Christopher Meloni on Friday bid farewell to Elliot Stabler, the detective on Law & Order that he has been playing for seventeen years, following the cancellation of the spin off Organized Crime after five seasons.
In an Instagram video, Meloni said, “I just saw that they announced Organized Crime won’t be coming back. I wanted to take this moment to say thank you to the fans who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back. It was a good ride.”
“I had a great time playing him. It was a great ride. Thank you. You helped give me a career that I never dreamed of, nearly 17 odd years,” he added.
Meloni has been playing the role of Stabler on and off for 17 years. In the series — starting with its premiere in 1999 till its 12th season in 2011 — he led the Special Victims Unit alongside Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson.
Meloni returned to the franchise in a guest role in 2021 in SVU while also leading the spinoff Organized Crime.
SVU is set to return for Season 28 this year.