‘Law & Order’: Christopher Meloni explains Mariska Hargitay friendship
“Law & Order: Organized Crime” star Christopher Meloni chats with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about the friendship he has with Mariska Hargitay.
NEW YORK – Christopher Meloni uses an interesting metaphor when he describes sharing a screen with longtime “Law & Order” co-star Mariska Hargitay.
“Like slipping into a warm bath; you know what you’re getting,” the actor, 64, tells USA TODAY. “There’s not going to be a problem. You get to focus on making the scene as honest and interesting as you possibly can. You don’t have to worry about personalities or having an offbeat difference of opinion.”
Hargitay’s Olivia Benson and Meloni’s Elliot Stabler reunite on “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” which moves from NBC to Peacock for its fifth season (new episodes Thursdays). Meloni, also an executive producer and writer on the show, says Benson’s return to “Organized Crime” is usually dictated by her “SVU” schedule. And yes, while the pairing is as comfortable as that warm bath for Meloni, they still practice their lines with each other before taping.
“It’s just nice to hear the music that they’re gonna play,” Meloni remarks. “Do they see this as a jazz piece, or is this a little more formal and not quite so improvisational? You always need to know what piece they’re thinking of playing, what quality they’re going to give to it.”
Fans enjoy seeing the pair’s off-camera friendship as well. The two sent “Law & Order” fans into a frenzy last week when they sat courtside at a New York Knicks game and were photographed on the NBA team’s X page holding hands.
“I’m with a close friend that is unique in my life because I don’t share the same journey with anybody else on this earth that I do with her,” he says of their night out. “We do the same nonsense when we’re alone, you know, (being) physical and connected and calling (expletive) on each other. It’s just two friends kicking it. I do recognize how public it is, but when we’re together it doesn’t feel that way because we just connect.”
Both stars are married: Meloni wed Doris Sherman Williams in 1995. Hargitay and “SVU” co-star Peter Hermann have been married since 2004.
Here’s what excites Meloni about ‘Organized Crime’
In “Organized Crime,” we don’t see Elliot Stabler only fighting crime. The series gives us a peak into his personal life as a father, son and brother.
“I am finding myself enjoying the family scenes a lot because that’s the least visited aspect of this character over the years that I’ve played him,” Meloni reveals. (“SVU” premiered in 1999; Meloni left the show in 2011 but returned to the franchise as Stabler with “Organized Crime” in 2021). “It’s only recently that we’ve gotten into what makes him tick behind the scenes. I’ve found that different and fresh and new to play.”
The “Organized Crime” cast also includes Ellen Burstyn, who plays Stabler’s mother Bernie, and Dean Norris, who plays his brother, Randall. Meloni calls working with Burstyn “a joy” and says Norris’ casting was “a no-brainer.”
Meloni adds that “to explore Stabler’s personal side with these players, that’s what helps make it even more exciting.”
Real-life law enforcement officers still approach Meloni
When Meloni and Hargitay are shown on the big screen at Madison Square Garden, they hear jubilation from the sold-out Knicks crowd. But for the actor, “the highest honor” is receiving a compliment from a real-life first responder who enjoys watching his character.
“I used to have a guy, he was security detail, and he was an ex-police officer for 30 years or something,” he recalls. “I said, ‘Tommy, did you like being a cop?’ And he goes, ‘I loved it.’
“That response rocked me back. He goes, ‘Chris, every day when I was on the job, I would wake up and I knew I had an opportunity to help someone.’ What an attitude. That’s an honorable life.”
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