Born on April 2, 1961 in Washington, D.C., Christopher Meloni is best known for his characters in the television dramas Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Oz. He first studied acting at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he eventually graduated with a history degree in 1983. He then went to New York to train under Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. In different points of his life, he worked as a construction worker, bartender and personal trainer while taking on bit roles in films and short-lived television programs. His first screen role was as Vito del Grecco in the short-lived HBO comedy 1st & Ten. His film debut was in 1994’s Clean Slate, where he played a bodyguard.
Meloni first gained attention in 1998 when he played the role of bisexual sociopath Chris Keller in the HBO prison drama Oz. The role required him to passionately touch and kiss other men, as well as full nudity. His portrayal and treatment of his character’s open sexuality earned him considerable press attention, as well as fans, especially from the gay community, which considered him a sex symbol. Impressed by his performance, Law & Order producer Dick Wolf signed him up for a role in the spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His character is that of Elliot Stabler, a dedicated detective whose work habits usually lead him to take cases personally. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Drama Actor in 2006.
Meloni also appeared in films such as Runaway Bride, Wet Hot American Summer, Carriers, and the Harold & Kumar film series. He has also guest-starred in television shows such as Scrubs, NYPD Blue, and the short-lived Law & Order spin-off Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Meloni was also part of People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive list in 2006. He continued his career by accepting roles on Gym Teacher: The Movie, Nights in Rodanthe, and John Krasinski’s adaptation of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.
Has a daughter and a son.
He was often confused for actor Elias Koteas.
He is half Italian and half French-Canadian.
2004 Nominated Prism Award
2008 Nominated Prism Award
2006 Nominated Emmy
# The Stepfather (2009) (post-production)
# Dirty Movie (2008) (post-production) .... Ensemble
# Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2008) (post-production)
# Nights in Rodanthe (2008) (completed) .... Jack Willis
# Gym Teacher: The Movie (2008) (TV) (completed) .... Dave Stewie
# "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" .... Detective Elliot Stabler (203 episodes, 1999-2008)
... aka Law & Order: SVU (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Special Victims Unit (New Zealand: English title)
- Episode #10.1 (2008) TV episode .... Detective Elliot Stabler
- Cold (2008) TV episode .... Detective Elliot Stabler
- Trade (2008) TV episode .... Detective Elliot Stabler
- Authority (2008) TV episode .... Detective Elliot Stabler
- Closet (2008) TV episode .... Detective Elliot Stabler
(198 more)
# Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) (as Reverend Clyde Stanky) .... Grand Wizard
... aka Harold & Kumar 2 (Singapore: English title) (USA: working title)
# Carriers (2007) .... Frank
# "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" .... Detective Elliot Stabler (1 episode, 2005)
- Day (2005) TV episode .... Detective Elliot Stabler
# "Wonder Showzen" .... Cooties Spokesman (1 episode, 2005)
- Health (2005) TV episode .... Cooties Spokesman
# Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) .... Freakshow
... aka Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies (Europe: English title) (UK)
... aka Harold et Kumar chassent le burger (Canada: French title)
# "Scrubs" .... Dr. Dave Norris (1 episode, 2003)
- My White Whale (2003) TV episode .... Dr. Dave Norris
# "Oz" .... Chris Keller (38 episodes, 1998-2003)
- Exeunt Omnes (2003) TV episode .... Chris Keller
- Junkyard Dawgs (2003) TV episode .... Chris Keller
- A Day in the Death... (2003) TV episode .... Chris Keller
- 4giveness (2003) TV episode .... Chris Keller
- A Failure to Communicate (2003) TV episode .... Chris Keller
(33 more)
# Murder in Greenwich (2002) (TV) .... Mark Fuhrman
... aka Dominick Dunne Presents: Murder in Greenwich (USA: complete title)
