List of NYPD Blue characters
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of the numerous characters that appeared on NYPD Blue
during the twelve seasons it was on the air.
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
during the twelve seasons it was on the air.
Main 15th Squad detectives
- Andy SipowiczAndy SipowiczAndy Sipowicz is a fictional character and protagonist on the popular ABC television series NYPD Blue. Dennis Franz portrayed the character for its entire run....
- Bobby SimoneBobby SimoneBobby Simone was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was played by Jimmy Smits from near the start of the second season until the beginning of the sixth....
- John KellyJohn Kelly (NYPD Blue)John Kelly is a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was portrayed by David Caruso in the first season and the first four episodes of the second season of the series....
- Danny SorensonDanny SorensonDanny Sorenson was a fictional detective on the popular TV series, NYPD Blue, appearing from season six through season eight. The character was played by actor Rick Schroder....
- John Clark, Jr.John Clark, Jr.John Clark, Jr. was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar from season 9 until the end of the series....
- Diane RussellDiane RussellDiane Russell was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. She was played by Kim Delaney from the second season to the eighth and made five further appearances in seasons ten and eleven....
- James MartinezJames MartinezJames Martinez was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was portrayed by Nicholas Turturro from the first episode until midway through the seventh season. He began his run on the show as a plainclothes officer in the Anti-Crime unit who made a very positive impression with...
- Greg MedavoyGreg MedavoyGregory Medavoy was a fictional character as well as a protagonist in the television series NYPD Blue. He was played by Gordon Clapp from the third episode of the first season to the second to last episode of the series, when he retired...
- Baldwin JonesBaldwin JonesBaldwin Jones was a character on the long running police drama NYPD Blue. He was played by Henry Simmons.Joining in the middle of season 7 from the Bias Squad after the departure of James Martinez, Jones was paired up with one of the squad's longest- serving detectives, Greg Medavoy...
- Connie Sipowicz
- Rita OrtizRita OrtizRita Ortiz was a character in the long running police drama series NYPD Blue. She was played by Jacqueline Obradors.Joining eight episodes into season nine to replace the long-departed Diane Russell she was partnered up with Connie McDowell and the two became close friends as well as partners...
- Laura MurphyLaura MurphyLaura Murphy was a character on the long running police drama NYPD Blue. She was played by Bonnie Somerville.Joining at the beginning of the twelfth and final season, Murphy was a long term replacement for Connie McDowell after the character left to have a baby...
Other 15th Squad detectives
- Adrienne Lesniak—Joined the squad in Season 2 to get away from the abusive cop she had been dating from another precinct. Adrienne quickly earned the squad's respect as a strong investigator and caught the eye of Det. Martinez, but she sought to avoid his romantic interests in Season 3 by falsely claiming to be a lesbian. Later on, Adrienne and James did begin dating. However, Adrienne quickly emerged as clingy and critical, even ranting at James when she wrongly thought he was sleeping with an informant. She apologized and understood when James ended their relationship, though she was deeply hurt by its end. Adrienne appeared for the last time in Season 3's finale and her departure was never explained on the show.
- Jill Kirkendall—Jill joined the 15th in Season 4, showing her superb abilities as a cop right away. She briefly and casually dated Bobby Simone before he returned to Diane's side, but over time she and Diane became best friends. Jill balanced her job against being a single mother of two boys, and showed a great ability to empathize with parents and young adults while on the job. Her career was ruined by her 'addiction' to her worthless ex-husband and her subsequent flight from the law to escape her involvement in trying to save her kids from him. She Replaced Detective Adrienne Lesniak.
15th Squad commanders
- Insp. Aiello--Where most superiors on BLUE tended to be either wonderful (Bass) or horrible (Haverill), Aiello was kind of a centrist: he sided with a task force that pushed Bobby out of the way on a major case, but also authorized the 15th to ignore the FBI and follow up a lead on a kidnapping case
- Captain Clifford Bass--A veteran of the patrol division who had little experience with the detective division but was an all around good boss. Took over from Haverill and quickly established himself as a polar opposite, in that he trusted cops, listened to good advice, and viewed Lt. Fancy as a superb leader of men. Bass was tough but firm, finding a compromise when Fancy and a bigoted cop faced off and later ordering harsh actions against an out-of-control Danny. In Season 7, it was learned his wife had mental problems and was attacking herself for attention. Bass resigned from the force to help her, but not before he first helped Fancy get promoted to Captain and later arranged for a wildly unpopular new Lt. to be transferred out of the 15th so Lt. Rodriguez could take over.
