Christopher Meloni, who recently celebrated his 27th wedding anniversary with wife Sherman Williams, has revealed the secret to his successful marriage.
The 61-year-old actor opened up about his relationship during a recent interview with People, which feature him on the cover of its latest issue. During the conversation, Meloni acknowledged that the “love and respect” that he and his wife have for each other is what has kept their marriage so strong.
“That’s kind of the secret to our relationship,” Meloni explained. “Which is a love and respect that one has for the other that is not really expressed overtly or on the daily. You just feel it, deeply.”
The Law & Order star described how “good” he and his spouse were doing before crediting her for being so “patient” with him.
“She’s allowed me to grow at my speed, because she’s always been more mature and more level headed in many ways,” he continued. “She sees the world through a different lens.”
He highlighted his wife’s work as a painter and noted that her art studio is not only a “sacred” space, but it is also a place that makes him feel “happy”.
“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,” Meloni continued. “You’ve married this person and there are certain ineffable qualities that you respect and give you joy.”
Meloni also spoke to People about his and Williams’ children. They share a 21-year-old daughter, Sophia, and an 18-year-old son, Daunte. While he “always knew” that he wanted children, he didn’t necessarily expect to learn so much for them.
“My mother always used to say to me, ‘I’ve learned so much from you kids,’ and I didn’t get it. Now I get it,” he explained. “One is more of an old soul. I never used that term until they came out of the womb and I looked in their eyes. I was like, ‘Holy cow, look at you. You’re here to teach me.’ As well as the other one, who’s a young soul.”
He emphasised how much he enjoys being a father, adding: “It’s the beauty dance, engagement. It’s ever-evolving and a complete fulfilment of my life.”
This wasn’t Meloni’s first time speaking out about his marriage. During an interview with Harry Connick, Jr in 2018, the Oz star revealed that when his mother first met Williams, she already knew that she was “the one” for his son.
“The first time she met my wife, then girlfriend, she goes, I’ll never forget it, she’s at the top of the stairs and as soon as I saw her, she was like, ‘Oh my god, Chris is going to marry this one,” Meloni explained.
Elsewhere in his interview with People, Meloni addressed how the family has found amusement out of many of his fans calling him “Zaddy”.
“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.”
