''New York Undercover'' is an American
police drama
The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eithe ...
that aired on the
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred
Malik Yoba
Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film '' Cool Runnings''. ...
as Detective J.C. Williams and
Michael DeLorenzo
Michael DeLorenzo (born October 31, 1959) is an American actor, director, writer, producer, dancer, and musician. He is known for his work in television and film.
Early life
DeLorenzo was raised in The Bronx, New York. His late father, Arthur De ...
as Detective Eddie Torres, two
undercover
To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...
detectives in New York City's Fourth Precinct who were assigned to investigate various crimes and gang-related cases. The cast also included
Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn as their superior, Lt. Virginia Cooper, and
Lauren Vélez
Luna Lauren Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American actress and the identical twin sister of actress Lorraine Vélez. Her most notable television roles are as María LaGuerta on Showtime (TV network), Showtime's ''Dexter (TV series), Dexter' ...
, who joined the cast in the second season as Nina Moreno, fellow detective and
love interest
''Gli Innamorati'' (, meaning "The Lovers") were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the Lovers in some regard. These dramatic and pos ...
to Torres. ''New York Undercover'' was co-created and produced by
Dick Wolf
Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) is an American film and television producer, best known for his Law & Order (franchise), ''Law & Order'' franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four internat ...
, and its storyline takes place in the same
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
as Wolf's
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
series ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'', its spin-offs, the ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'' and ''
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
'' series, and ''
Homicide: Life on the Street''.
''New York Undercover'' (whose working title during development was ''Uptown Undercover'', named after the record label,
Uptown Records
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop. During the 1990s, aided by its A&R worker Sean ...
, whose founder and CEO,
Andre Harrell
Andre O’Neal Harrell (September 26, 1960 – May 7, 2020) was an American music executive and multimedia producer. In 1986, recently a rapper, he formed Uptown Records, soon a leader in R&B, rap, and their fusion, "hip hop soul" and " new ...
, was also the executive producer of the series) is notable for being the first police drama on American television to feature two
people of color
The term "person of color" ( : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...
in the starring roles. In contrast to the popularity of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's "
Must See TV
Must See TV is an American advertising slogan that was used by NBC to brand its primetime blocks during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured some of its most popular sitcoms and drama series of ...
" on Thursday nights in the 1990s, many African-American viewers flocked to Fox's Thursday-night line-up of ''
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austral ...
'', ''
Living Single
''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who shared personal and professi ...
'', and ''New York Undercover''.
Synopsis
In addition to the main storylines in each episode, subplots explored the private lives of the show's characters. For example, Det. Williams struggled to raise his young son, Gregory (
George O. Gore II
George Owen Gore II (born December 15, 1982) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for portraying Gregory "G" Williams on the FOX series ''New York Undercover'' from 1994 to 1998 and Michael Kyle, Jr. on the American Broadcasting Co ...
), while Torres was shown to be fighting family and other related problems, including having to cope with his father (Mike Torres, played by
Jose Perez), whose drug addiction and HIV-positive status causes recurring issues, and a childhood-friend turned organized-crime boss.
At the beginning of the third season, a new detective, Tommy McNamara (
Jonathan LaPaglia
Jonathan LaPaglia (, ; born 31 August 1969) is an Australian actor and television personality. He has hosted Network 10's revival of ''Australian Survivor'' since 2016. As an actor, LaPaglia is known for his roles as Frank B. Parker in the tel ...
), was introduced as a principal character. In the third-season finale in May 1997, Torres and Moreno are married. However, in that same episode, Torres and McNamara are both killed by a gang of bank robbers.
The series returned with a new cast for its fourth and final season in January 1998. Williams and Moreno were assigned to a new unit, resulting in Cooper being dropped from the cast. Joining the detectives were Lt. Malcolm Barker (played by
Tommy Ford), Det. Nell Delaney (
Marisa Ryan
Marisa Ryan (born November 20, 1974) is an American actress, best known for her role as Nina Grabowski in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'', as Elizabeth Cooper-MacGillis in the CBS sitcom ''Major Dad'' (1989–1993), and as Abby Bernstein in ...
