Christopher Meloni (info)
Blessed with a piercing, blue-eyed glint, brawny looks, cocky "tough guy" stance and effortless charisma, TV's Christopher Meloni has grabbed audiences' attention, male and female alike, finding breakthrough small screen stardom playing both sides of the law. Audiences first were taken in by his sexually arresting portrayal of a sociopathic killer in the gripping prison drama
Oz (1997) on cable TV. Although his small screen roots were in 90s situation comedy, the network powers-that-be wisely discovered his power and allure as a dramatic star and quickly handed him his own prime-time crime series,
Ley y orden: Unidad de víctimas especiales (1999), as a not-quite-by-the-book crime detective. This one-two punch of "Oz" and "Law & Order: SVU" put Meloni, who seems to grow sexier with age, on the map and well on top, where he remains today. Christopher Peter Meloni was born on April 2, 1961, in Washington, D.C., the son of Cecile (Chagnon) and Robert Meloni, an endocrinologist. Of Italian and French-Canadian parentage, he attended St. Stephen's School and played quarterback for his high school team. Developing an interest in acting rather early in life, he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder following high school graduation. He initially majored in acting but wound up earning a degree in history in 1983. Acting won out in the long run, however, and Chris relocated to New York where he studied with acting guru
Sanford Meisner at the renowned Neighborhood Playhouse. Supplementing his income during these lean years by taking advantage of his powerful physique (as construction worker, bouncer, personal trainer), Meloni worked his way up the acting ladder via parts in commercials. With a full head of hair in the early days, he broke into series TV in 1989, the first being the already-established cable football comedy
1st & Ten (1984). In this sitcom, which was HBO's very first back in 1984, Chris played ex-con quarterback Vito Del Greco (aka "Johnny Gunn"). The series' star
Delta Burke had already left the cast by the time Chris came aboard in its final season. A second sitcom arrived almost immediately with the stereotypical Italian family sitcom
Los Fanelli (1990) featuring Chris as dim-eyed, skirt-chasing Frankie Fanelli, one of the four "dees, dem and dos" sons of Brooklynite widow Theresa Fanelli (
Ann Morgan Guilbert). Despite a strong, boisterous cast, the show was painfully obvious and met an early demise. True to nature, Chris gave voice and added to the fun as a cocky, mooching high school teen who knows the "how to's" of attracting pretty girl dinos in the animated prehistoric series
Dinosaurs (1991). He also made a manly mark in mini-movies with co-starring roles in such "women" dramas as
En el nombre de un niño (1991) starring
Valerie Bertinelli,
Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story (1992), which top-lined
Molly Ringwald,
Una madre acusada (1993) as the caring husband of
Lisa Hartman, and the
Connie Sellecca starrer
Atracción obsesiva (1995). An interchangeable ability to convey both heartfelt sympathy and virile menace did not go by unnoticed. After minor parts on the big screen with
Borrón y cuenta nueva (1994),
Junior (1994) and
Doce monos (1995), Chris drew strong notices in the featured role of gangster Johnnie Marzzone in the classic neo-noir
Lazos ardientes (1996), which earned cult status for its sexually-charged lesbian sub-storyline. A tough recurring part on "NYPD Blue", a typical mafia role in the mini-series
El último Don (1997) and another short-lived comedic series lead (
Leaving L.A.(1997)) finally led to a big payoff in the brutal and brilliant cable series
Oz (1997). Christopher's introduction to the Oz prison as bisexual psychopath Chris Keller was powerhouse casting and he drew immediate notice and critical applause into the show's second season. Unflinching in its blood-soaked presentation of life behind bars, Chris' raw animal magnetism was unparalleled on the show and his steamy, erotic couplings with another male prisoner on screen promoted him swiftly to gay icon status. Undaunted by the possible career-damaging effects that could occur, Chris' frank acceptance and acknowledgment was admirable indeed and his outright support of human rights causes earned him high marks. The father of two (daughter Sophia Eva Pietra (born March 23, 2001), and son Dante Amadeo (born January 2, 2004), he has been married since 1995 to production designer 'Sherman Williams' (
Marty, el chepa (1991)). Chris' sudden burst of cable notoriety earned him his own prime time NBC series. With the veteran "Law & Order" program developing a sister spin-off,
Ley y orden: Unidad de víctimas especiales(1999), Meloni raised the bar with his trenchant pairing with co-star
Mariska Hargitay as partners of a special victims crime unit. Despite the show's reality-driven approach, Meloni and Hargitay's dynamite chemistry carried the show to a new level. Allowing their characters' more serious flaws to surface, Meloni, in particular, managed to convey Detective Stabler's private pain and personal turmoil with a raw poignancy. Both he and Hargitay have been honored with Emmy award nominations for their work here (she has won). Occasionally appearing on stage, Chris' theater credits include "The Rainmaker" (as Starbuck) (1998) and "Comers" (1998), both at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. He earned standout reviews as Eddie Carbone in
Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge," which he performed at Dublin's Gate Theatre in 2005. In 2006 he joined the campy proceedings at an Actors' Fund of America Benefit of the soap opera spoof "Die, Mommie Die!" starring drag illusionist and "Oz" alumnus
