After four decades of pretending to be cops in TV shows, Jerry O’Donnell decided to actually become a real officer for the Asheville Police Department in North Carolina.
The Brooklyn-born actor-comedian previously acted in 18 episodes of The Young and the Restless, four episodes of Mad Men, three episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful and three episodes of NYPD Blue.
At 65, O’Donnell is the oldest recruit the APD has trained ‘in the last 20-30 years,’ and he realistically plans on only having a five-year career with the force.
‘My name is Jerry, so “Jerry Atric,”‘ O’Donnell revealed to the Asheville Watchdog of his classmates’ nickname for him.
‘If I make a noise, it’s “Are you okay? You gonna die?” Jerry Atric gets in there. I mean, just every old joke in the world. And I bust chops too, so I have to be able to take it.’
The Summer Camp actor added: ‘When we do PT, we go on these runs in the parking garage — you run up, run down, run the parking garage. And then you do exercises — 15 air squats, run up another level. Do 50 push ups, run up another level. Do 50 burpees.’
After four decades of pretending to be cops in TV shows, Jerry O’Donnell decided to actually become a real officer for the Asheville Police Department in North Carolina (pictured in 2021)
O’Donnell previously served his country between 1979-1983 working as a squad leader sergeant in the US Army’s 82nd Airborne.
‘I feel blessed and grateful to still have some ability, so you know, that’s like a sense of purpose — to be of service,’ the Genius guest star said.
‘I always think when you slide into home at the end of your life, you want to be all used up. You know — dirty, scarred up, a little bloody, and spent.’
O’Donnell is about halfway through Basic Law Enforcement Training and, assuming he passes the state test in mid-January, he should graduate on January 30 and be sworn in by March.
‘I’ve never been so prepared for every little thing that we go through,’ the New York native said.
‘And then you have three months of field training with a field training officer.’
O’Donnell and his wife of 23 years, Alison Crowley, escaped LA five years ago and moved to Asheville where there’s a ‘big sense of community.’
‘There’s no doubt it’s dangerous,’ Crowley admitted.
‘But I feel like he really, really wants to do it, and I want him to have a chance to do it. And, I think that outweighs any fears of danger, because I think he’ll take good care of himself and good care of the people of Asheville.’
The Cal State LA grad described his 6ft form as having ‘a little construction crew inside’ and, as long as he keeps moving, the workers will ‘keep building.’
The 65-year-old actor-comedian previously acted in 18 episodes of The Young and the Restless, four episodes of Mad Men, three episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful and three episodes of NYPD Blue (pictured in 2004)
O’Donnell is about halfway through Basic Law Enforcement Training and, assuming he passes the state test in mid-January, he should graduate on January 30 and be sworn in by March (pictured in Bosch in 2020)
The Summer Camp actor won’t be able to act while he’s a cop, but his favorite onscreen gig was guest starring as ‘flashdrive detective’ in a season four episode of Showtime’s Dexter in 2009 alongside Michael C. Hall (pictured)
‘”He’s still going, guys. Let’s keep building,”‘ O’Donnell said.
‘And if you’re on the couch and lounge around doing nothing, it’s like, “Okay, let’s break this thing down. Time to get it in the ground.”‘
The former bartender won’t be able to act while he’s a cop, but his favorite onscreen gig was guest starring as ‘flashdrive detective’ in a season four episode of Showtime’s Dexter in 2009 alongside Michael C. Hall.
‘I was a fan of the show, and you know when Dexter walks in with the doughnuts out of the elevator? When I was working, I came out of the elevator and I had to bring up evidence to a detective in the murder area,’ O’Donnell recalled.
‘So I come out, and I had this out-of-body thing. I’m like, “I’m inside my television.” It’s exactly the same as Dexter’s view, and the camera pans around and watches him walk. I’m like, “This feels like I’m in the eye.”‘