# That Brief Moment (2002) .... Ken
# Wet Hot American Summer (2001) .... Gene
# "Law & Order" .... Police Det. Elliott Stabler (2 episodes, 2000)
... aka Law & Order Prime (USA: informal title)
- Fools for Love (2000) TV episode .... Police Det. Elliott Stabler
- Entitled: Part 2 (2000) TV episode (as Chris Meloni) .... Police Det. Elliott Stabler
# Runaway Bride (1999) .... Coach Bob Kelly
# Shift (1999) (TV) .... Louis
# Carlo's Wake (1999) .... Bennetto Torello
# "Homicide: Life on the Street" .... Bounty Hunter Dennis Knoll (2 episodes, 1998)
... aka Homicide (USA: informal short title)
- Wanted Dead or Alive: Part 2 (1998) TV episode (as Chris Meloni) .... Bounty Hunter Dennis Knoll
- Wanted Dead or Alive: Part 1 (1998) TV episode (as Chris Meloni) .... Bounty Hunter Dennis Knoll
# The Souler Opposite (1998) .... Barry Singer
# Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) (as Chris Meloni) .... Sven, Clerk at Flamingo Hotel
# Target Earth (1998) (TV) .... Det. Samuel 'Sam' Adams
... aka Taken Away (USA)
# Brown's Requiem (1998) (uncredited) .... Sgt. Cavanaugh
# "Brooklyn South" .... Joe (3 episodes, 1997)
- Dublin or Nothin' (1997) TV episode .... Joe
- McMurder One (1997) TV episode .... Joe
- Wild Irish Woes (1997) TV episode .... Joe
# Every 9 Seconds (1997) (TV) .... Richard Sutherland
... aka A Call for Help
# "Leaving L.A." .... Reed Sims (6 episodes, 1997)
- Dead Elvis (1997) TV episode .... Reed Sims
- Now? (1997) TV episode .... Reed Sims
- The Black Widower (1997) TV episode .... Reed Sims
- The Eyes of the City (1997) TV episode .... Reed Sims
- Give Them Names (1997) TV episode .... Reed Sims
(1 more)
# "The Last Don" (1997) TV mini-series .... Boz Skannet
... aka Mario Puzo's The Last Don
# "NYPD Blue" .... Jimmy Liery (5 episodes, 1996-1997)
- My Wild Irish Nose (1997) TV episode .... Jimmy Liery
- Caulksmanship (1996) TV episode .... Jimmy Liery
- Unembraceable You (1996) TV episode .... Jimmy Liery
- Ted and Carey's Bogus Adventure (1996) TV episode .... Jimmy Liery
- Where'd the Van Gogh? (1996) TV episode .... Jimmy Liery
# The Small Hours (1997) (as Chris Meloni) .... FL
# Bound (1996) .... Johnnie Marzzone
# Twelve Monkeys (1995) .... Lt. Halperin
# "Misery Loves Company" (1995) TV series .... Mitch (unknown episodes)
# "Hope & Gloria" .... Billy (1 episode, 1995)
- Love with an Improper Stranger (1995) TV episode .... Billy
# A Dangerous Affair (1995) (TV) .... Tommy Moretti
# Junior (1994) .... Mr. Lanzarotta
# Golden Gate (1994) (TV) .... Douglas 'BW' Carlino
# Clean Slate (1994) .... Bodyguard #2
# "The Boys" (1993) TV series .... Doug Kirkfield (unknown episodes)
# "Dinosaurs" .... Spike (11 episodes, 1991-1994)
- Charlene and Her Amazing Humans (1993) TV episode (voice) .... Spike
- Dirty Dancin' (1993) TV episode (voice) .... Spike
- Swamp Music (1993) TV episode (voice) .... Spike
- Steroids to Heaven (1993) TV episode (voice) .... Spike
- Hungry for Love (1992) TV episode (voice) .... Spike
(6 more)
# Without a Kiss Goodbye (1993) (TV) .... Ray Samuels
... aka Falsely Accused
... aka The Laurie Samuels Story (USA)
# Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story (1992) (TV) .... David
... aka Fatal Love (UK)
# In a Child's Name (1991) (TV) .... Jerry Cimarelli
# "The Fanelli Boys" .... Frankie Fanelli (17 episodes, 1990-1991)
- The Wedding: Part 1 (1991) TV episode .... Frankie Fanelli
- The Undergraduate (1991) TV episode .... Frankie Fanelli
- Rope a Dope (1991) TV episode .... Frankie Fanelli
- The Two Doms (1991) TV episode .... Frankie Fanelli
- Doctor, Doctor (1991) TV episode .... Frankie Fanelli
(12 more)
# When Will I Be Loved? (1990) (TV)
# "1st & Ten" .... Johnny Gunn / ... (11 episodes, 1989-1990)
... aka 1st & Ten, Training Camp: The Bulls Are Back (USA: new title)
... aka 1st & Ten: Do It Again (USA: new title)
... aka 1st & Ten: Going for Broke (USA: new title)
... aka 1st & Ten: In Your Face! (USA: new title)
... aka 1st & Ten: The Bulls Mean Business (USA: new title)
... aka 1st & Ten: The Championship (USA: new title)
- Who Stole Johnny Gunn? (1990) TV episode .... Vito Del Greco / Johnny Gunn
- Earn This One for Ernie (1990) TV episode .... Vito Del Greco / Johnny Gunn
- Gunn and Bullette (1989) TV episode .... Vito Del Greco / Johnny Gunn
- Vindication (1989) TV episode .... Vito Del Greco / Johnny Gunn
- Clean and Sober (1989) TV episode .... Vito Del Greco / Johnny Gunn
(6 more