Fanelli Boys | Frankie Fanelli | 17 episodes |
| 1991 | In a Child's Name | Jerry Cimarelli | TV film on CBS |
| 1991–94 | Dinosaurs | Spike | 11 episodes |
| 1992 | Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story | David | ABC television film |
| 1993 | Without a Kiss Goodbye | Ray Samuels | also known as Falsely Accused CBS television film |
| 1993 | The Boys | Doug Kirkfield | |
| 1993 | Golden Gate | Douglas 'BW' Carlino | Unsold pilot |
| 1995 | A Dangerous Affair | Tommy Moretti | ABC television film |
| 1995 | Hope and Gloria | Billy | Episode: "Love with an Improper Stranger" |
| 1995 | Misery Loves Company | Mitch | 8 episodes |
| 1996–97 | NYPD Blue | Jimmy Liery | 5 episodes |
| 1997 | The Last Don | Boz Skannet | Miniseries |
| 1997 | Leaving L.A. | Reed Sims | 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Every 9 Seconds | Richard Sutherland | NBC television film |
| 1997 | Brooklyn South | Joe | Episode: "Wild Irish Woes" Episode: "McMurder One" Episode: "Dublin or Nothin' |
| 1998 | Target Earth | Det. Samuel 'Sam' Adams | ABC television film |
| 1998 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Bounty Hunter Dennis Knoll | Episode: "Wanted Dead or Alive 1" Episode: "Wanted Dead or Alive 2" |
| 1998–2003 | Oz | Chris Keller | 38 episodes |
| 1999 | Shift | Louis | Television film |
| 1999–2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Det. Elliot Stabler | Lead character |
| 2000 | Law & Order | Det. Elliot Stabler | Episode: "Entitled" Episode: "Fools For Love" |
| 2002 | Murder in Greenwich | Mark Fuhrman | Television film |
| 2003 | Scrubs | Dr. Dave Norris | Episode: "My White Whale" |
| 2005 | Wonder Showzen | Cooties Spokesman | Episode: "Health" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Det. Elliot Stabler | Episode: "Day" |
| 2008 | Gym Teacher: The Movie | Dave Stewie | Nickelodeon television film |
| 2009 | Michael & Michael Have Issues | Episode: "Greg the Intern" | |
| 2012 | True Blood |