Dennis Franz Schlachta (born October 28, 1944 in Maywood, Illinois), known professionally as Dennis Franz, is an American actor best known for his role as NYPD Detective Andy Sipowicz in the ABC television series NYPD Blue, a role that earned him a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. He also portrayed Lt. Norman Buntz in the similar NBC series Hill Street Blues and its short-lived Spin-Off, Beverly Hills Buntz .
Franz has stayed out of the acting spotlight since the conclusion of NYPD Blue in 2005 to focus on his private life. He has told the New York Post he would be interested in returning to acting if given the right opportunity. That said, he made a special appearance at the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards.
He's been married since 1995 and spend their summers in their lake home in northern Idaho.
Filmography
Film
- The Fury (1978)
- Dressed to Kill (1980)
- Popeye (1980)
- Blow Out (1981)
- Psycho II (1983)
- Scarface (1983)
- Body Double (1984)
- Runaway Train (1985)
- A Fine Mess (1986)
- Die Hard 2 (1990)
- The Player (1992)
- American Buffalo (1996)
- City of Angels (1998)
Television
- T.J. Hooker (1984)
- Hill Street Blues (1984-1987)
- Hardcastle and McCormick (1985)
- The A-Team (1985)
- Simon & Simon (1985)
- Hunter (1985)
- Street Hawk (1985)
- Matlock (1989)
- NYPD Blue (1993-2005)
- The Simpsons (1994)
- Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series (1996-1997)
- Sesame Street (2004)
Associated Tropes:
- Police Procedural: He's best known for starring in Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue, two giants that were both responsible for turning the genre Darker and Edgier and Hotter and Sexier.
- Production Posse: He was frequently cast in Brian De Palma's films in The '80s.
- Shakespearian Actors: He performed in Shakespearean plays prior to transitioning as a screen actor.
- Star-Making Role: While he gained attention as Norman Buntz in Hill Street Blues, his turn as Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue is unquestionably his signature and most significant role. Said role won him eight Best Actor awards and multiple nominations.
- Typecasting: He frequently finds himself (and is best known for) playing police officers. By his own count, the character of Andy Sipowicz was his 28th role as a police officer. He played a police officer on Hill Street Blues TWICE.