), and Det. Alec Stone (
Josh Hopkins
William Joshua Hopkins (born September 12, 1970) is an American actor. Some of his best known roles include Raymond Millbury on '' Ally McBeal'' (2001–2002), Grayson Ellis on ''Cougar Town'' (2009–2015), and Liam O'Connor on '' Quantico'' (2 ...
). The new unit eventually captured the last bank robber responsible for the deaths of Torres and McNamara.
Controversies
On July 23, 1996, the day shooting was supposed to begin on the third season, lead actors Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo didn’t show up, presenting a list of demands to Dick Wolf. Both actors wanted more creative input with DeLorenzo in particular wanting to direct a few episodes. They also wanted a gym, trailers for the stars and better food to be provided on set. Michael DeLorenzo stated that the duo were making $40,000 per episode and wanted their pay increased to $100,000.
After hearing their demands Dick Wolf declined, and said that New York Undercover was not
Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
(during this time the stars of Friends wanted their salary to be increased to $1M per episode.) Wolf was irate, calling the demands “a virus” to the entertainment industry and also threatened to write both Yoba and DeLorenzo out of the show.
A day after the holdout,
Universal Television
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predeces ...
, which was the production company of the show, filed a $1.2M lawsuit against Yoba and DeLorenzo, claiming that the two had breached their contract and claimed that they were costing the show $60,000 each day they didn’t show up to set.
After three days the holdout ended and the two actors returned back to set under the terms of their original contract agreements.
Cast
Main
*
Malik Yoba
Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film '' Cool Runnings''. ...
as Det. Julius Clarence "J.C." Williams: J.C. is an African-American detective at the Fourth Precinct. He has a son, Gregory, whom he fathered as a teenager with then-girlfriend Chantal Tierney. His partner Eddie Torres is his closest friend. J.C. is the only character to appear in all 89 episodes.
*
Michael DeLorenzo
Michael DeLorenzo (born October 31, 1959) is an American actor, director, writer, producer, dancer, and musician. He is known for his work in television and film.
Early life
DeLorenzo was raised in The Bronx, New York. His late father, Arthur De ...
as Det. Eduardo "Eddie" Torres (seasons 1–3): Born in the Bronx, Eddie is a Puerto Rican–American detective. After years of estrangement from much of his immediate family, he formed close relationships with his brother Jimmy, a priest; his sister Carmen, a journalist; and his father Mike, a musician and recovering
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
addict. His partner J.C. Williams is his closest friend. At the end of the third season, Eddie is killed in the line of duty after his car is bombed in a revenge attack by bank robber Nadine Jordan.
*
Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn as Lt. Virginia Cooper (seasons 1–3): Virginia is the show's “tough but fair” commanding officer during the first three seasons. She is married and has four children, one of whom died at the age of eight. She is the commanding officer of the detective squad at the NYPD's Fourth Precinct. She frequently tells the detectives to solve their cases and do it by the book. After the third season she’s never seen or heard from again as a result of her being dropped from the cast.
*
Lauren Vélez
Luna Lauren Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American actress and the identical twin sister of actress Lorraine Vélez. Her most notable television roles are as María LaGuerta on Showtime (TV network), Showtime's ''Dexter (TV series), Dexter' ...
as Det. Nina Moreno-Torres (seasons 2–4): Nina is a Puerto Rican–American. At the age of 16, she married her boyfriend Luis and gave birth to a daughter, Melissa. She gave the girl up for adoption after Luis abandoned her. She later dated and married Eddie Torres, but was widowed soon after following his murder. Her mother is a sergeant with the NYPD.
*
Jonathan LaPaglia
Jonathan LaPaglia (, ; born 31 August 1969) is an Australian actor and television personality. He has hosted Network 10's revival of ''Australian Survivor'' since 2016. As an actor, LaPaglia is known for his roles as Frank B. Parker in the tel ...
as Det. Tommy McNamara (season 3): Tommy is an Irish-Italian American detective. His father was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty, with many suspecting that he was corrupt. Prior to his transfer to the Fourth Precinct, he had very little interaction with New York's African-American and Latino neighborhoods or police officers. At the end of the third season, Tommy is killed after being shot to death by Nadine Jordan, whose gang he'd infiltrated while undercover.