- Captain Haverill--A deeply hateful imperious leader who didn't want Lt. Fancy in charge of the 15th's detectives. It was initially thought that Haverill wanted Fancy gone to promote one of his own loyalists, but it was later discovered that Haverill was a racist who hated African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
police such as Fancy that they could not easily push around. He tried unsuccessfully to get Fancy removed only to be thwarted by Andy whom he equally despised. To weaken Fancy's team, Haverill initiated an IAB witchhunt that caused Det. Kelly enormous grief. When Kelly responded to Haverill in an insubordinate manner, Haverill used his power to demote Kelly to a humiliating dispatch position causing Kelly to resign from the force. It was then showed during a heist that Haverill tried to use one of Fancy's old informants to set the one five's detectives up on a bogus bust. Fancy turned the tables on Haverill though and got his informant to record Haverill making incriminating statements (specifically one calling Fancy a "nigga") and following an armored car bust gave Haverill the choice of early retirement or a civil trial with the tape recording. Haverill grudgingly accepted the retirement option and in Season 5, it was revealed he had become an FBI consultant and organized a plan that nearly cost Bobby, Andy and Fancy their jobs before they solved the case and removed that threat. - Lt. Arthur FancyArthur FancyCapt. Arthur Fancy was a fictional character and protagonist in the television series NYPD Blue. He was played by James McDaniel from Season 1 through Season 8.-Background:...
- Lt. Tony RodriguezLt. Tony RodriguezLt. Tony Rodriguez was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was played by Esai Morales for 48 episodes from 2001-2004....
- Sgt. Eddie Gibson--Eddie first emerged as a blustering sort-of friend of Andy's who knew Andy in his days of wine and roses, and got Andy to date his niece Cynthia in spite of Andy's reluctance. Eddie was a longtime night shift detective, with all the minimal competence that suggested, but he somehow got promoted to the 15th's day tour in Season 9. He was not a good detective, mostly cruising on sexism and willingness to beat up suspects, but Andy found out Eddie had only moved up because he was suffering from prostate cancer and was afraid his family wouldn't be able to live on his night-shift benefits if he died. Andy then arranged for Eddie to get promoted and Eddie then left the 15th for a while to successfully treat his cancer. Eddie also took in a badly abused teenager who Clark Jr. wanted to help out. In Season 11, Eddie shocked Andy and everyone else when he got promoted to the leadership position in the 15th after Tony left, because he'd passed the Sergeant's exam and there weren't enough Lieutenants to fill command slots. Eddie took a hands-off approach as boss, which was fine when he let the cops work their cases but not fine when he let a dirty cop nearly ruin Andy's career. Eddie's departure was explained in Season 12 when the new Lt. said that the 15th had been designated a rogue unit that needed to be reformed.
- Lt. Thomas BaleLt. Thomas BaleThomas Bale was a character on the long running police drama NYPD Blue. He was played by Currie Graham.An officer with the rank of Lieutenant, he joined the squad at the beginning of the twelfth and final season, replacing Sgt. Eddie Gibson as the squad commander...
- Sgt. Andy SipowiczAndy SipowiczAndy Sipowicz is a fictional character and protagonist on the popular ABC television series NYPD Blue. Dennis Franz portrayed the character for its entire run....
Assistant DA's
- Laura Michaels Kelly--The ex-wife of Det. John Kelly in Season 1, they were amiable enough after their divorce to sleep together on several occasions, but finally decided that their pattern of sex and fighting needed to end permanently. Laura was a DA who was pressured by a sleazy supervisor to lie about a dying witness' final words, but she used a recording as leverage to get a transfer to the position where she worked with the 15th's detectives. She told Det. Kelly she had begun seeing a doctor, and later that she felt she was being followed. She then got angry at her ex-husband for interviewing the doctor, and he told her to go ask someone else for help in her final episode, but then confronted the men who were stalking her and made it clear that if she got so much as a cold he would bring the wrath of God down on them.
- Sylvia CostasSylvia CostasSylvia Costas-Sipowicz, ADA, was a fictional character on NYPD Blue. She was played by Sharon Lawrence.Sylvia Costas was an elegant, beautiful ADA who began an affair with the older and tough Detective Andy Sipowicz, played by Dennis Franz...
- Leo Cohen--A sarcastic young ADA who quickly ran afoul with the 15th's cops for reasons ranging from snidely referring to secret love affairs (Bobby and Diane) to implying widespread brutality (Andy) and bad judgment (Lt. Fancy), Leo nevertheless showed he cared about the law and was able to sometimes work well with the 15th's top cops. He dated Jill for a while but ruined that relationship because he couldn't stand her dressing up as a prostitute for a sting operation. Leo later entered private practice and briefly represented Andy, Diane, and Greg over bogus corruption charges in Season 8, and returned to the DA's office in Season 11 to unsuccessful prosecute a murder case that was a major deal to Det. Jones.
- Valerie Heywood--She became the fulltime ADA for the 15th after Leo Cohen left in Season 8. While she was smart and tough, she alienated Andy with her rigid rule-book approach, and often showed judgmental tendencies that Sylvia Costas had generally avoided when dealing with cops. She was attracted to Det. Jones and they dated in Seasons 8 and 9; when she thought she was pregnant and later had a miscarriage, things went downhill between them over suspicion and lack of personal chemistry. They resumed dating in Season 10 and Det. Jones helped her out when a man she'd put in jail got out and harassed her, later arranging for a lowlife friend of his to beat her up. After losing a slam-dunk case against a corrupt IAB Captain over Lt. Rodriguez's shooting, she appeared in fewer episodes and was written out of the show after Season 11. Played Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon.
