Sharon Lawrence played Sylvia Costas, the woman who helped Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) grow. In this brief interview, she has some very frank and profound things to say about the interaction between an actress and the kind of character she plays.

This show is a gritty depiction of the reality of life in a New York City Police unit as the officers go about their work with a grim determination. Two partners, Detectives Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and John Kelley (David Caruso) are the central characters in this police drama, and personify very different approaches to their difficult job. Sipowicz's brash gruffness is tempered by the precise and controlled demeanor of the two partners with whom he has worked.