Christopher Meloni

Christopher Meloni, already one of Hollywood's most successful television actors, also stars in a number of diverse feature films.

The Washington, D.C. native 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 series "Oz," playing the psychotic, bisexual murderer Chris Keller, in an ensemble cast that also included J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen and Rita Moreno.

In 1999, he landed his starring role on the popular and long-running NBC series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," with Meloni working in both series simultaneously until "Oz" ended its run in 2003. He continued on "Law & Order: SVU" for twelve seasons, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance as Detective Elliot Stabler. Meloni returned to television last year for a major arc on HBO's award-winning series "True Blood."

Meloni's other big screen credits include the Terry Gilliam films "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Twelve Monkeys"; the Wachowskis' first film "Bound"; the romantic comedy "Runaway Bride," with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts; "Nights in Rodanthe," with Gere and Diane Lane; and such cult favorites as "Wet Hot American Summer," "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," and its first sequel, "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

Warner Bros.