Law & Order: SVU Star Mariska Hargitay Sends A Special Message to Chris Meloni

Law & Order: SVU fans got a big gift earlier this week when it was announced that Chris Meloni was coming back to NBC as his beloved SVU character, Elliot Stabler, in a brand new series. Now, former co-star Mariska Hargitay is sending him good wishes on his special day.

Mariska Hargitay Sends A Special Message

“Happy birthday @Chris_Meloni,” tweeted Hargitay, whose (now) Capt. Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU was partnered up with Stabler for 12 seasons. “Meloni #It’sBeenAWhile #WelcomeHome.”

Meloni was born on April 2 in Washington, D.C.; his parents names are Cecile and Charles. Meloni has two siblings, a brother and a sister. His first acting credit was on the series 1st & Ten. He was cast as Det. Elliot Stabler on SVU in 1999 and appeared in 274 episodes of the popular TV show.

For the last several years, Hargitay and Meloni have been separated outside of the occasional social media post and perpetual (yay!) reruns of Law & Order: SVU on cable channels.

Meloni left the series after its 12th season and went on to work regularly on other TV series both as a guest star or series regular (True Blood; The Handmaid’s Tale; Surviving Jack). Hargitay has remained on the show as Olivia worked with new partners until she eventually became the squad’s captain.

Meloni’s new series, in which he’ll reprise Stabler, is currently untitled and comes from Law & Order brand creator Dick Wolf. The successful producer’s other series — Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med — have had many crossovers — even with SVU! So, the potential is there for a Stabler/Benson reunion — especially if the fans have any say.

Meloni’s social media blew up this week when news of his new series was reported. One Twitter follower asked the actor to confirm the news so that he could sleep for the first night since the coronavirus crisis began. Meloni’s online response? “Sleep tight.”

As Law & Order: SVU has been picked up for an additional three seasons, which will make it TV’s longest-running primetime drama, surpassing Gunsmoke, there’s all the more reason to anticipate the duo’s on-screen reunion. Entertainment Hub wishes Meloni a happy birthday! Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.