Christopher Peter Meloni (born on
April 2,
1961) is an
American Emmy-nominated
actor known for his near opposite roles as the protective and committed
Detective Elliot Stabler on the
NBC drama series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and as the
bisexual serial killer Chris Keller on
HBO's Oz.
Biography
Early life
Meloni was born in
Washington, D.C., the son of Cecile, a homemaker, and Robert Meloni, an
endocrinologist.
[Christopher Meloni Biography (1961-)] His maternal ancestry is
French Canadian and his paternal ancestry is
Italian.
Meloni is a typical and widely diffused
Sardinian surname.
[Cognomi Sardi ] He attended St. Stephen's School (now
St. Stephen's and 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.
Acting career
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,
[McDonald's Commercial] 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's friend Spike in
Dinosaurs and
Julia Roberts' fiance in
Runaway Bride.