- Lori Munson--ADA Munson became the fulltime ADA in Season 12. She was initially furious at Det. Clark when his actions ruined a murder case, but she later forgave him when he'd cleaned up his act and helped salvage something from that case. They also began dating and were still doing so when the show ended. Her father was a very powerful and meddlesome businessman named Owen.
PAAs
- Donna Abandando – The first and foremost squad PAA, Donna initially appeared to be a bleached-blonde bimbo, but quickly won over the 15th with her skills and won over Det. Medavoy with her beauty and charm. They began dating and even lived together until Greg's jealousy ruined things in Season 2. Near the end of Season 3, Donna decided to take on a no-ceiling job at Apple Computers. Played by Gail O'GradyGail O'GradyGail Ann O'Grady is an American television actress. She is best known for her roles as Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue and as Helen Pryor on American Dreams...
. - John Irvin – John appeared for the first time in Season 2, as a temp for Donna who was friends with Bobby Simone from their previous work at the 27th, but Andy's homophobia initially led him to be rude to John. Over time, John and Andy became good friends, to the point of John babysitting for Andy's son Theo and Andy turning over his apartment to John when he moved in with Connie. John was shot and nearly killed in Season 6 when trying to counsel Dolores Mayo's grieving father. He had a poor relationship with his bigoted dad that only healed when they made peace not long before John's dad died. Played by Bill BrochtrupBill BrochtrupBill Brochtrup is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is known for playing "PAA John Irvin", the gay administrative aide, on NYPD Blue....
. - Geri Turner--One of two PAAs who joined the 15th in Season 4 after Donna and John left, but she annoyed Andy with her constant sexual innuendos and odd behavior. Lt. Fancy had her transferred upstairs to Anti-Crime. Andy did sympathize with her during a case where a meek man Geri had been having an S&M-heavy relationship with died of natural causes. Played by Debra ChristoffersonDebra Christofferson-Filmography :* Weekend Pass as Candy * The Master as girl * Picket Fences as Councilwoman Mary McMurtry * NYPD Blue as Geri Turner * MouseHunt as Ingrid...
- Gina Colon--The other new PPA in the 15th in Season 4, Gina caught the eye of Det. Martinez and they began dating. She was beaten and slashed by a creep on one case, and James stayed by her side during the ordeal. She later got pregnant and married James before their son, James Martinez Jr., was born. Played by Lourdes BenedictoLourdes BenedictoLourdes Benedicto is an American actress of Filipino/Dominican descent. She is most well known for her starring role as Eva Rios on The Nine, and for her role as Alicia Lawson on the short-lived series Cashmere Mafia. She is primarily known as a television actress, but has been in a few...
- Naomi Reynolds – A PAA with a pronounced Southern accent during Season 5. It was revealed she was actually an illegal immigrant from Australia who was forced to resign her job when the INS found out about her. She later revealed she was allowed to stay in the U.S. and continued to pursue her lifelong dream of being an American policewoman by working as a security guard. Played by Gabrielle FitzpatrickGabrielle Fitzpatrick-Biography:Fitzpatrick was born in Brisbane, Australia. Fitzpatrick first appeared on television on a Outback Steakhouse commercial. After, she got her first professional job as a model, later becoming a successful actress...
- Dolores Mayo – The pretty young woman who took over after Naomi's departure, Dolores wanted to be a dancer and liked to smoke. However, in Season 6, she was revealed to have serious emotional issues, from working as a stripper to lashing out against her supervisors. She died of a drug overdose that turned out to be an intentional homicide, and her father admitted that he'd molested her when she was younger. Played by Lola GlaudiniLola GlaudiniLola Glaudini is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Elle Greenaway on the hit CBS series Criminal Minds, and for her role as Agent Deborah Ciccerone on the award winning HBO series The Sopranos....
Informants
- Steve RichardsSteve RichardsSteve Richards is a British TV presenter and chief political columnist for The Independent newspaper.-Early life:Richards was educated at Christ's College, formerly a state grammar school, in Finchley, North London, and graduated in History at the University of York in 1981 before securing a place...
--A low-rent snitch in Seasons 2 and 3, Steve blew a surveillance operation when offered a cut of the proceeds from a planned robbery. No one wanted to listen to him when he returned, and he slathered his information around a great deal of BS, but Steve gave enough good data to help save a kidnapped business exec and earn himself a hefty reward. - Vinnie Greco--Lt. Fancy's top snitch, whose info apparently led to the bust that earned the future Lt. his detective shield. Vinnie returned in Season 2 with info about an elaborate and legitimate robbery plan involving military-level hardware. He was roped into informing on Fancy for bigoted Cmdr. Haverill, but turned into Fancy's snitch again when his ruse was discovered, and got Haverill making vile statements on tape after the successful bust and forced him to retire. He returned later with info about an arson case, where he was not as useful and no one on the squad much liked to deal with him. Played by Joe PantolianoJoe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
. - J.B. Murphy--J.B. loved doo-wop music, giving data to Danny Sorensen, and drugs. While he was a top-level snitch at first, he spiraled back into his addictions in spite of Danny's desperate efforts to help, and died when he overdosed inside a building that was later burned down with his still-breathing body inside.
