At 61, Christopher Meloni is experiencing something of a career renaissance. And no, not because of his return to the Law & Order franchise, reprising the role of Detective Elliot Stabler in the 2021 spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Instead, the sexagenarian (pun absolutely intended) has semi-recently come to the attention of the internet due to his absolutely shredded physique and bubble butt, among other assets — fully cementing his status as a so-called “zaddy.”
A “zaddy,” for the uninitiated, generally refers to a handsome, fashionable, sexy older man with swag. Reductive? Perhaps. But Meloni, who cheekily acknowledged his notoriety in a nude Peloton commercial earlier this year, is embracing his newfound zaddiness by calling it “a second act to a certain degree” in the latest issue of People.
“It’s a gas. It’s fun,” Meloni told the publication. “I don’t know, has anyone else been crowned zaddy? Once it’s bestowed upon you, you have to just ride that horse as long as you can.”
While we wipe the sweat off our brows at Christopher Meloni giving us the mental image of riding things for as long as you can, he also dished on what his family thinks about all of the zaddy thirst. The Wet Hot American Summer star has been married to production designer Doris Sherman Williams since 1995 (we love a monogamous king), and the couple shares two children, a daughter Sophia, 21, and son, Dante, 18.
“My wife, she’s lovely, she gets it. Meaning she’s like, ‘Eh, whatever.’ My kids, on the other hand, invariably once a month, it’s ‘Really? Really?'” he shares. “Their friends will send them a meme that’s come out or whatever.”
“But I think secretly in their hearts, they get it,” he adds. “It’s cool, because we all have a good goof with it. My children’s friends bust my chops, but it’s all fun. It’s an honor.”
Meloni likewise waxed poetic on the benefits of aging, as he continues to do so like a fine bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.
“Age is a wondrous thing. You hope that with time you get a little wiser, get a little more patient and really come from a place of more maturity, which I translate to clarity and love,” he says. “And by love, it’s not kumbaya, but a sense we’re all in this together, we’re all doing the best we can. It’s a more refined way to operate.”
“Really just having an attitude of enjoying the ride. It’s great. Are you kidding me? I’m 61-years-old and a zaddy. The lucky streak continues.”
We should all be so lucky! But at least we get to see Meloni continue to thrive into his 60s, and we’ll take what we can get.
