Law & Order fans know Chris Meloni as hardboiled Detective Elliot Stabler from Special Victims Unit and more recently Organized Crime, which is now in its fifth season. Despite playing a complicated character on TV with no shortage of personal drama, Chris’s actual family life has been the source of much happiness over the years. He’s been married to his wife, Doris Sherman Williams (who goes by her middle name, Sherman), since the days before his Law & Order fame, and the pair share two children, Dante and Sophia.
Taking a closer look at the history of Chris’s relationship with Sherman, it’s clear that the 64-year-old actor has managed to succeed not just in his long-running TV role, but also in his long-running role as a dedicated husband and father. Keep on reading to learn more about their lasting love story.
Chris and Sherman first met on a TV set in 1989.
When Chris first crossed paths with Sherman, he was a struggling actor in Los Angeles, juggling several jobs as he worked towards his big break. It was 1989, and the two had both landed gigs on the same HBO production, which Chris would later describe to YourTango as “immensely forgettable.” While the show may have been forgettable, the production designer certainly was not, making a lasting enough impression to become his future wife.
Then 29 years old, Sherman initially caught Chris’s eye on set for several reasons. She had short, bleached-white hair, wore retro sunglasses, and to top it all off, arrived to work on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. “This [is someone] I gotta meet,” Chris said to YourTango of his initial intrigue. Chris introduced himself, and despite finding Sherman incredibly cool, was disappointed to learn that she already had a boyfriend and was therefore off the market.
A few years passed before Chris and Sherman bumped into each other again in LA, and the timing finally aligned for them to start dating. Sherman told YourTango that her first date with Chris actually consisted of three parties given by different sets of friends. She recalled that one was in West Hollywood, another was “given by Beverly Hills snootballs,” and the third was “a costume designer's party in the Hills.” Chris passed with flying colors at every event. “I thought: I can take him anywhere,” she told the outlet.
Chris and Sherman were married on a beach in Malibu, California in July 1995.
Years after their first date, Chris and Sherman tied the knot in Malibu. A far cry from a traditional beach union, the Meloni wedding had the twist of being medieval-themed. Banners fluttered, a non-denominational minister performed the service, and the newlyweds reportedly drank tequila shots out of goblets. Shortly after the ceremony, Sherman ran to the airport for a job in Miami.
In hindsight, Chris acknowledges that their wedding didn’t happen at the most perfect time — he was still trying to forge a path in the acting world and Sherman was constantly traveling for work. Just as Chris was building up his acting chops, so too was Sherman making a name for herself as a production designer. Her credits would ultimately include films such as Platoon (1986), The Chase (1994) and Automatic (1995), according to IMDb.
Due to their career ambitions, the couple found themselves on opposite coasts in the early years of their marriage. Sherman preferred to stay and work in LA, while Chris (a Washington D.C. native) was pulled to the East Coast for acting opportunities. During that time they pledged to follow one simple rule for the sake of their marriage: to spend no more than three weeks apart. Still, both Chris and Sherman shared the dream of one day having a home and children, and knew they would eventually need to land in the same city.
According toYourTango, Sherman ultimately made what Chris called "a great sacrifice," by agreeing to settle in New York City (she even put her design skills to use by creating a beautiful Hell’s Kitchen apartment for them to live in). It was a sacrifice that would pay great dividends, since it wasn’t long after their move to the Big Apple that Chris started landing major acting jobs, including the Elliot Stabler role that would cement his TV stardom.
Sherman gave birth to daughter Sophia in May 2001.
With Chris’s new career success on Law & Order came enough financial stability for the couple to start growing their family. "Without a certain amount of money, there's stress," he told YourTango, explaining that, "In 1995, I didn't feel I could establish a career as an actor and commit to kids at the same time." His starring role in Special Victims Unit changed everything in that regard, and the couple welcomed their first child, Sophia Eva Pietra Meloni, on March 23, 2001.
Chris and Sherman's son Dante was born in January 2004.
Less than three years later, the couple’s second child, Dante Amadeo Meloni, was born on January 2, 2004. Chris clearly shares a special bond with his son, and without fail posts a sweet throwback photo of the two together on Dante’s birthday every year. “21 years old. @dante_melonii Still got attitude,” he wrote on Instagram this past January.
Looking back on his relationship with both of his kids, Chris views himself as very involved.
"I think my kids would call me a little crazy," the Law & Order star told USA Today. "I'm very physical, very affectionate. I'm also very disciplined and focused on education. That's one thing that was instilled in me, one place in life where there's no compromise.”
He added: "I want them to engage in athletics or the arts because those are places they get to express themselves ... I try to encourage that and say, 'Please trust me. Wondrous things will happen on this journey of pain.'"
Chris and Sherman still live and work in NYC.
After 12 years of playing Elliot Stabler, Chris said goodbye to Special Victims Unit in 2011 and ventured into different kinds of work, including True Blood, Man of Steel and Happy!. He couldn’t stay away for too long however, and after a ten year hiatus, he reprised his role as Stabler for Law & Order: Organized Crime. The spinoff show is still going strong, with new episodes now streaming on Peacock.
As for Sherman, she’s moved on from the world of TV production and rediscovered her love for creating art. According to People, since moving to New York, she’s studied at Parsons School of Design, the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy School. She now works as a painter and specializes in portraits, a venture that Chris supports wholeheartedly, calling himself "her biggest fan." In 2022, he told People that his wife’s painting studio is a “sacred space,” and “it just makes me happy.” He added that, “We have her work all over the house. She wants to buy art, and I'm like, 'I don't want that. I want yours.'"
Overall, Chris credits his happy marriage to Sherman’s patience. He told People, “She's allowed me to grow at my speed, because she's always been more mature and more level headed in many ways." For Sherman’s part, she shared with YourTango her belief that the keys to their relationship success have been "space, respect, trust, and freedom," in addition to the fact that “we laugh a lot,” and “we just like each other.”
It’s not hard to find evidence of the couple’s affection for one another, as Chris frequently posts about Sherman, as well as Sophia and Dante, on social media. He documents milestones including his kids’ graduations, birthdays, holidays and vacations. A proud family man, it makes sense that Chris saves all the drama for his fictional characters, and reserves nothing but love for his wife and kids.
Sam Lawyer is a lifestyle writer and television producer based in New York City. She’s been contributing to Woman’s Day for nearly five years, and covers a variety of topics from gifting, to health, and entertainment. Her work has additionally been featured in Cosmopolitan, Country Living, and Good Housekeeping. When she’s not writing or producing, you can find her binging her favorite Bravo shows or getting walked by her French Bulldog.
