Christopher Meloni

Christopher Meloni is perhaps best known for playing two characters who couldn’t be more different. From 1998–2003, Meloni played murderous sociopath Chris Keller on HBO’s prison drama Oz. One year after he began that role, Meloni was cast as virtuous sex crimes detective Elliot Stabler in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which he starred in for 12 years, departing the series in 2011.

The veteran actor stars as a renegade outlaw in WGN’s ‘Underground,’ a thrilling new series about the Underground Railroad. He opens up about the role and much more.

Fans of Christopher Meloni may have understandably balked at the sight of his grizzled, bandana-clad chef talking to a sentient can of vegetables when Wet Hot American Summer debuted in 2001. By the time he does it again in the just-released Netflix prequel series, though, they'll have had ample opportunity to get used to the dead-handsome actor with the steely-eyed stare making himself look ridiculous.