How Old Was Christopher Meloni When He Started on SVU?
When Law & Order: Special Victims Unit first premiered on September 20, 1999, who could’ve guessed that stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay would still be portraying the same iconic characters nearly 30 years later?
Nobody could’ve predicted that — and as impressive as that is, looking all the way back to the first-ever episode of Law & Order: SVU brings up many questions, including one that is asked often by fans: How old was Meloni when he first started on the series?
Keep reading to find out.
How old was Christopher Meloni when Law & Order: SVU premiered?
The actor was born on April 2, 1961, which means he was 38 years old when the first episode of Law & Order: SVU aired on NBC.
Although Meloni still occasionally appears in new episodes of SVU, his character, Elliot Stabler, was spun off into a new series, Law & Order: Organized Crime, which recently completed its fifth season on Peacock. (That season is now airing on NBC Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET.)
How old was Mariska Hargitay when Law & Order: SVU debuted?
Hargitay was 35 years old when she first debuted as Olivia Benson in the series’ first episode, “Payback.” Fittingly, her first-ever line on the show was a simple “Olivia Benson” as she introduced herself to other officers at a crime scene.
For decades, fans have raved about the on-screen chemistry between Stabler and Benson. The actors who play them are real-life friends, and that has translated into an undeniable bond that plays out on the small screen.
In a February 2023 interview with TODAY, Hargitay discussed the natural dynamic that developed from acting alongside Meloni for nearly three decades.
“Listen, the gift of acting with Chris is that because we work together so much and for so long, everything was earned,” Hargitay explained. “And therefore it was kind of effortless, in that we had been working together and we’ve been through so much together. So all because he’s such a brilliant actor, all I have to do is look at his eyes, and I’m sort of immediately there.”
The actors have been part of countless dramatic — and sometimes awkward — moments throughout their careers as Stabler and Benson, and Hargitay credits one aspect of Meloni’s acting for why they’ve become so synonymous with each other.
“He’s such an incredible truth-teller,” she said. “But those were fun days, those were such joyful and creative fun times. Safe and challenging and everything you want your job and acting to be.”