Charles Busch. Going well over a decade's worth of service to the series that made him a household name, Meloni finally retired his TV detective in 2011. Throughout the show's run he continued to flaunt his humorous side, showing up on such parody shows as "Mad TV" and cracking up on the various night time TV haunts. On film he continues to shatter his dramatic image in such fare as
The Souler Opposite (1998),
Wet Hot American Summer (2001),
2 colgaos muy fumaos(2004) and its sequel
Dos colgaos muy fumaos: Fuga de Guantánamo (2008). While he has not found outright stardom on the big screen (he has nominally played "other man" roles in such popular films as
Novia a la fuga (1999) and
Noches de tormenta (2008)), Chris has more than proved his staying power since he left the popular series. More recently he moved forward as a writer/producer/director/star of the comedy film
Dirty Movie (2011), which also has in its cast "L&O: SVU" co-star
Diane Neal. In addition, Chris supplied the voice of DC Comics classic character Hal Jordan (aka Green Lantern) in the animated movie
Green Lantern: Primer vuelo (2009). He also has held regular roles on the series
True Blood (2008) in 2012 and
Surviving Jack (2014) as well as strong cinematic parts in the Superman film
El hombre de acero (2013) and in
Small Time(2014). - IMDb Mini Biography By:
Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
Spouse
Sherman Williams (
1 July 1995 - present) (2 children)
Trade Mark
Piercing blue eyes
Gravelly voice
Crucifix tattoo on his left arm
Trivia
Originally from Washington DC, Chris now lives in New York with his production designer wife,
Sherman Williams. Chris worked as a construction worker prior to getting his acting break. He got a degree in history at the University of Colorado.
Daughter Sophia Eva Pietra, born in Los Angeles on March 23, 2001. Son Dante Amadeo, born in New York on January 2, 2004. Both were born by a surrogate mother.
Used to work as a bouncer, a bartender, and a personal trainer before launching his acting career.
Is half Italian, half French-Canadian (Quebecois)
His two best known characters are on opposite sides of the law. On
Oz (1997), he played Chris Keller, a perverted bisexual, sociopathic serial killer who terrorizes his fellow inmates. On
Ley y orden: Unidad de víctimas especiales (1999) , he plays Elliot Stabler, a sex-crimes investigator so protective of his family and so intense in his hatred of criminals, that like Keller, he fantasizes about getting away with killing them. Ironically, Meloni's acting background is mainly in comedy.
Is often said to resemble a young Robert De Niro.
Particularly early on in his career, he was often confused for actor
Elias Koteas.
Signed a deal to continue Ley y orden: Unidad de víctimas especiales (1999) for two more seasons in which he will be paid $6.5 million annually (2007).
An accomplished card shark.
Was scheduled to appear on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) with Dick Wolf, Chris Noth, and S. Epatha Merkerson, but had to back out due to an illness.
Godmother of his daughter Sophia is
Mariska Hargitay.
He wears a fake tattoo of the United States Marine Corps emblem (the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor) on his arm for his role in SVU (as seen in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 7 episodes, Season 8, Episode 8: "Underbelly" and Season 6, Episode 5: "Outcry".) He has a real tattoo of a butterfly on his upper thigh, and a cubist representation of the crucifixion of Christ tattooed on his upper left arm.
Accepted the honors at his old alma mater (St. Stephens and St. Agnes School in Alexandria) as the 1978 undefeated football team for which he quarterbacked was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He has played the same character (Detective Elliot Stabler) in three different television series: Ley y orden (1990), Ley y orden: Unidad de víctimas especiales (1999) and Ley & orden: juicio con jurado (2005).
Warner Brothers Animation had originally hoped to have Meloni reprise the role of the heroic Green Lantern Hal Jordan in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011) after having played the part in Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) but Meloni was not available due to his Law & Order schedule. Nathan Fillion replaced him.
He is currently playing "Eddie Carbone" in Arthur Miller's "A View From A Bridge" in The Gate Theatre, Dublin. It runs until the end of September. [August 2005]
John Travolta encouraged him to become a pilot and he has a license to fly a jet.
Personal Quotes
(On whether or not he's sick of talking about his
Oz (1997) co-star,
Lee Tergesen): "Talking about Lee is like eating a big fat chocolate sundae. I know it's bad for me, but I can't help myself. I catch myself doing it all the time, or dreaming about it. I'm trying to quit cause it's ruining my girlish figure and I can't fit into any of my clothes the way I used to...".
I didn't get into acting to be a public service announcer or an advocate and yet, by virtue of this show and how we handle the subject matter that we've been given, that's kind of how it's evolved in certain ways.
A city like New York has clashing cultures and clashing ideas and big ideas, but these sorts of things weren't being thrown in the air and bandied about where I came from.
When it's mid-February, and it's bitterly cold outside, I am really glad that I'm not working in construction anymore.
Mariska has her own foundation. She helps with survivors of sexual abuse - they go swimming with wild dolphins. on
Mariska Hargitay
All aspects of life that I look around, I'm very thankful to be standing where I am.
Salary
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) $350.000 /episode (2007-08)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) $400.000 /episode (2009-10)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) $395.000 /episode (2010-11)
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Christopher Meloni (gifs)