*
Marisa Ryan
Marisa Ryan (born November 20, 1974) is an American actress, best known for her role as Nina Grabowski in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'', as Elizabeth Cooper-MacGillis in the CBS sitcom ''Major Dad'' (1989–1993), and as Abby Bernstein in ...
as Det. Nell Delaney (season 4): Nell is a young officer introduced in the fourth season. She lied about her age upon entering the police academy, but the NYPD chose to overlook this when she was exposed years later. She is a close friend of fellow detective Alec Stone.
*
Josh Hopkins
William Joshua Hopkins (born September 12, 1970) is an American actor. Some of his best known roles include Raymond Millbury on '' Ally McBeal'' (2001–2002), Grayson Ellis on ''Cougar Town'' (2009–2015), and Liam O'Connor on '' Quantico'' (2 ...
as Det. Alec Stone (season 4): The S.I.D squads tech expert. Born Alec D'Amico, he is the son of the head of a Brooklyn-based organized crime family. Alec's decision to pursue a career in law enforcement has estranged him from most of his relatives. He is a close friend of fellow detective Nell Delaney.
*
Tommy Ford as Lt. Malcolm Barker (season 4): Malcolm is the commanding officer of the NYPD's Special Investigations Division. Most of the S.I.D.'s operations are covert and the detectives names and records are wiped from the database system when they go under. When they first arrive to his division, J.C. & Nina bump heads with him a lot due to his style of command as they are used to Lt. Cooper’s “by the book” approach as he has a different mentality, frequently instructing his detectives to "lie, cheat,
nd dowhatever it takes" to close a case. Unlike Cooper who only did an undercover assignment if necessary, Barker would go undercover with his subordinates more frequently.
Recurring
Family
*
George Gore II as Gregory "G" Williams: Gregory is the son of J.C. Williams and Chantel Tierney. In the pilot episode, he is described as a nine-year-old. For most of Season 1, his given age is 10. By the beginning of Season 3, his given age is 13 and By season 4, his given age is 14. He is the only recurring character to appear in all four seasons.
*
Michael Michele
Michael Michele Williams (born August 30, 1966) is an American actress and fashion designer. She began her career on stage before appearing opposite Wesley Snipes in the 1991 film ''New Jack City''.
In the 1990s, Michele had leading roles in tw ...
as Sandra Gill (season 1): Sandy is an attorney in her late twenties. Throughout Season 1, she was involved with J.C. Williams. She became pregnant with J.C.'s baby and agreed to marry him, but was murdered on the eve of their wedding by Danny Cort, a criminal with a vendetta against J.C.
*
Fatima Faloye
Fatima Faloye(born in Harlem, New York City), is of Nigerian and Barbadian descent and studied at Dalton School in New York City as well as New York University. Faloye won the coveted NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Dra ...
as Chantel Tierney (seasons 1–3): Chantel is a registered nurse in her late twenties. She has a son, Gregory, to whom she gave birth as a teenager with then-boyfriend J.C. Williams.
*
Kamar de los Reyes
Kamar de los Reyes (born November 8, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Antonio Vega on the ABC soap opera, ''One Life to Live'', and as Raul Menendez, the primary antagonist of the 2012 video game, '' Call of D ...
as Luis (season 2): Luis was the teenage boyfriend of Nina Moreno, whom he married after she became pregnant. The child, a girl, was put up for adoption and given the name Melissa Lewis. Luis soon abandoned Nina. While she moved on with her life, Nina never divorced Luis. Years later, after he and Nina finally agreed to begin divorce proceedings, Luis was killed during a mugging.
*
Roger Robinson as Major Harold Williams (season 3): An officer with the
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service Berets of the United States Army, headgear, are a special operations special operations force, force of the United States Ar ...
, he is the father of J.C. Williams. He abandoned his wife and son, and did not contact J.C. again for 17 years.
*
José Perez as Mike Torres (seasons 1–3): Mike is a jazz and salsa musician, and a recovering heroin addict. Having alienated much of his family over the years, he is closest to his son Eddie.
