Christopher Meloni Boasts about His ‘Beauty’ Kids on 62nd Birthday – It Took Years to Win Her Heart after 1st Meeting

At 62, actor Christopher Meloni has become a permanent fixture on our TVs with his role as Detective Elliot Stabler in “Law & Order.” But he has also achieved plenty more in his personal life and boasts a beautiful wife he fell in love with years before they became a thing. The feelings were mutual, and she made a big sacrifice to be with him. Today, the two are proud parents of two.

Actor Christopher Meloni recently celebrated a colossal milestone after attaining 62 years of age. The star, who’s known for playing criminal Jimmy Liery in “NYPD Blue,” Mark Fuhrman in “Murder In Greenwich,” and Doctor Dave Norris in “Scrubs,” shared the fantastic news on his Instagram in a post that has since garnered thousands of likes.

The actor posted photos with his loved ones and described how he spent his big day. The first was a selfie taken with his son Dante Meloni at the gym. In the caption, the actor revealed that he spent his day working out with Dante.

The second photo was a screenshot of a video call between the actor, his son, and his daughter Sophia. He noted that his daughter had face timed him to wish him well on his big day.

He then shared how he’d arrived home to be greeted by a mouth-watering cake baked by “the greater/greatest beauty,” his wife. He included a photo of the cake, with his wife looking on in the background, and captioned the post:

“Grateful for health. Grateful for my family. Grateful for the time I have. Grateful for the people that surround me. Grateful for all the wishes.”

Chris Meloni’s daughter Sophia comments on her dad’s birthday post | Source: Instagram/Chris Meloni

The post received plenty of reactions from his fans, who flooded the comment section with happy birthday wishes. His daughter Sophia made a light comment of the post, asking her father to be honest about Dante bribing him to post the first photo of the father-son duo in the gym.

Sophia also made a heartfelt post on her Instagram to celebrate her dad’s big day, where she wrote a lengthy message praising Meloni for being an awesome dad.

She confessed that she still adores the drama, the joy, the groundedness, the wisdom, and the tough and deep love they share. She relishes “being wired in the same brilliantly broken and brilliant brilliant way” as her dad.

Actor Chris Meloni (R) and daughter Sophia Eva Pietra attend the “Noah” New York Premiere at Ziegfeld Theatre on March 26, 2014 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

The Meloni household appears to be close-knit from their photos and appreciation of each other. And while their family is enviable to onlookers, it did not come easy for them. They had to tread a long and rough path to attain the family they are incredibly proud of today.

Meloni and Williams — A Novel-Worthy Love Story

Meloni and Sherman Williams’ love story began in 1989 when the “Runaway Bride” actor appeared in an HBO series whose details he has since forgotten. However, the production designer, Williams, remained embedded in his memories. She was in her twenties, and he liked her the moment he set his eyes on her.

She had arrived at the set atop a Harley, and her short, bleached white hair and cat-eye sunglasses had Meloni in a trance. Asked to rate her on a scale of one to ten, Meloni thought she was a solid eleven.

Chris Meloni arrives with his wife Sherman at the opening night of the new Broadway play “Topdog/Underdog” at the Ambassador Theater in New York City in 2002 | Source: Getty Images

Upon seeing her, he thought he had to get to know her, so he strode over and began flirting. Unfortunately for him, Williams was in a relationship, so he stepped back. He, however, soon realized he could not get her off his mind.

Some time passed, but then one afternoon, he was driving in the Hollywood Hills when Williams, once described as “a female Billy Idol” and “Sharon Stone’s twin sister,” called out his name. She said she was throwing a party and that he was invited. He attended and still thought she was sexy, but he was still out of luck’s reach as she was still involved with someone else.

Meloni then left for his home city, New York, but later returned to Los Angeles, only to bump into Williams again. It was a surprise because “you don’t bump into people in L.A,” so he left her a note at her house.

While it appeared that their stars had finally aligned, it took the two a couple of years to finally start dating and another six months to eventually move in together. Four years later, they walked down the aisle on a beach in Malibu.

Their wedding was one of a kind, adorned with a medieval theme with banners fluttering in the ocean wind. A nondenominational minister oversaw the ceremony while the newlyweds knocked back tequila shots.

Moments after they exchanged vows, the bride, who was working on a movie, raced to the airport to catch a flight to Miami for work. Williams recounted the events of their first date, saying they attended three parties thrown by three sets of friends.

One was a gay party; the other was filled with snootballs, and the third was a costume designer’s party, where they drank beer from a tub. In all three, Meloni kept his cool and held his own, an impression that made Williams look at him in a different light. Williams mused:

“And I thought: I can take him anywhere.”

Even so, there was still the question of how she knew he was serious about her. She revealed that the “Man of Steel” actor cut the two concrete steps in front of his house so she could easily get her motorcycle into his lawn, an act that Williams thinks is selfless.

Christopher Meloni with wife Sherman Williams arriving at the Project A.L.S. “Tomorrow Is Tonight” gala at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. October 21, 2002 | Source: Getty Images

Despite the pair being undeniably in love, the onset of their marriage was marred with challenges. Meloni was still a struggling actor, while Williams was a nomadic set designer. Between them, they did not have a stable income. But they had more issues besides money.

Williams loved Los Angeles, while Meloni was mystically connected to New York. And while they had a rule about never being apart for more than three weeks apart, being together also meant they had to commute from one’s home to the other every three weeks or so.

