Dennis Franz

“I'm a Chicago guy through and through.”

“Playing a cop is a challenge because you want to get it right. You want to honor the men and women who do that job for real.”

“Sipowicz is a guy who has a lot of demons, a lot of fears, and a lot of insecurities. He's a very human character.”

“I'm not a guy who's going to be a star in a film. I'm a character actor.”

“I never had a desire to be a leading man. It's too much pressure.”

“I've been blessed with a wonderful career, but my family is the most important thing to me.”

“The work is the most important thing. I don't care about the star stuff.”

“I wanted to be a mailman. I thought that would be a great job. You get to be outside, and you're your own boss.”

“I'm a pretty easy-going, gentle person. I'm not a tough guy.”

“After 'NYPD Blue,' I was offered a lot of things, but nothing felt as right or as challenging. I had a great run and decided it was time to step away.”

“I'm just a regular guy who was lucky enough to have a great job.”

“Retirement is a full-time job. I'm busy. I'm not looking for anything.”