- Julian Pisano--A sleazy, stupid, immediately hated guy whose initial claim to non-fame was his help of the man who murdered Danny when the body was buried. Julian later turned up with valid information for a crime he hadn't had the chance to commit himself. Andy and Clark later found out Julian's wife was trying to kill him and got him to control himself long enough for them to arrest her for attempted murder.
- Ferdinand Holley--A stick-up artist and drug addict dubbed by Detective Simone as his best informant ever. Holley caught AIDS through his heroin addiction and would specialize in robbing various drug dealers without ever attacking citizens. He made Sipowicz and Lt. Fancy uncomfortable with his non-law abiding activities but played a crucial role in bringing down the Barnes crew which was being investigated by a Federal Drug Task Force led by Sgt. Ray Kahlins. Kahlins would later give up Holley's identity in an interrogation unapologetically for making Kahlins' task force look incompetent in a drug raid and Holley then died at the hands of the Barnes crew. Holley was regarded by Sipowicz as more stand-up than Sgt. Kahlins and Holley's death caused Simone to viciously beat Sgt. Kahlins in front of his task force unit.
Internal affairs
- Sgt. Jerry Martens--Originally showed up as a one-dimensional "Rat Squad" leader who gleefully ruined Det. Kelly's career, but later emerged as a fair investigator who refused to destroy Bobby's career when given the chance. Even Andy, who hated him for years, finally acknowledged that Martens was a good cop in a hated part of the department. His first name was not revealed until Season 12.
- Captain Pat Fraker--A sleazy Internal Affairs Captain who used his position to harass Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez whom hed had a professional problem with. Fraker got stuck in Internal Affairs after Rodriguez exposed Frakers' corrupt partner from Narcotics as it was the only unit he could join without losing his job. Fraker would later attempt to sabotage Rodriguez's career and that of the rest of the 15th until Sipowicz intervened and threatened to tell his wife about the affair he was having with a female detective. Fraker would then try to assassinate Rodriguez and was freed of all charges by attorney James SinclairJames SinclairJames Alexander Sinclair is an English footballer who currently plays for Polonia Bytom.He played in the Premier League and the UEFA Cup for Bolton Wanderers.-Early career:...
who had most notably clashed with Detective Sipowicz and reduced Officer Licalsi's murder charge to a manslaughter which he was later cleared of. Fraker then left Internal Affairs and ended up working in a sleazy bar.
Other police
- Officer Janice Licalsi – Began sleeping with Det. Kelly in Season 1, when a mob boss told her to get close to Kelly (who had been shutting down his businesses) and kill him. Janice instead killed the mob boss and his driver, and later was blackmailed by the mob into doing some illegal work for them, which was authorized by her sleazy, ambitious boss. Janice was legally free when Kelly destroyed evidence of her guilt, but her own conscience led to confess to a priest and then turn herself in for the killings. She was acquitted of second-degree murder charges and convicted of manslaughter early in Season 2. Played by Amy BrennemanAmy BrennemanAmy Frederica Brenneman is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in the television series NYPD Blue, Judging Amy and Private Practice...
. Janice would have returned later if not for David CarusoDavid CarusoDavid Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
's departure from the series. - Desk Sgt Vinnie Agostini – The One-Five Desk Sergeant
- Insp. Anthony Lastarza – The sleazy, ambitious OCCB boss who forced Janice to work the mobsters and later clashed with Andy and Kelly over his treatment of a mob informant case. He rode his dubious successes out of the NYPD and into an off-screen job with the DEA. Played by Tom TowlesTom TowlesTom Towles is an American actor.Towles was born and raised in Chicago. He became an actor after a stint in the U.S. Marines, beginning with an uncredited performance in Dog Day Afternoon . He has appeared in film and television extensively since the 1980s...
. - Detective Mike Roberts – In Season 1, he was part of the detective squad but clearly disliked by Lt. Fancy, who later forced him to quit the job after finding out Mike had been sleeping with an informant who later OD'd after Mike threatened to kill her if she left him. Mike became a second-rate "security consultant" whose work often brought him back into the 15th's eye and made him look worse than ever. Mike finally tried to do a good deed in Season 6 when he nearly told Andy about a murder-for-hire plot he was being blackmailed into, and he did give PAA John Irvin a warning about that plot before he was murdered. A badly-written book of fictionalized detective stories he'd penned gave clues to the event and later led to his killer being arrested and sent to jail.
