Christopher Meloni is ‘enjoying the ride’ as a sex symbol: ‘I’m 61 years old and a zaddy’
Christopher Meloni loves it when you call him "zaddy."
Last year, the Organized Crime star, 61, gave the world some levity — well, his body did at least — when memes celebrating the size of his butt went viral. It didn't take long for social media users to turn Meloni into the poster child for the term "zaddy," or an "attractive man who is also stylish, charming and self-confident," according to Dictionary.com, which added the word to its online vocabulary resource in 2021.
Yep, that fits Meloni to a tee.
"It's a second act to a certain degree," he told People magazine of embracing the term. "It's a gas. It's fun. I don't know, has anyone else been crowned Zaddy? Once it's bestowed upon you, you have to just ride that horse as long as you can.”
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alum — who shares daughter Sophia, 21, and son Dante, 18, with his wife of 27 years, artist Sherman Williams — says his family finds the whole thing hysterical.
"My wife, she's lovely, she gets it. Meaning she's like, 'Eh, whatever.' My kids, on the other hand, invariably once a month, it's 'Really? Really?'" he said. "Their friends will send them a meme that's come out or whatever. But I think secretly in their hearts, they get it. It's cool, because we all have a good goof with it. My children's friends bust my chops, but it's all fun. It's an honor."
It's particularly precious to him that his body is getting such praise at this stage in life.
"Really just having an attitude of enjoying the ride. It's great. Are you kidding me? I'm 61-years-old and a zaddy. The lucky streak continues,” he said. "Age is a wondrous thing. You hope that with time you get a little wiser, get a little more patient and really come from a place of more maturity, which I translate to clarity and love. And by love, it's not kumbaya, but a sense we're all in this together, we're all doing the best we can. It's a more refined way to operate."
Indeed, Meloni knows how to capitalize on a good thing and has routinely poked fun of the world's obsession with his derrière — from sharing his butt workout with Men's Health to posting thirsty photos for his fans to stripping down in a recent ad for Peloton.
At this stage in his life, however, he's spending more time soul-searching than worrying about his body.
"There are bigger things, more important things. I know how important this is to me, but I have a clearer vision of life," he told Men’s Health last year about his career and understanding his priorities. "I know a little more about love. I know a little more about real pain. I know about joy. I know better management skills. As you go through life, you get a clearer understanding of things, of your holes and of your gifts."
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