Dun, dun…it’s Christopher Meloni’s birthday!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit characters Detective Elliot Stabler (Meloni) and his partner and current leading lady Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) had a very deep and strong connection on the series and they always had each other’s back.
Over the years, fans of the NBC show grew obsessed with them, but the real friendship we are still living for today is the one between birthday boy Meloni and his former co-star Hargitay.
Seriously, they would make Stabler and Benson really proud based on their continually strong bond in real life and it makes our hearts jump for joy year after year.
Despite the fact that Stabler and Benson are no more on screen, off screen the two actors are still as thick as thieves and we are very grateful that they are.
In honor of Meloni turning 58 years old today we’ve decided to celebrate the thing we love about him more than his acting and good looks…his friendship with Hargitay.
Luckily for fans of Meloni, the actor has been doing his thing on screen since 1988 and even though we will always remember him as Stabler on SVU, he’s won us over more times than we can count.
From Oz and True Blood to Wet Hot American Summer and Happy! Meloni knows how to bring the laughs, be serious and make us take notice of him no matter what role he’s portraying. The craziest part however is that his personality off screen is even better.
He’s proven time and time again that he’s a family man and an amazing friend—case and point: his two decade long friendship with Hargitay—and that’s why we want to celebrate him even more on his birthday.
To make your day and remind everyone why Meloni is so wonderful, just scroll through all of his sweet friendship moments with Hargitay below. Trust us, this will brighten up your day, week, month or your year in no time!
Vacation Buddies
Mariska Hargitay posed this snap with Christopher Meloni while on vacation in December 2018 and we’re obsessed. “Vacay…A great night with this one. #Reunited #OldFriends #PTL,” she captioned it.
Partners for Life
In May 2018, Meloni and Hargitay hung out together in New York City and of course they documented it…thank goodness.
Selfie Fail
“Crazy ppl on the streets of nyc,” Meloni captioned this selfie fail and seriously, how can you not just love these two together?
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Blurry Buds
Blurry or not, this snap of the two former Law & Order: Special Victims Unit co-stars spending time together during the holidays in 2017 is too cute.
Happy and They Know It
After Thanksgiving in 2017, the two pals ran into one another and clearly they still have fun no matter what the occasion.
Kiss Kiss
Ugh, how do we get Detective Stabler to give us a smooch?
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Goofballs Forever
“Even the effortless moments…” Meloni captioned the previous photo only to follow it up with this funny picture and the caption, “…need to be rehearsed.”
Birthday Bash
Hargitay shared this sweet snap in honor of her former TV partner’s birthday in April 2017 and said “PFL” at the end of the note and we’re dying a little inside because Stabler and Benson are partners for life!
Be Mine
“And then that happened…Just when I thought Valentine’s Day was over,” Hargitay wrote alongside this kissing picture from Valentine’s Day in 2017 and we are again getting teary-eyed at these two loving each other so much.
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Stabler & Benson for President
In 2016, the former TV partners and real-life friends celebrated Christmas together (well, a few days early) and we are in desperate need of an on-screen reunion now.
Friendly Run-ins
“Lean on me #PFL #FacialHairDontCare #Hargoatee #HanginWithAFriend #ItsAllInTheEyesKid,” Hargitay wrote on this precious picture and we will never get tired of these quick reunions.
Spotted: SVU Pals
In 2015, in the dark of night, New York City’s greatest detectives, err, we mean friends, reunited once again and posed for an epic photo.
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Ride or Die
It doesn’t matter how long these two are apart, they always make time to check in with each other and we are totally on board with all the run-ins that have happened over the past few years.
Bestie Reunions
In March 2014, the duo reunited for dinner proving that they will always be partners, even if they aren’t acting alongside one another anymore.