Christopher Meloni (also known as Chris Meloni) (b. April 2, 1961) is an American actor best known for his role as Detective Elliot Stabler in the TV series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Meloni is married to Sherman Williams and they have 2 children.
Meloni started his acting career at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he did his undergraduate studies. He has also worked as a bouncer, bartender, construction worker, and personal trainer.
Meloni worked his way up the acting ladder with short-lived TV series and bit parts in a number of films. His first noticeable role was as the bodyguard in the 1996 lesbian thriller Bound. His first real moment of stardom came from his controversial role as sociopathic bisexual Chris Keller in the HBO prison drama Oz. The role called for him to passionately kiss and touch other men, frequently submit to rear and full frontal nudity, and even urinate into a bucket. Meloni’s raw magnetism and affable reaction towards the open sexuality of his character earned him press attention and legions of fans, particularly within the gay community. In 1999 he even jokingly kissed his onscreen partner Lee Tergesen at an awards dinner for GLAAD. L&O producer Dick Wolf, impressed by Meloni’s acting abilities, signed him up for L&O:SVU in 1999, where he has remained ever since. From 1999 to 2003 he appeared on both shows simultaneously.
His most recent movie appearance was as Freakshow in the independent comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. He has also appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Wet Hot American Summer, and after director Garry Marshall saw him on “Oz", he was cast as Julia Roberts’ fiance in The Runaway Bride. In 2002 he gave an acclaimed performance as disgraced detective Mark Fuhrman in TV-movie Murder in Greenwich Village.
Meloni is frequently confused with actor Elias Koteas .