The immense success of Law & Order: SVU and the ensuing iconic standing of Detective Elliot Stabler have ensured that Christopher Meloni has cemented himself as one of the most recognizable figures on the small screen. However, the actor’s filmography expands far beyond the hit crime series, with Meloni appearing in everything from cult comedy classics to major cinematic blockbusters.
9 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl' A jarring combination of adolescent angst, confronting sexuality, and daftly balanced dramedy, The Diary of a Teenage Girl was certainly a striking film. Set in 1976 in San Francisco, it follows Minnie , an aspiring cartoonist who wants to lose her virginity. She experiences a sexual awakening when she sleeps with her mother’s new boyfriend, Monroe .
What should be an ordinary trek to the local fast-food outlet becomes a hilarious voyage jam-packed with misadventures and a wonderful array of colorful characters. Among the best of the peculiar people they encounter is Randy, or Freakshow , a tow-truck driver with oozing boils who comes to the duo’s rescue and proposes a foursome with his surprisingly beautiful wife.
6 'Bound' The debut feature of the Wachowskis, 1996’s Bound effectively served as Meloni’s major breakout in the industry. The neo-noir crime thriller follows Violet , the lover of a violent mafioso who has an affair with Corky , a lesbian ex-con, and, together, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million and run away together.The LGBTQIA+ thriller was a resounding success for its aspirational filmmakers and a pivotal step towards them making The Matrixthree years later.
4 '42' A rousing sporting biopic that used its iconic subject to explore racial issues in American history, 42 was considered an inspirational success by critics and audiences alike. It starred Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, documenting his career as the first Black man to play in the MLB and the backlash that brought, both publicly and within the club.
2 'Oz' Meloni’s vast range of characters spans from the noble and heroic to the chaotic and vibrant and even to the downright disturbing. However, none of his characters have been as haunting as Chris Keller in the grueling yet brilliant HBO series Oz, which was an ultra-realistic and confronting depiction of life in a high-security prison.