- Detective Art Stillwell--An Overweight Detective seen in Season 1 as a part of the 15th's squad. Stillwell had a crippling Gambling addiction that would often wipe out much of his paycheck and would play practical jokes that often left the officers of the one five unamused. After losing his entire pension and the rest of his money, Stillwell played a final practical joke that had Lt. Fancy send him to a mental hospital.
- Det. Nick Savino – A narcotics officer of great success, who accidentally arrested Andy Jr. in Season 1 (he looked like the much more handsome version of a drug dealer) and then helped free Andy Jr. without charges. Savino later helped Andy on a murder case involving a store Andy had worked at when he was a kid, and also with some murders at an apartment building Bobby inherited.
- Officer Mike Shannon – A uniform cop who was the main "man in blue" that the 15th's detectives tended to interact with. While he was generally a stand-up guy who helped the detectives when he could (he helped find Andy's assailant and saved his career, and turned in a corrupt fellow officer who had framed Clark Jr.), he sometimes clashed with the suits as part of the division in the 15th, mostly in cases where the detectives suspected that uniform cops had done something wrong—though on the show, those suspicions were correct 99% of the time.
- Officer Miller
- Josh Astrachan & N.D. "Hank" Harold--A black-and-white team of plainclothes Anti-Crime cops, they were mostly on hand to take care of babysitting suspects and witnesses and to do job that were too disgusting for the detectives or uniforms to touch, such as monitoring a suspect who had swallowed balloons full of drugs and had begun pooping them out.
- Officer Abby Sullivan
- Lt. Joe Abner--A bitter African American lieutenant who was the previous commander of Detective Baldwin JonesBaldwin JonesBaldwin Jones was a character on the long running police drama NYPD Blue. He was played by Henry Simmons.Joining in the middle of season 7 from the Bias Squad after the departure of James Martinez, Jones was paired up with one of the squad's longest- serving detectives, Greg Medavoy...
. Abner held a grudge against Jones' boss lieutenant Fancy specifically over Fancy's refusal to get rid of Andy SipowiczAndy SipowiczAndy Sipowicz is a fictional character and protagonist on the popular ABC television series NYPD Blue. Dennis Franz portrayed the character for its entire run....
for his racist attitudes. Abner however felt chewed out by the NYPD and sent Jones to work with Fancy so that he would not have his career turn out like his. Abner would later retire and commit suicide affecting Fancy and Jones both. - Sgt. Bill Dornan – A bitter African-American officer who didn't like Andy based on a racist remark he once heard and Andy's seeking to re-open a murder case he cleared. Dornan later got demoted by some of his many enemies, and later fell into heavy drinking and left his job, leading Fancy and Andy to try to help him. Talking to Dornan made Andy realize that Andy's father was not a victim of violence but a bigot who was attacked in self-defense. Ironically enough, Dornan was in some ways viewed as a Black version of Andy, possessing several of the same alcoholic traits that both blinded Sipowicz's father and nearly ended Sipowicz's career.
- Officer Mary Franco – In Season 7, Danny met her on a murder case and they soon began sleeping together. Mary was nice but brittle, and Danny showed little interest in sharing details of his messed-up life with her, preferring to do so with Diane Russell (something Mary noticed). They broke up when Danny hit bottom over an informant's death, then got back together on rocky terms, before Danny finally did the right thing and broke up with her for good early in Season 8.
- Officer Ed Laughlin--On the same case where Danny met Mary, they also met Ed, at the time just a cop who was upset about turning in two other cops for beating a punk to death. Ed later interfered with a case Jill was working, taunting an abusive drunk until he ended up killing his wife and leaving his children parentless. In Season 9, Ed ran afoul of Clark Jr. by making advances on recently widowed Rita Ortiz, leading to a boxing challenge where Clark kicked Ed's ass. In Season 10, Andy and Clark found out Ed had been sleeping with an underage auxiliary cop and did not help her on a stalking complaint which later led to her death. The detectives gave Ed a choice: retire immediately or face an IAB investigation. Ed did resign, but Clark's father later informed on him to IAB, and Clark Jr. tried to make things right by getting IAB to reinstate Laughlin. Laughlin expressed his gratitude by planting heroin in Clark's car, but Officer Shannon couldn't stand by while that happened and turned Ed in for the crime, ending his career and his life as a free man.
- Det. Harry Denby – A sleazy Narcotics officer who was working on the drug dealers that Don Kirkendall was involved with, later faking Don's death and dealing with him. He was suspended from the force and began working at a courier company, where he put together a new drug ring and began an affair that ended with him killing the woman and her husband. When a sting in Brooklyn led to him killing two dealers and wounding an undercover DEA agent, Diane Russell stepped in and shot him in a suicide-by-cop to end his reign of terror.
- Sgt. Ray Kahlins – The head of an NYPD Federal Drug Task Force that worked with the one five investigating drug crews. An alcoholic loudmouth and liar regarded by Sipowicz as a hump with inept investigative skills, Kahlins would be more often concerned with raking in overtime pay than in making good cases and was held in low regard by both his crew and the one-five's detectives. He would clash with Sipowicz and Simone over his involvement in Vietnam and his exposure of an informant Ferdinand Holley to a drug crew being interrogated and would later appear at the request of Lt. Fancy in a case that involved Fancy's foster son Maceo.
