Date Of Birth
April 2, 1961
Biography
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. He played Elliot Stabler for 12 seasons and earned 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.
Place of Birth
Washington D.C., USA
Birth Name
Christopher Peter Meloni
Gender
Male
Fun Facts
Has a daughter and a son.
He was often confused for actor Elias Koteas.
He is half Italian and half French-Canadian.
Awards
None
Filmography
1994 Clean Slate as Bodyguard
1994 Junior as Mr. Lanzarotta
1995 12 Monkeysas Lt. Halperin
1996 Bound as Johnnie Marzzone
1997 The Small Hours as FL
1998 Brown’s Requiem as Sgt. Cavanah
1998 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Sven, Clerk at Flamingo Hotel
1998 The Souler Opposite as Barry Singer
1999 Carlo’s Wake as Bennetto Torello
1999 Runaway Bride as Bob Kelly
2001 Wet Hot American Summer as Gene
2002 That Brief Moment as Ken
2004 Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle as Freakshow
2008 Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay as Grand Wizard
2008 Nights in Rodantheas Jack Willis
2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
2009 Carriers as Frank
2010 Green Lantern: First Flight as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern
2011 National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie as Charlie LaRue
Nickname
Chris
Height
6′ 0 1/2″
Quotes
“All aspects of life that I look around, I’m very thankful to be standing where I am.”