*
as Father Jimmy Torres (seasons 1–2): Jimmy is a Catholic priest, and the older brother of Eddie Torres.
*
Lisa Vidal
Lisa Vidal (born June 13, 1965) is an American actress of Puerto Rican heritage. She starred in the Lifetime crime drama series ''The Division'' (2001–2004) and BET drama series ''Being Mary Jane'' (2013–2019). Vidal also starred in the shor ...
as Carmen Torres (seasons 1–2): Carmen is a newspaper reporter, and the sister of Eddie Torres.
* Nancy Ticotin as Teresa Torres Rivera (seasons 1 and 3): Teresa is the well-to-do sister of Eddie Torres.
*
Steve Ryan as Dave Cooper (seasons 2–3): Dave is the husband of Virginia Cooper.
*
Eden Riegel
Eden Sonja Jane Riegel (born January 1, 1981) is an American actress. She portrayed Bianca Montgomery in the daytime drama ''All My Children'', and propelled the character into a gay icon, as well as a popular figure within the medium. Nominated ...
as Megan Cooper (seasons 2–3): Megan is the daughter of Virginia Cooper. As a preteen, Megan befriends a man in an online chat room. When she meets him in person, he kidnaps and rapes her. During his subsequent attempt to avoid arrest, the man is shot and killed by Virginia.
* Marina Durell as Sgt. Sonia Moreno (seasons 2–3): A sergeant with the NYPD, she is the mother of Nina Moreno.
* Zoe Dora Lukov as Melissa Lewis (season 3): Melissa is the biological daughter of Nina Moreno and her first husband Luis. Because her parents were still teenagers when she was born, she was given up for adoption.
*
Dean Winters
Dean Gerard Winters (born July 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Ryan O'Reily on the HBO prison drama ''Oz (TV series), Oz'' and had roles in TV series'' Rescue Me (U.S. TV series), Rescue Me'', ''30 Rock'', ''Sex and th ...
as Paul Delany (season 4): A firefighter with the
FDNY
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...
, he is the brother of Nell Delany.
*
Jennifer Esposito
Jennifer Esposito is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the feature films ''Summer of Sam'' (1999), ''Don't Say a Word'' (2001), ''Welcome to Collinwood'' (2002), as well as ''Crash'' and ''Taxi'' (both 2004). She has also appea ...
as Gina D'Amico (season 4): The former lover of Alec Stone, she is now married to his brother Frankie D'Amico.
*
Justin Theroux
Justin Paul Theroux (; born August 10, 1971) is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained recognition for his work with director David Lynch in the mystery film ''Mulholland Drive'' (2001) and the thriller film ''Inland Empire'' (2006). He also ...
as Frankie D'Amico (season 4): An organized crime boss with the Brooklyn-based D'Amico Family, he is the brother of Alec Stone.
* Sean Squire as Roger (season 4): Roger is the maternal half-brother of Malcolm Barker. He and Malcolm are estranged.
*
Novella Nelson
Novella Christine Nelson (December 17, 1939 – August 31, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She established her career as a singer, both on the off-Broadway and Broadway stage and in cabaret-style locales.
Career
Starting in 1961, Nels ...
as Malcolm Barker's Mother (season 4)
Law enforcement personnel
*
Frank Pellegrino as Det. Ricciarelli (seasons 1–2)
*
Jim Moody
James Powers Moody (September 2, 1935March 22, 2019) was an American economist and Democratic politician. He served five terms as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 5th congressional district (1983–1993). At the time, the 5th congre ...
as Det. Otis "Old School" Washington (season 1)
*
Gilbert Lewis as Det. Otis "Old School" Washington (pilot episode only)
* Takeo Matsushita as Medical Examiner Wong (season 1 episodes 3,4 & 5)
* Lee Wong as Medical Examiner Wong (seasons 1–3)
*
James Saito
James Tomio Saito (born March 6, 1955) is a Japanese-American actor of stage, motion pictures, and television.
