Chris Meloni Leaving 'Law & Order: SVU'

By Tracey Harrington McCoy Posted May 24th 2011 09:05PM

After 12 seasons playing Detective Elliot Stabler, Chris Meloni is leaving 'Law & Order: SVU,' TVLine.com reports. The actor has played the character since the show debuted on NBC in 1999.

A source told TVLine.com that talks between Meloni and studio NBC Universal broke down Tuesday. Show creator Dick Wolf is reportedly already looking for another big name to replace him. Mariska Hargitay is still scheduled to return next season.

Last week, new NBC boss Robert Greenbalt said he felt deal was in "pretty good shape" but did mention the possibility of the show continuing without its original leads. Jennifer Love Hewitt's name has been thrown around to join the cast next season as a potential replacement for Margitay.

"Jennifer Love is somebody we've been circling," Greenblatt told us, "but I don't know that that is going to happen at all."

NBC had no comment on Meloni's reported departure.

Tags: Chris Meloni

Comments

(210)

Tuesday 24 May

By Stephanie

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Too bad...Meloni was fabulous in this show. He will be missed and SVU just won't be the same.

Wednesday 25 May

By stu

It's the stories that make SUV. But i will terrible miss his perky butt. He should be on the big screen w/ tat sexy bum.
Rent OZ!! He's naked throughout most of the episodes.
Jen Luv H.=not a good choice. Hire Joley R> & Dylan M. from Nip/Tuck!

By fdsh

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

★believe you will love it.★

====( w w w )( jordans forking )( c o m )

BEST QUALITY GUARANTEE!!

By Jill

No it won't. They need to do what they can to keep him.

By BTDT

Pretty sure that I'm the only one in America, but I could never stand this show.

By themeeker

I like the show well enough, but the formula is getting tired. First there's a child rapist. They catch the wrong guy, Meloni gets all menacing in his face and voices his disgust about child molesters, and then they catch the real guy. Just a bit too much phony "quiet intensity". Meloni has run his course...but he was good for a long time.

By getreal13

I hate that smug punk; I'm glad he's off the show. Now they just need to get rid of that other b**ch and the show will be o.k. My favorite episode of this show is when Ludacris took them all down, and made them look stupid. They finally all got what they deserved. This show is a depiction of the real world, and shows how cops can get away with whatever they want.

By Kathy Conn

I second that Stephanie. They can search the universe over and not be able to replace him.

By Mack

Absolutely correct, don't these people realize not only the celebs but us viewers make the show happen, we are the ones that make their ratings don't fix something thats not broke give him more money !!

By gtmo49

I have always enjoyed the show and to me it will not be the same without either of the 2 top stars. As to the other young lady being considered, forget it..tho' I'm sure she's a fine actress.

By PATTI

I AGREE TOTALLY DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I WILL BOTHER WATCHING IT ANYMORE WITHOUT HIM

By Carissa

I'm not happy! SVU won't be the same without him. :(

By Chaz Goodman

Maybe they will bring "Oz" back and good ole Chris can go back to boning dudes in his prison cell again.

By JustSaying

Whelp. There goes the last Law & Order series. That franchise sunk fast.

By Jeanne

What do you mean it sunk fast? The franchise is almost 21 years old!

@Jeanne
First the entire cast of CI is replaced. Then the next year, the Mothership goes down. LOLA lasted less than a full season. Now SVU is replacing or partially replacing the leads.

What's that 2 yrs? Yeah, the franchise is 21 yrs old. But its individual shows have fallen like dominoes in 2.

By patr728

I don't know what math some of you are using, but I recently watched an SVU rerun dated 1999 with Meloni & Hargitay. I don't know which show it 'fell' from, but SVU has definitely been around for at least 11 years!
I'm disappointed that Chris Meloni is leaving. The chemistry between him and Hargitay is the meat & potatoes of the show. As to bringing JLH onto the show.....um she was great on the Ghost Whisperer, but I don't know about her with the SVU group.

By MALAM

The show is not 21 years old. 12 years (Sept 1999). If one of these 2 (Meloni/Hargitay) walk the show will last maybe two more years.

By jonpow71

The poster didn't say that SVU is 21 years old. He said that the "FRANCHISE" is 21 years old. SVU is part of the Law & Order franchise. L&O has been around 21 years. Read. Interpret. It's not that difficult.

By Moudsie

About time -- he apparently thinks he is worth more than he is -- frankly, I preferred the original Law and Order much more than L&O SVU -- bring that one back and dump this one.

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