Right as Christopher Meloni was starting his work on Law and Order: SVU as Detective Elliot Stabler, the actor had another big acting gig in front of him. Meloni was cast as Julia Roberts’ fiancé in 1999’s Runaway Bride. This movie was a huge deal for many reasons.
Not only was Roberts the queen of rom-coms in the '90s, but this would also be the return to her collaboration with Richard Gere. A lot of eyes were on the project, and Meloni recently opened up about how difficult he found working on the film to be. In an interview with People , the Law and Order: SVU star was asked about his role in Runaway Bride , as the film celebrates its 25th anniversary.
It was a major opportunity for Meloni, but it seems like, at the time, the actor was more intimidated than excited, especially when it came to working with the all-star ensemble cast. He said: I just remember fighting not to be overwhelmed, so happy to be given this opportunity, how great it was to work with [Roberts] and with Richard Gere. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is the most difficult thing I've ever had to do,’ because it was a big Hollywood comedy.
Another part of it that intimidated Meloni was the genre. It was a big studio comedy, where the emphasis on being funny for the camera was present and endlessly important. Doing so, without being cheesy or hammy was a delicate balance that the actor discovered very quickly wasn’t always easy.
He continued: The comedy of it, I felt like I kept having to make .