Saito is best known as the original Shredder in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', Dr. Chen in the ABC series ''Eli Stone'', Harry Kim i ...
as Det. Chang (season 1)
* Jon M. McDonnell as Detective Sweitek (seasons 1–2)
*
Michelle Hurd
Michelle Hurd (born December 21, 1966) is an American actress best known for her work in television. She first received recognition for portraying Monique Jeffries in the police procedural series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–20 ...
as A.D.A. Reynolds (seasons 1–2)
*
Edie Falco
Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015). She also ...
as Sgt. Kelly (seasons 2–3)
*
James McCaffrey as Capt. Arthur O'Byrne (season 3)
*
Joe Lisi
Joe Lisi (born September 9, 1950), also credited as Joe Lissi, is an American television actor. He appeared in the NBC television show ''Third Watch'' as NYPD Lieutenant Swersky from 2000 to 2005. He also appeared on the NBC television show '' La ...
as Chief of Detectives (season 4)
Criminals
*
John Costelloe as John Santucci (seasons 1–3): Santucci is an organized crime boss connected to the
Gambino Family
The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Am ...
. He was a childhood acquaintance of Eddie Torres, and there is personal animus between the two.
*
Ice-T as Danny "Danny-Up" Cort (seasons 1–2): A chemistry wiz, Cort was a rising drug kingpin until being apprehended by detectives from the Fourth Precinct. After J.C. Williams killed his brother in a police shootout, Cort retaliated by murdering J.C.'s pregnant fiancée Sandy Gill, igniting a bitter feud between the two men.
*
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (; born April 26, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'', from 2009 to 2011, and in its prequel series ''Better Ca ...
as Adolfo Guzman (season 2): Guzman was a childhood rival of Eddie Torres, and as an adult became a criminal associate of John Santucci. The animus between Eddie and Guzman grew when Guzman attempted to take over Mike Torres' nightclub.
*
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
as Simone Jeffers (season 2): Sometime after Sandy Gill's death, Jeffers seduced J.C. Williams as part of a revenge plot instigated by Danny Cort.
*
Ernest Abuba
Ernest Abuba (August 25, 1947 – June 21, 2022) was a Filipino-American actor, playwright, director and co-founder of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre. He appeared on stage and on film, with more than one hundred stage appearances.
Early life
...
as Sonny Fung (season 3): Fung was an organized crime lord in the
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
section in Manhattan. He ordered the death of Tommy McNamara's father, a corrupt police officer secretly working with Fung. Years later, Fung is killed in a shootout by another corrupt police officer, Harry Bennett (the elder McNamara's former partner).
*
Dana Eskelson
Dana Erika Eskelson (born in Brick, New Jersey) is an American television, film, and theatre actress.
Filmography
*''Past Midnight'' (1991)
*''Singles'' (1992)
*''To Sir, with Love II'' (1996)
*'' Exiled: A Law & Order Movie'' (TV, 1998)
*''C ...
as Nadine Jordan (seasons 3–4): Jordan was part of a highly skilled bank robbery team, and was responsible for the murder of Detective Tommy McNamara after discovering he was a cop that had infiltrated her gang. Eventually, every member of her crew was captured or killed by the police, but she escaped. In retaliation, she killed Eddie Torres, becoming the primary enemy of J.C. Williams (Eddie's best friend) and Nina Moreno (Eddie's bride) during the fourth and final season. Nadine is eventually captured and convicted of her numerous crimes (including Eddie and Tommy's murders), but is spared the death penalty and given life without parole, much to J.C. and Nina's dismay. Nina eventually kills her in self-defense during an undercover operation in a prison.
Others
* Victor Colicchio as "Slick Rick" (season 1): One of Eddie Torres' confidential informants.
* Elizabeth Rodriguez as Gina (season 1): Eddie Torres' off-and-on girlfriend during Season 1.
*
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Kn ...
as Natalie (season 1): The original owner of Natalie's, the nightclub which appears in virtually every episode of the series' first three seasons.
*
Rosanna Scotto
Rosanna Scotto (born April 29, 1958) is an American news anchor. She is the Co-host of ''Good Day New York'', on Fox 5 NY WNYW in New York City. She formerly hosted with Greg Kelly. Previously, she anchored the 5 and 10 pm news with Ernie Anasto ...
as Herself (seasons 1–3): She is a television reporter for
WNYW
WNYW (channel 5) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside Secaucus, New Jersey–licensed MyNetworkTV flagship W ...
