Stabler may have abandoned Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," but Chris Meloni has not forgotten about his former co-star Mariska Hargitay. The crime-fighting duo reunited on Friday morning in New York while Meloni promoted his new WGN American series, "Underground."
Meloni and Hargitay played NYPD detectives for the first 12 seasons of the long-running NBC drama. The 54-year-old actor then left the show, which has found a second life in the last few years on the back of its Emmy-winning female lead.
"Meeting peeps NYC #hanginWithAFriend," Meloni tweeted.
Meeting peeps NYC #hanginWithAFriend pic.twitter.com/3DbyVDrZsV
— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) March 11, 2016
Following his time on "SVU," Meloni starred in season five of HBO's "True Blood" and had movie roles in "42" and "Man of Steel." Last summer, he reprised his role as Camp Firewood chef Gene in "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Summer" on Netflix. He currently stars on "Underground" as an abolitionist in the Deep South.
Earlier this year, "SVU" showrunner Warren Leight revealed scrapped plans to bring back Meloni had the show ended this season. NBC gave the series an early 18th season renewal and plans of a potential reunion came as a surprise to the former "SVU" star, who had "no idea" about the offer.
"If we weren't coming back, there were a couple things I was absolutely going to do," Leight said last month. "We had been talking [about], had this been the last episode, we would have tried [Meloni] to bring him back."
Hargitay holds no hard feelings for her co-star leaving the show and has said she's "grateful" for the 12 years they spent together. "I think Chris is incapable of lying. He is a truth-teller; he's committed to the truth at all costs. I loved his passion and commitment...He made me better and I love him. I loved acting with him and I love him as a person," she told James Lipton on "Inside the Actors Studio" in 2014.
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
"Underground" airs the same night at 10 p.m. on WGN America. The new show gave the cable network its best original series debut ever, drawing 1.4 million viewers.