- Desk Sgt Philip Angelotti
- Det. John Clark Sr.--John Clark Jr.'s father. A straight arrow cop who despised drunken, violent Andy but wasn't 10% of the policeman he was either. He threw his son out of the house when John Jr. decided to work at the 15th with Andy. He later got busted for sleeping with a prostitute and let his son take the rap until Andy got him to confess. After this, he began drinking heavily and became an IAB informant, which nearly ruined John's career at the 15th. His actions helped lead to the campaign by Officer Laughlin against his son, and John Jr. finally told his father to stop making bad decisions on his behalf and stop drinking so much. A depressed Clark Sr. later "ate his gun" and sent his son into a long depression.
- Det. Stan Hatcher--Stan's uncle was the Chief of Detectives. Stan himself emerged as a stupid, violent, corrupt cop who got Andy transferred to Morgue duty when Andy told him to leave the 15th. Stan killed his wife and while they couldn't bring charges, Stan's career ended when his uncle stopped protecting him. Stan launched a harassment campaign in Season 12 to ruin Andy, which ended when Lt. Bale reluctantly brokered a deal that kept Andy out of trouble and meant Stan would be taking a private security job in Miami.
- Sgt. McNamara--A bigoted officer who had worked came through the academy with Lt. Fancy that found problems with Fancy's hothead brother Reggie. Art tried to mediate between them, getting a brief period of respite, but later saw that McNamara was helping a Haitian Gypsy Cab Driver file a harassment complaint towards Reggie as a means of taking Reggie's badge. McNamara appealed to Arthur saying it was departmental procedure to take complaints from minority citizens seriously even when minority officers like Reggie were accused of police harassment. Arthur however saw McNamaras' racism and his assistance to the Cab Driver in filing charges against Reggie and then took his own measures to save Reggie's career.
- Officer Reggie Fancy – Lt. Fancy's hotheaded younger brother (who was not close to Arthur as evident by his failure to visit Arthur's first-born son), who was a uniformed officer at a neighboring precinct. Reggie's race-baiting attitude drew the ire of his Sergeant, a bigoted officer named McNamara who Reggie believed hated African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
police. McNamara would tell Arthur that Reggie was in the wrong line of work with his attitudes towards White bosses and later tried to end Reggie's career by supporting a harassment complaint from a Haitian Gypsy cab driver complaining that Reggie had shaken him down for money. Lt. Fancy's detectives teamed up to uncover the false story, after which Reggie seemed appreciative of his brother's help, while Art told him that none of the cops who saved his career were African American, teaching Reggie a serious lesson in trust. - Officer Jack Hanlon--An old officer who had been on the force with John Kelly Sr. dating back to the department's dominance of Irish American cops. Hanlon was a corrupt racist who worked part time as a superintendent of a rent-controlled building who would brutalize tenants for money at the request of the landlord. Hanlon disgusted both Detectives James Martinez and John Kelly Jr. who would turn Hanlon in for the murder of two tenants to prevent Martinez from going to the rat squad.
- Officer Syzmanski--A bigoted uniformed officer who stops Lt. Fancy and his wife for driving in an all-White neighborhood of Bayside, QueensBayside, QueensBayside is a suburban neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York, New York in the United States. Bayside is known as one of the most expensive areas to live in Queens, with well kept homes and landscaping...
. Art figured that Syzmanski had little interaction with Blacks working in Bayside (aside from the ones he pulled over according to Art) and then called in a favor to send Syzmanski to work in an all-Black precinct located in either Brooklyn North or Harlem as a means of teaching him to learn which Black citizens to treat with respect. Syzmanski was then transferred to the all-Black neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant but later was transferred to the 15th when Captain Bass said it was a bad idea to put a cop who disliked black people in a problematic neighborhood like Bed-Stuy. Syzmanski was later falsely accused of robbing a drug dealer and was involved in shooting an undercover Black officer, both cases where Fancy and he clashed but Syzmanski was later cleared. In Season 7, his brother was killed accidentally and another brother later killed a man in a drunken rage. - Officer John McCaslin – The rookie partner of Officer Syzmanski who stopped Lt. Fancy in Queens. Seeing that McCaslin was a rookie that had merely backed Syzmanski in the traffic stop, Fancy spared him in his payback for the humiliation that he and his wife endured.
- Officer Lucas – A patrol officer at the one five.