, the Fox station in New York.
*
Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor and media personality. Following a series of film appearances, he came to prominence for portraying Dr. Preston Burke in the first three seasons of the series ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2007.
Wash ...
as Andre Morgan (season 2): An ex-convict released on parole, Andre is a single father whose son is a friend and hockey teammate of J.C. Williams' son Gregory.
*
N'Bushe Wright
N'Bushe Wright ( ; born September 7, 1969) is an American actress and dancer. She attended and trained as a dancer at the Alvin Ailey Dance Center and the Martha Graham School of Dance. She is known mainly for her role as Dr. Karen Jenson in the ...
as Carol (season 2): Carol is Andre Morgan's parole officer. She dates J.C. Williams briefly.
*
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...
as Natasha Claybourne (season 3): Natasha is Gregory Williams' French teacher. She briefly dates J.C.
Multiple-role players
Numerous actors made appearances in two or more episodes portraying different characters. Before joining the cast in Season 2 as Nina Moreno,
Lauren Vélez
Luna Lauren Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American actress and the identical twin sister of actress Lorraine Vélez. Her most notable television roles are as María LaGuerta on Showtime (TV network), Showtime's ''Dexter (TV series), Dexter' ...
appeared in the first-season episode "Olde Tyme Religion" as a believer in
Santería
Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the tradit ...
. Additionally,
J.K. Simmons
Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He i ...
guest starred as Sgt. Treadway in the Season 2 episode "Unis," returning in Season 4's "Mob Street" as ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' police psychiatrist
Emil Skoda.
Michelle Hurd
Michelle Hurd (born December 21, 1966) is an American actress best known for her work in television. She first received recognition for portraying Monique Jeffries in the police procedural series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–20 ...
played a recurring role in Seasons 1 and 2 as A.D.A. Reynolds, but returned as a criminal in Season 3's "No Place Like Hell."
Joe Lisi
Joe Lisi (born September 9, 1950), also credited as Joe Lissi, is an American television actor. He appeared in the NBC television show ''Third Watch'' as NYPD Lieutenant Swersky from 2000 to 2005. He also appeared on the NBC television show '' La ...
appeared in the second-season episode "Bad Blood" before assuming a recurring role as the Chief of Detectives in Season 4. Both
Jesse L. Martin
Jesse Lamont Martin ('' né'' Watkins; January 18, 1969) is an American actor and singer. He originated the role of Tom Collins on Broadway in the musical ''Rent'' and performed on television as NYPD Detective Ed Green on '' Law & Order'' and ...
and
Ice-T portrayed criminals on this series before ultimately landing their iconic roles as detectives on ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' and ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', respectively.
The following actors also appeared in multiple roles:
Episodes
Soundtracks
A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on September 19, 1995 by
Uptown Records
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop. During the 1990s, aided by its A&R worker Sean ...
and
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
. It features songs from the series, such as a cover of "
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was compo ...
" performed by
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
, "I Miss You (Come Back Home)" by
Monifah
Monifa Carter (born January 26, 1972), also known as Monifah, is an American R&B singer. She is best known for her association with the late rapper Heavy D and her music from the mid-1990s, including "I Miss You (Come Back Home)", "You" and " ...
, "
Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz" by
Lost Boyz
Lost Boyz are an American hip hop group from Queens, New York, consisting of MC Mr. Cheeks, Freaky Tah, and K Chrys.
Originally in the early 90's LB consisted of Mr. Cheeks, Freaky Tah, Spigg Nice, and Pretty Lou.
Member K Chrys or “Ka ...
, and the theme to New York Undercover, composed by
James Mtume
James Forman (January 3, 1946January 9, 2022), known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality.
He came to prominence as a jazz musician, working ...
. The soundtrack album is executive produced by
Andre Harrell
Andre O’Neal Harrell (September 26, 1960 – May 7, 2020) was an American music executive and multimedia producer. In 1986, recently a rapper, he formed Uptown Records, soon a leader in R&B, rap, and their fusion, "hip hop soul" and " new ...
