SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations

Career Q&A with Christopher Meloni. Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety. Washington, D.C. native Christopher Meloni studied acting at the University of Colorado, Boulder, before graduating with a degree in History. He worked in construction and as a bouncer before breaking into acting, studying his craft in New York with legendary teacher Sanford Meisner. His television breakout role was on “NYPD Blue,” opposite Kim Delaney. That led to being cast on HBO’s gritty landmark series “Oz,” playing the psychotic, bisexual serial killer, ‘Chris Keller.’ In 1999, Meloni landed his starring role on the popular and long-running NBC series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” with the actor working in both series simultaneously until “Oz” ended its 6 year run in 2003. He continued on “Law & Order: SVU” for twelve seasons, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance as Detective Elliot Stabler. Meloni then returned to HBO in a pivotal arc as the head of the Vampire Authority, ‘Roman,’ in Alan Ball’s wild