Family, friends, and love interests
- Andy Sipowicz Jr. – Andy's son with Katie. Hated his father due to Andy being a drunken, abusive, non-parenting figure in his life, but began to respect his dad when he realized Andy Sr. was staying sober and was a great cop. Andy Jr. joined the Air Force, later getting an honorable discharge because of a torn rotator cuff, and then joined the Hackensack (New Jersey) police department. His father taught him lessons about being a policeman. Andy Jr. was killed when he stopped a robber from raping a woman and the robber's partner shot him, sending his father into a tailspin that nearly destroyed his life. Andy Jr. would appear in dreams and visions to talk with his dad, often contentiously but always with father and son saying they loved each other. Played by Michael DeLuiseMichael DeLuiseMichael Robert DeLuise is an American actor, film director, and film producer.-Early life and career:DeLuise was born in Los Angeles, the second son of actor and comedian Dom DeLuise and actress Carol Arthur, and the brother of actor, writer, director Peter DeLuise and actor David DeLuise.DeLuise...
. - Lillian Fancy – Art's wife, who is happy and outgoing in comparison to her private and serious husband. She scared Art when she got pregnant because her diabetes nearly killed her during the pregnancy of their second daughter, but she healthily delivered a perfect baby boy. Worked for a natural-foods company that Art very reluctantly told his detectives about, and told him he should lighten up after Art became upset at the notion that he was forcing his subordinates to buy the items (they actually liked them and were happy to make purchases). Heard a lot about Andy over the years and decided Art had little reason to side with him over his past behavior. Played by Tamara TunieTamara TunieTamara Renee Tunie is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit...
. - Robin Wirkus – The longtime girlfriend of Det. Kelly's shadowy, rich friend Jimmy Wexler, whom she married not long before he died because Jimmy wanted to ensure she'd inherit his fortune. Slept with Det. Kelly in the Season 1 finale and they began dating between the seasons, but broke up with him in the Season 2 premiere when she realized he was in love with Janice Licalsi.
- Benita Alden – A reporter whom Bobby began dating in Season 2, but after she used private information from him in a story that led to a cop committing suicide, Bobby broke things off with her.
- Marie Medavoy – Greg's unpleasant wife, whom he left in Season 1 when he learned she was cheating on him. Marie and Greg would reconcile a few times but finally got divorced in Season 4. Marie apparently hated him so much that she initially refused to attend their daughter's wedding if Greg was there, but later she changed her mind and the wedding went ahead with Greg there (off-screen).
- Dr. Mondzac – A physician at Bellevue who treated James Martinez when he was shot and covered up Andy's identity when a beating case could have led to Andy getting fired from the job. He later figured out that Bobby's mentor was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. When Andy was going through his prostate cancer, Doc Mondzac gave him encouragement and helped Andy through the crisis.
- Theo Sipowicz – Andy and Sylvia's beloved young son. Theo looked a lot like his dad and was a sweetheart who did sometimes show the kind of stubbornness that befitted a Sipowicz. He adjusted remarkably well when Sylvia was killed and later became attached to Connie, who ended up marrying Andy and forming a new family with him and Theo and her adopted daughter Michelle.
- Katie Sipowicz – Andy's ex-wife, who initially hated him (like Andy Jr.) but later saw he was a new, different and good person (like Andy Jr.). Andy found out she had become an alcoholic after her son died and helped her find support through Alcoholics AnonymousAlcoholics AnonymousAlcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. Katie moved in with him for a while to help take care of Theo after Sylvia died, but her hopes they would reunite romantically didn't pan out. Andy later asked her to marry him and she said yes; it was quickly apparent that Andy didn't really want to marry her, so she packed up and left after assuring Andy that she and he would always be cool with each other. - Henry Coffield – Got angry when Bobby inherited his late mom's apartment building, because he'd counted on selling it to pay off his gambling debts. The woman who lived in his old apartment was killed by drug dealers whom Henry had planned to do a big score with, but backed out when he didn't get the building. Bobby went from hating him to sort of tolerating him to later clearing him when an elderly tenant was killed and it looked at first like Henry had done it (it was a relative who wanted her money). When Bobby died, he left the building and his pigeons to Henry, and Henry later stopped to talk with Diane, revealing that Bobby had also asked him to check in on Diane after his death to make sure she was OK.
- Dr. Victor Carreras – The young ER doctor who took care of Bobby during his catastrophic heart failure crisis in Season 6. Bobby and especially Diane liked and trusted him a lot, especially compared to an arrogant but very senior-level surgeon who did Bobby's transplant. Dr. Carreras was able to tell Diane that Bobby was not going to survive the post-operative infections and rejection of his new heart, and she tearfully said she didn't want her husband to suffer before he died. In Season 8, Diane ran into Dr. Carreras again and they began dating, which was great for her but unfortunately triggered jealousy and muted anger from Danny Sorensen (though nothing bad happened between any of them).
- Cynthia Bunin – Eddie Gibson's niece, whom Eddie dragged Andy into a blind date with that actually sort of went OK, considering what Andy is like around strangers. They ran into each other again in Season 8 and began happily dating for a while, until Cynthia's insecurities and Eddie's meddling led Andy to call things off. Cynthia returned in Season 9 and Andy was afraid she wanted to date again, and was relieved when Cynthia only wanted Andy to help Eddie confront and get treatment for his prostate cancer (which Andy did, and Eddie did get treated and recovered fully).
