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

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.

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

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?!

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

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

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

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. 

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

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

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. 

His blue eyes are particularly arresting. 

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

We love a man in uniform. 

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

*Googles: How to Become an NYPD Detective.*

He's not afraid to take fashion risks! 

Really digging this red pinstripe number Meloni wore in 2001. 

And this low-cut black shirt. 

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

This beanie really makes him look very broody and emotional. 

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

Thank you for your service, sir.