Chris Meloni, who plays Detective Elliot Stabler on the hit TV series “Law and Order: SVU,” has declined to renew his contract for another season, according to The Associated Press. The Huffington Post reports that after twelve seasons and 272 episodes, the network and the actor could not come to terms on contract agreements.
The popular detective began his career in 1989 with an HBO television series entitled, “1st and Ten”. His film career began to take off in 1994 with a film called, “Clean Slate” and has since been involved in the creation of more than 20 films playing a variety of characters. His most recent film was “National Lampoons Dirty Movie” which was released earlier this year.
His twelve year stint at “Law and Order” which began in 1999 was one of his major roles and continues to be his most remembered acting job to date. It was one of the only jobs he held where he caught a break as a major lead character. It also lead him into an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and two PRISM nominations for Performance in a TV Drama Series Episode.
The Daily Blam reported that although rumors have listed a denied salary increase as the sole reason for Meloni not returning to the show, “Sources close to the actor say otherwise stating, “It was a great run and a wonderful experience. Now he is ready for the next chapter of his life””. They also state that his partner in the series, Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, is also planning her exit from the show.
He will not only be dropping off from the show but also the internet. His official website has been officially shut down and the disclaimer reads that he will “not be establishing another presence on the internet, including on services such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.”.
