Christopher Meloni plays the iconic role of Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but he also has another important job: dad to his two children, Sophia and Dante Meloni.
The Man of Steel actor married artist Sherman Williams in 1995 and made his first appearance on Law & Order: SVU four years later. As the series increased in popularity, Christopher and Williams began to grow their family. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Sophia, in 2001, and their son, Dante, followed in 2004.
Over the years, Christopher has opened up about his family life in interviews and on social media.
“I always knew I wanted kids, as did my wife,” he told PEOPLE in October 2022. “My mother always used to say to me, ‘I’ve learned so much from you kids,’ and I didn’t get it. Now I get it.”
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Sophia Eva Pietra Meloni, 24
Christopher and Williams welcomed their first child, Sophia Eva Pietra Meloni, on March 23, 2001.
When Sophia turned 18 in 2019, Christopher shared a photo of her as a baby on Instagram and wrote, “So what’s weird is, I know I took this picture yesterday and now I’m celebrating ur 18th B Day. Ur birth introduced me to the emotions of love, ur life gives me life … so I thank u for that. Keep doing you, and seeking out the adventures that life holds.”
In 2021, Sophia gave Christopher a present for Father’s Day that reflected on her and her brother’s childhood in a funny way. The gift was a framed post from X (formerly Twitter) that responded to a question about “best celebrity sightings.”
The post read, “I saw Chris Meloni, one of the toughest tough guys on television, failing to control two toddlers at a brunch at Columbus Circle circa 2007.” Sophia attached a photo of herself and Dante as toddlers and wrote, “The toddlers in question?”
Christopher’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit costar Mariska Hargitay is Sophia’s godmother and it seems they are quite close.
On Hargitay’s birthday in 2023, Sophia posted an old video of herself with the actress on Instagram and wrote, “waving my wand to summon all things sparkly, shiny, beautiful and grand for my fairy godmamma today.”
Although they were raised out of the spotlight, Christopher has always encouraged his children to pursue their passions. “I want them to engage in athletics or the arts because those are places they get to express themselves,” he told USA Today in 2014.
He also shared his philosophy on being a hands-on dad. “I think my kids would call me a little crazy,” Christopher told the outlet. “I’m very physical, very playful. I’m also very disciplined and focused on education. That’s one thing that was instilled in me, a place in life where there’s no compromise.”
In 2024, Christopher posted a tribute on Instagram for Dante’s 20th birthday, sharing a throwback snap of himself as a young dad and Dante as a baby.