Sherman Williams and husband actor Chris Meloni attend the 3rd Annual Society Of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Spring Ball at The Pierre Hotel on May 18, 2010 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

It was an incredibly daunting task, and soon enough, they had to devise a lasting solution. Luckily, they had the common goal of wanting to start a family, and making compromises for the greater good did not seem so tasking. In what Meloni calls “a great sacrifice,” Williams decided to forgo her love for the city of angels, and the lovebirds settled in New York.

Everything was falling into place, Meloni had the girl of his dream by his side, and as if on cue, he started landing roles that seemed like a distant dream in the past.

He soon appeared in “Bound,” “Brown’s Requiem,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and “The Souler Opposite,” among many others, before finally landing the role of Elliot Stabler in “Law & Order,” for which he has reprised his position to date.

Meloni and Williams’ Secrets to a Long Marriage

The Melonis are two years short of their 30th anniversary, but looking at them, one could never tell. The two still appear infatuated with each other as they were when they first started dating. In an industry where divorce is the order of the day, their marriage remains one of the most successful ones by a long shot.

And the secret? They have lived by their rule of never being apart for too long. The two still act as if they are in the dating phase and are still smitten with each other.

Chris Meloni and wife Sherman Meloni during 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – New York City – Arrivals at Marriott Marquis in New York City, New York, United States. | Source: Getty Images

During their sit down with YourTango, Meloni grabbed his wife’s leg, and she feigned holding his pants, to which the actor grinned and said, “She digs me,” and Williams replied:

“I really appreciate how much he appreciates me.”

Another secret to their long-lasting marriage is William’s patience with Meloni. The actor shared that his wife allowed him to grow at his pace because she always was more levelheaded and mature in many ways.

Sherman Williams and Chris Meloni at The Ritz-Carlton on January 6, 2006 in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. | Source: Getty Images

Meloni also touched on the importance of staying faithful to one’s partner. He shared that often, affairs will lead to drama and subsequent complications, and he was never a fan of complicated stuff:

“There’s so much energy expended in personal drama, in having a dramatic life. People get addicted to drama.”

Meloni also appears to have perfected the art of appreciating his wife, and based on his Instagram posts, he loves dancing with her and making her feel special. In a post dated January 2022, the actor posted a series of photos and videos of him out with his family having a wonderful time as they celebrated Williams’ birthday.

In one photo, he captured his wife looking gorgeous in black heels while he hugged her tenderly in another. He captioned the post:

“So…this happened. My gurl. Ageless. Timeless. Steppin’ out with the young-uns to show em how it’s done.”

He is also not one to forget special occasions, and for Valentine’s Day this year, he posted a photo of him and Williams with the New York City lights in the background. In the caption, he referred to Williams as “my best gurl.”

At 63, Williams looks stunning, and those around her often remind her of the same. In February 2023, Meloni posted a short video of his wife dancing in what appears to be an elevator, and a fan commented on her looks, saying:

“She is looking smashing, Chris.”

A fan praises Williams on her good looks | Source: Instagram/Chris Meloni

Meloni’s career success has ensured the family lives a luxurious life and affords only the best. They have a New York apartment, and a retreat in Connecticut, can travel to their dream destinations, and have comfortably raised their two children, Sophia and Dante.

For Meloni, a busy work life that included working 14-15 hours a day and eating lunch while standing did not bother him much as long as he returned home to find his lovely wife and children waiting for him. He gushed:

“I love my children beyond all reason. They’re my joy, even when they’re wild with kid energy.”

Meloni appreciates his family and says his wife, who is always calm and never demanding, is one of the reasons he has maintained the kind of levelheadedness he has for years.

They Are Doting Parents to Two Wonderful Kids

Meloni and Williams always knew they wanted kids long before they got married. Their dream came true in March 2001 when they welcomed their daughter Sophia via surrogacy.

Chris Meloni with his wife Sherman and their daughter Sophia IN 2003 | Source: Getty Images

Three years later, they welcomed their second baby, son Dante by the same surrogate mother. Meloni recalls how his mother would say that she learned plenty from her kids, and he did not understand it at the time until he had kids of his own.

He says once his kids arrived, he understood what his mother meant. Now he says one of his children is an old soul, while the other is a younger soul:

“It’s an ever-evolving and a complete fulfillment of my life.

Chris Meloni, Dante and Sherman Meloni at the Gotham and Hamptons Magazines Celebration with Cover Star Christopher Meloni of Law and Order SVU on August 11, 2007 in East Hampton, New York | Source: Getty Images

Their kids are now grown and with lives of their own. Dante, now 19, is already exploring love and recently posted a series of photos of him spending with his girlfriend.

Parenting for Meloni was a welcome change in his life, with both winning moments and failures. In 2021, he received a special gift from his daughter for Father’s Day, commemorating a parenting failure from years prior.

The gift was a framed Tweet by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz responding to author Rebecca Makkhai’s question about the best celebrity sightings. Seitz tweeted that he had seen Meloni, one of the toughest guys on TV, struggling to control two toddlers at a brunch at Columbus Circle in 2007.

Sophia captured the exchange, printed it out, and framed it, then added a blurb at the bottom that read: “The toddlers in question,” alongside a cutout photo of herself and her brother as toddlers.

As he celebrates another year of his life, Meloni remains grateful for a successful career, a beautiful family, and the people surrounding him, all of which he says are the gifts that matter.