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  3. These 22 Throwback Photos of Christopher Meloni Are So Good, They Should Be Illegal

These 22 Throwback Photos of Christopher Meloni Are So Good, They Should Be Illegal

You have the right to remain gorgeous

By Andrea Wurzburger Updated April 02, 2022 12:24 PM
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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

Freeze! Christopher Meloni is known for playing Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU and the newer spin-off, Organized Crime, and on April 2, 1961, is also known for turning 61, which means there's a lot to celebrate.

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Grab your ticket and buckle up because it's about to be a wild ride. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Meloni looked a little different in 1990. Check him out on the right with long hair, a graphic tee and ... is that an earring we see?!

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Yep, definitely an earring. The perfect accessory for Meloni's denim shirt. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty

This bolo tie and over-sized blazer? Your man could never pull it off! 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

In case you were wondering, yes, he was a high school football star in the late 1970s.

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Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler, Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

In 1999, Meloni began what would be a 12-year stint on Law & Order: SVU as Detective Elliot Stabler. He starred alongside Mariska Hargitay, who played his partner Olivia Benson. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Meloni eventually buzzed his luscious locks of the early '90s off for a police force-friendly cut. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

And somehow managed to make us all consider committing a small, harmless crime. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

Not that we are thinking about committing any crimes, but if we committed a crime, we wouldn't mind running into Stabler at the precinct. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

His blue eyes are particularly arresting. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: NBCU Photo Bank

We wouldn't mind working late nights at the precinct if it meant Stabler was our partner. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Eric Liebowitz/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

We love a man in uniform. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Eric Liebowitz/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty

Who are we kidding? We also love a man in plain clothes. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/NBCU Photo Bank

*Googles: How to Become an NYPD Detective.*

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage

He's not afraid to take fashion risks! 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Scott Gries/ImageDirect

Really digging this red pinstripe number Meloni wore in 2001. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

And this low-cut black shirt. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: KMazur/WireImage

Somehow he managed to pull off this short-brimmed hat. Did Meloni single-handedly just convince us that someone can pull off a fedora? 

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Christopher Meloni

This beanie really makes him look very broody and emotional. 

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Christopher Meloni
Credit: Peter Kramer/Getty

Excuse me, who gave Meloni permission to have the jawline of a comic book superhero? 

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Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni
Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/NBCU

Thank you for your service, sir.

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    These 22 Throwback Photos of Christopher Meloni Are So Good, They Should Be Illegal
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