When asked if he could name his “acting crushes,” it took “Law & Order: Organized Crime” star Christopher Meloni about two seconds.
“Bradley Cooper, because when he’s on camera he’s so strikingly good-looking,” Meloni, who plays Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC crime show, said in a 2015 interview with Backstage. “When I watch him, he’s not using his looks—or he’s using them in the context of his character.
“[And] from day one, it’s been Daniel Day-Lewis,” Meloni said. “It’s almost upsetting how good he is.”
Some “Law & Order: Organized Crime” fans might say those last six words about Meloni. After all, he’s been a part of the “Law & Order” franchise for a bit. Outsiders know Meloni from playing Stabler on “Law & Order: SVU.”
‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Star Returned To Dick Wolf Fold Last Season
Yes, Meloni did leave “SVU” after 12 seasons. But he returned to the Dick Wolf-created fold last season, which was the first season of “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Thanks to Meloni’s star power and having Dylan McDermott play antagonist Richard Wheatley, the show did well in the ratings.
Meloni is back at it right now, filming Season 2 episodes of the NBC drama. The show will return in the same timeslot it held in its first season, Thursday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. Central.
Fans can expect to see McDermott return as a recurring character this season. You better believe things between him and Stabler are not finished at all.
Meloni Believes Film He Acted In Deserved Oscar Nomination
During his time away from TV, Meloni was in a film that the “Law & Order: Organized Crime” star thought deserved an Oscar nomination.
Meloni, when he spoke to Decider in a 2019 interview, said, “Yeah, I’d say Diary of a Teenage Girl. I actually thought that should’ve been nominated for an Oscar. But what do I know?”
Diary of a Teenage Girl is a 2015 movie in which Meloni played Pascal.
Some people still wonder why Meloni left “SVU.” Meloni discussed it in an interview with Men’s Health. It all came down to a money issue.
“‘Well, if it’s this [amount of money], then this is the way to go around so you don’t have to pay [the money he was asking for],'” Meloni told NBC and related back to Men’s Health. “My thought was: Instead of 22 episodes, bring me back for nine episodes, or bring me back for 18 episodes. They literally came to me on a Thursday night and said, ‘This is the deal. We want the answer by tomorrow. It’s our way or no way.'”
Meloni told NBC, “‘I don’t want to f–k around with you guys. This is what I want. If you can’t do it, that’s fine. Let’s figure out my exit.'”
