Christopher Meloni finally reveals why he quit Law & Order: SVU back in 2011. Meloni now stars in Law & Order: Organized Crime, which is the latest addition to the Dick Wolf Law & Order franchise, from the long-running Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The spinoff just wrapped its first season, featuring the return of Detective Elliot Stabler to NYPD after a decade-long absence and revolves around him leading an organized crime unit tasked with bringing down powerful crime syndicates. The show also stars Dylan McDermott, Tamara Taylor, Danielle Moné Truitt, and Ainsley Seiger.
Meloni first originated the role of Stabler in 1999 on SVU for the first 12 seasons, starring alongside Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, who was Stabler's detective partner. The duo was the main focus of the show and considered one of the most successful pairings in a procedural series, with both actors receiving multiple award nominations and wins for Hargitay. Hargitay has since appeared on a recurring basis in Organized Crime, which aired on its Thursday night primetime slot right after SVU.
In an interview with Men's Health, Meloni breaks down his departure from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Meloni unexpectedly left the show at the end of season 12 due to failed contract negotiations. The season ended with a standard finale that did not give any hints that Stabler would be leaving the unit, and the subsequent season premiere merely mentioned his leaving as early retirement. Many fans were shocked at the announcement back then and while it was known that it was due to a disagreement of Meloni's salary, many wanted to find out the root of what led to his exit, which he went on to say:
"Well, if it’s this”—meaning this amount of money—“then this is the way to go around so you don’t have to pay this”—meaning this larger amount of money that Meloni wanted. He got creative. “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.’ ”And that, to Meloni, was some bull***. He says he told them, “I don’t want to f*** around with you guys. This is what I want. If you can’t do it, that’s fine. Let’s figure out my exit."
It is unfortunate that Meloni was given the short end of the stick after dedicating more than a decade of his career to SVU, and it certainly represents the unpleasant side of show business with contract renewals and negotiations. Given the legacy Meloni has with the series and to its fans, it was certainly a major disappointment, but Meloni has since done an eclectic amount of work that spotlights his range as an actor including True Blood, Underground, The Handmaid's Tale, and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. He is also still known for his terrifying performance as psychopathic killer Chris Keller on HBO's prison drama Oz, which he worked on simultaneously during the early seasons of SVU, and who is completely unlike Stabler.
Despite the contract dispute that led to Meloni's departure on SVU, many years later, it seems like now it is water under the bridge and fans have been enjoying seeing Stabler back on their television screens and his reunions and storylines with Benson. Law & Order: Organized Crime is currently filming its second season while Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is still the franchise's most successful series, currently on a three-year renewal from NBC since last year, bringing the total number of seasons up to 24, so fans can look forward to many more storylines with Elliot Stabler.
Source: Men's Health
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