I was like, “That’s what I want to do, keep moving forward.” I had done the ‘Law & Order’ way of storytelling, which they do really well, and I was interested in telling stories from a different angle - whether comedic or inhabiting a new world or doing it on different platforms.” He said, “I left with zero animosity, but I did leave clearly and open-eyed in going forward and finding new adventures. The actor opened up about his departure in an interview with New York Post. Deadline reported that the actor was seeking a pay rise and chose to walk away from the show after an agreement could not be reached with the producers. The decision to move on from the show was at least in part due to a contract dispute. The actor’s fine portrayal treads the line between the ferocious and vulnerable sides of the character, and Meloni even received an Emmy Award Nomination for his role as Stabler.ĭespite the acclaim and appreciation, the actor decided to part ways with the iconic role after the show’s twelfth season. Though he is a competent detective, he is prone to being emotional, resulting in violent outbursts. When audiences first meet Stabler in the premiere episode of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ he has already been working for the SVU as a detective with his partner, Benson, for a year. So what led to the actor choosing to move on from the iconic series? We did some research and uncovered the reason behind Meloni’s decision to exit the cop drama. Along with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson, Stabler serves as the show’s backbone in the early seasons and is arguably the most popular character to appear on the show. Until then, many notable cast members departed from the show, but none as vital as Meloni.

Svu season 12 finale