While “Law & Order: 0rganized Crime” star Christopher Meloni is well-known for his extreme workout regime, he's now working on his cheerleader moves too.
The 61-year-old passionate actor, who plays Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC series, was probably trying to show his lighter side during downtine on the set as he pulled off perfect splits while wearing long pants.
But the show’s production crew poked a little fun of their own at Meloni over the excessively limber, ouch-inducing maneuver by filming a hilarious clip of the moment.
In it we see Meloni already splayed out on the ground, and as he bends up still in full splits position, we hear someone off camera yell, “Hey Chris, they’re ready for you on set.”
To which he replies, “I still have 100 push ups.”
Then the whole crew behind him lets out a loud bunch of groans and grumbles and starts walking away in disgust at his braggadocio. Two members even yell “big ego,” and “super ego!”
Meloni lets slip a grin like he’s in on the joke, as it all seems a fun diversion between takes of the notoriously intense crime show.
Not to mention Meloni posted the clip on his own Instagram page with the cheeky caption, “It’s not just criminals that are busted on #OC,” plus a battery of self-aware hastags like #oversizedOC, #ego, #splits, and #catsmeow.
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The beloved actor has become known as the quintessential “zaddy,” a good-looking older gentleman who keeps in shape. And his character’s ongoing “will they / won’t they” relationship with Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has only increased Meloni’s sex appeal among fans.
It seems the show’s crew is getting a little tired of the attention, in a tongue-in-cheek way.
We’re guessing they also saw Meloni’s post right before the splits clip, where he posted a magazine article showing the actor in a ripped-armed, tough guy stance and the headline “Christopher’s oversized ego.”
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But as Today reported, Meloni is doing more than just fishing for compliments. When he agreed to come back to the “Law & Order” franchise in April, 2021, not only was he going to be jumping back into a fairly exhausting production, but he felt the Stabler character must return with a kind of hardened chip on his shoulder, as he said in an interview at the time.
"I wanted to give that sense (that) he came back almost like chiseled in granite,” he explained, “I wanted him to be the most physically fit, focused, physical presence that they’d ever seen. I was actually on a weight training, physical fitness program with my trainer for over a year to prepare for the role. That paid dividends.”
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