- Don HarrisonDon HarrisonDon Harrison was an anchor on CNN Headline News from 1982 until his death from renal cancer in 1998. He was a member of the original team of anchors when Headline News went on the air for the first time as "CNN2" in 1982....
– Rita Ortiz's ADA husband, who quickly emerged as controlling and possibly violent. Rita found out he was cheating on her with another ADA, and she threw him out of their apartment and filed for divorce. Don insisted Rita had also cheated on him, which was untrue, and made sure to contest the divorce fully. Don was killed when he resumed his affair and the ADA's husband shot her, murdered Don and then committed suicide. - Michael Woodruff – A young African-American whose mother was murdered in Season 11. Baldwin was sure Michael knew his worthless father Craig had committed the crime, but Michael refused to talk about it and Baldwin served as Michael's mentor. Andy finally gave Michael a talking-to that led him to turn on his dad and get him arrested. Michael became Baldwin's foster charge while Craig was tried and acquitted for the crime, and later stayed with him when Craig was finally removed from the planet.
- Brigid Scofield – Greg Medavoy was smitten by this lovely real-estate agent when he helped bust a con man who'd swindled her. They began dating and Brigid fell for Greg's goofy charm and honesty. Near the series' end, Greg retired from the job to begin a new career working alongside Brigid in her office.
Adversaries
- James Sinclair, Esq.--A brilliant but very sleazy attorney who could always be counted on to represent the very worst of the bad guys that the 15th's cops were able to arrest for heinous crimes. The only exception to this rule came in Season 2 when he won a lesser manslaughter conviction against Office Licalsi. He got under Andy's skin in a way few other adversaries even came close to doing. Sinclair appeared for a last time defending crooked IAB Captain Pat Fraker successfully getting him acquitted for the murder attempt against Lt. Tony Rodriguez. Played by Daniel BenzaliDaniel BenzaliDaniel Benzali is a Brazilian-American stage, television and film actor.-Biography:Benzali was born in Rio de Janeiro to Brazilian Jewish parents...
. - Alphonse Giardella--A gross mobster with a bad toupee, who hated Andy and was hated by him in turn. Set up Andy with a prostitute after Andy humiliated him, and shot the detective several times. He was later arrested for the crime but became a state's witness to save his skin, only to get assassinated by a mob hitman.
- Kwasi Oloshula--Formerly known as Kenny Parker, Kwasi was an outspoken community activist in the housing projects located in the 15th precinct. Kwasi organized a basketball game in memory of a young boy who died in police custody only to have the game be taken over by local drug lords who would start a gun fight at the game. Kwasi was intensely distrusting of the NYPD and would often get belligerent to the cops at the 1-5 with or without provocation (with the exception of Lt. Fancy) due to past racial problems he endured with police. Kwasi provoked Sipowicz into using the word "Nigger" causing further conflict between Fancy and Sipowicz during a homicide investigation. Kwasi was found murdered later on with Sipowicz solving the case and apologizing to Kwasi's ex-wife and daughter for his past language against him. Played by Tom WrightTom WrightTom Wright may refer to:*Tom Wright , American film and Broadway actor*Tom Wright , Australian actor*Tom Wright , Victorian Football League player...
. - Jimmy Liery--A thug with IRA connections whom Det. Russell was asked to resume an undercover operation with in Season 4. Jimmy knew Diane as "Mouse" and distinguished himself through anti-Semitic violence, talking about being molested by nuns, and slipping Diane a roofie to undisclosed results. Bobby got angry enough to barge in on the operation and beat up and arrest Jimmy, and later he and Andy planted false information that led to Jimmy being murdered by his partner in arms-smuggling.
- Malcolm Cullinan--A very rich man who appeared in Season 6, Cullinan hired PAA Dolores Mayo as a prostitute, watched as she died of a heroin overdose and later buried her body in New Jersey. PAA John Irvin punched Cullinan in the face when he saw this on tape, and it later emerged that Cullinan deliberately gave prostitutes high-grade drugs so he could watch them die, and also that he tried to hire sleazy ex-cop Mike Roberts to kill Irvin, only to arrange for Roberts' death when Mike reached out to try to turn Cullinan in. After his actions indirectly led to the death of Sylvia Costas, Cullinan broke down and finally confessed when a nearly-silent Andy told him "Why don't you just cut it out?" and said he should confess so "You don't have to do this anymore".
- Don Kirkendall--Jill's unbelievably scummy ex-husband and father of her two boys, Don returned to Jill's life in Season 7. She claimed to believe that he was legitimately working, but quickly learned he was part of a major drug-trafficking ring. However, Jill's inability to turn him in or let him get arrested nearly ended her career before Don was apparently killed by the drug cartel. It later emerged that he and Det. Denby faked the death and began their own dealing, and Jill's career did get destroyed in the aftermath of her hiding this information (Don had kidnapped one of her sons for leverage). Diane, Andy, and the others did arrest Don for kidnapping and he was murdered by his former narcotics partners while in Rikers.
- Craig Woodruff