Christopher Meloni is bidding farewell to Law & Order detective Elliot Stabler, whom he has played on and off since 1999.
On Thursday, news broke that Law & Order: Organized Crime has been canceled after season 5. Meloni occasionally makes guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but with this cancellation, he will no longer play Stabler full-time.
“I just saw that they announced that Organized Crime would not be coming back. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the fans who not only gave life and longevity to the character of Elliot Stabler, but also stood by him and welcomed him back. It was a great experience,” Meloni said in an Instagram video Thursday night. “I had a lot of fun playing with him. It’s been a great journey. Thank you. You’ve given me a career I never dreamed of, almost 17 years in the making.”
Meloni led the Special Victims Unit opposite Mariska Hargitay, played by Olivia Benson, from the series’ premiere in 1999 until Season 12 in 2011. In 2021, he returned to the series as a guest star on “SVU,” and at the same time launched a spinoff of “Organized Crime” in which he starred. “Organized Crime” aired its first four seasons on NBC before moving to Peacock for season 5 to stream in 2025.
Meloni has also guest-starred in three episodes of the classic “Law & Order” over the years. The flagship series has not been renewed yet. “SVU” will return for Season 28 in the fall.