, the executive producer of the series, and it was nominated for an
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album. This award has been given since the 1988 ceremony and since its conception, Whitney Houston holds the record for most wins in this category with four.
Win ...
.
A second soundtrack album for the series containing contemporary R&B music, New York Undercover: A Night At Natalie's, was released on January 13, 1998 by
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
. The album features R&B songs performed by some of the various musical acts at Natalie's, the nightclub which appears in virtually every episode of the series' first three seasons, such as
112 112 may refer to:
*112 (number), the natural number following 111 and preceding 113
*112 (band), an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia
**112 (album), ''112'' (album), album from the band of the same name
*112 (emergency telephone number), t ...
,
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
,
Xscape,
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
,
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010), known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the sta ...
,
K-Ci & JoJo
K-Ci & JoJo is an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born June 10, 1971). Natives of Monroe, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R&B g ...
,
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material.
Type ...
,
Gerald Levert
Gerald Edward Levert (July 13, 1966 – November 10, 2006) was an Americans, American singer-songwriter and producer. Levert was best known for singing with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon of the vocal group LeVert. Levert ...
,
B.B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...
,
Tito Nieves
Humberto "Tito" Nieves (born June 4, 1959; also known "El Pavarotti de la Salsa") is a Puerto Rican musician who became one of the leading salsa singers of the 1980s and the early 1990s.
Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, and raised in the Unite ...
, and
The Barrio Boyzz
The Barrio Boyzz were an American Latin pop group. The group was made up of Puerto Ricans who grew up in New York City. They gained popularity during the 1990s, when they became label-mates with Selena Quintanilla then landed their first ''Billb ...
. The album also contains a song performed by
Michael DeLorenzo
Michael DeLorenzo (born October 31, 1959) is an American actor, director, writer, producer, dancer, and musician. He is known for his work in television and film.
Early life
DeLorenzo was raised in The Bronx, New York. His late father, Arthur De ...
, who plays Detective Eddie Torres, titled "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight."
Potential reboot/revival
On December 5, 2018, Deadline reported that series creator Dick Wolf and ABC were in talks to reboot the series. Six days later, ABC officially committed the reboot to a pilot.
On January 31, 2019, ABC officially ordered the reboot to pilot, also revealing that it would officially be a revival of the original series, featuring both old characters and a new cast. In February 2019, both Malik Yoba and Lauren Veléz were confirmed to reprise their respective roles as J.C. Williams and Nina Moreno, with Williams now being the overseeing officer of the new young detectives, and Moreno being retired, but retaining ties to her old unit. On March 12, 2019, ABC cast
Toby Sandeman and
Otmara Marrero
Otmara Marrero is an American actress. She is known for the NBC series '' Connecting...'', 2019's ''Clementine'', and Crackle's 2016 series ''StartUp''.
Early life
Marrero was born in Miami, Florida, to a Cuban American family, and raised in Hi ...
as the revival's two lead detectives Nat Gilmore and Melissa Ortiz, as well as Anna Enger and Octavio Pisano as supporting detectives Lisa Kim and Moses Hernandez, and
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first ...
as Lieutenant April Freeman, the unit's new boss.
On May 10, 2019, it was announced that the revival would not move forward on ABC, but would be shopped to other networks and streaming services. As of January 2020, it is still being shopped around. In July 2020, Deadline reported that the revival might come to fruition on
NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.
NBCUniversal is primari ...
's new streaming service,
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
.
References
External links
* on
Wolf Entertainment
Wolf Entertainment is an American television production company founded in 1988 by producer Dick Wolf, known for its television franchises ''Law & Order'', '' Chicago'', and '' FBI''.
In February 2020, Wolf Entertainment signed one of the la ...
''Entertainment Weekly'' review of second season premiere*
*
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series
1994 American television series debuts
1999 American television series endings
1990s American crime drama television series
1990s American mystery television series
1990s American police procedural television series
English-language television shows
Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department
Fox Broadcasting Company original programming
Law & Order (franchise)
Television shows set in New York City
Television series by Universal Television
Television series created by Dick Wolf
Television series by Wolf Films