By
Lynette Rice, EW.com
Updated 9:51 AM EST, Wed December 14, 2011
Christopher Meloni stepped down earlier this year from playing Detective Elliot Stabler on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Chris Meloni has booked his first post-"SVU" gig -- and it's a bloody good one.
The former star of the **** Wolf drama will join HBO's "True Blood" in season 5 as "ancient, powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands." He will be a series regular.
Meloni's role on Alan Ball's drama marks a homecoming, of sorts: The actor previously played Chris Keller on the pay cabler's gritty drama "Oz" from 1998 to 2003.
Earlier this year, Meloni decided to step down from playing Detective Elliot Stabler on the long-running NBC drama.