NYPD Blue actor Jerry O’Donnell, 65, in training to become a real-life cop after decades playing them

After years of playing various cops on screen, 65-year-old actor Jerry O’Donnell is ready to stop pretending.

O’Donnell has appeared in nearly 50 movies and shows throughout his four-decade acting career, often portraying police officers in series like The Young and the Restless, NYPD Blue, NCIS, Bosch, and Dexter. But now, the actor is taking the steps to become a real-life law enforcement agent with the Asheville Police Department in North Carolina.