Female cops and police officers in pop culture

By Wonderwall.com Editors 11:00pm PDT, Mar 13, 2022

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Forty years ago on March 13, 1982, the TV cop drama "T.J. Hooker" starring William Shatner as the titular veteran police sergeant debuted on ABC. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Wonderwall.com is looking back at our favorite female cops in pop culture, starting with this tough "T.J. Hooker" beauty… Rookie officer Stacy Sheridan, the daughter of the Lake City Police Department's Captain Sheridan, ditched desk duty to capture criminals. Heather Locklear played her on the hit series from season 2 until the show wrapped in season 6.

Keep reading for more of our favorite female cops in pop culture…

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Fighting crime while pregnant? Talk about impressive! Police Chief Marge Gunderson from 1996's "Fargo" is whip-smart and not afraid to take on the bad guys. In the film, she investigated multiple roadside murders that occur after a desperate car salesman hires two criminals to kidnap his wife so he can collect a ransom from her rich father. Frances McDormand won an Academy Award for best actress for her performance as the hilarious heroine.

RELATED: Best female villains

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What would the "Law & Order" franchise be without Captain Olivia Benson?! Luckily for us, we won't be finding out anytime soon. Olivia, played by Mariska Hargitay, has become the face of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" since making her debut on the series in 1999. Originally a detective, Olivia has risen through the ranks and is now commanding the department. Mariska has earned an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance as honorable, smart and skilled Olivia.

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Internal Affairs Sergeant Lorna Cole brought some much-needed feminine energy to the "Lethal Weapon" franchise. Not only was she a fierce cop and action hero, but she was also endearing and flirtatious, so it's no wonder Mel Gibson's Martin Rigg fell head over heels for her. Rene Russo starred as Lorna in 1992's "Lethal Weapon 3" and 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4."

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Not all of our favorite female cops are crime-fighting heroines. A few are just laugh-out-loud funny. Deputy Raineesha Williams from "Reno 911!" left us crying with laughter for years. The boisterous character is best known for her larger-than-life backside and penchant for using her police power to influence men. Niecy Nash brought Raineesha to life from 2003 to 2009.

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One of the very first female cops on television, Julie Barnes, was young, gorgeous and highly skilled. A representative of her era, Julie was a flower-child hippie from a broken home who decided to become an undercover detective after being arrested and presented with a choice — police work or prison. The late Peggy Lipton starred as the "blonde" on ABC's "Mod Squad" from 1968 to 1973. She took home a Golden Globe for her portrayal in 1970.

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They don't call LAPD Police Chief Brenda Johnson "The Closer" for nothing. On the TNT show, Brenda had a reputation for not only solving the case but also obtaining guaranteed confessions. An intelligent and determined Southern belle with CIA training, Brenda was played by the talented Kyra Sedgwick, who earned seven consecutive Golden Globe nominations for best actress (winning once), five consecutive Emmy nominations (winning once), and seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

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In "Blue Steel," Megan Turner is a rookie NYPD patrol officer who must clear her name after being involved in a seemingly suspicious police shooting — all while hunting down a serial killer. Megan is savvy and fearless in the 1990 film, overcoming abuse and rape to take down the villain. Jamie Lee Curtis shined as the heroic cop, receiving rave reviews.

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Police officer Amelia Donaghy is one of the most diligent cops to ever grace our movie screens. Played by Angelina Jolie, Amelia used her smarts to discover key evidence at a crime scene that others overlooked as she worked with Denzel Washington's forensics expert, Lincoln Rhyme, to solve a serial killer case. "The Bone Collector" was No. 1 at the box office its opening weekend thanks in part to Amelia's appeal.

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Detective Lilly Rush from "Cold Case" is so talented that she could solve cases that were decades old. The Philadelphia cop was incredibly empathetic and determined to find justice for the victims no matter how much time has passed. Kathryn Morris took on the role of Lilly from 2003 to 2010.

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The "RoboCop" franchise wouldn't be what it is today without Officer Anne Lewis. The tough-as-nails partner of Officer Alex Murphy (aka RoboCop), Anne was an honest policewoman who has a strong sense of duty and wasn't afraid to take on some of Detroit's toughest criminals. Nancy Allen took on the role of Anne in "RoboCop," "RoboCop 2" and "RoboCop 3."

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There's a reason Sandra Oh took home all those trophies — a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and a Critics' Choice Award — for her portrayal of Eve Polastri on "Killing Eve." The character — and the show — are simply amazing! Eve started the series as a desk-bound MI5 officer who begins to track down talented yet psychopathic assassin Villanelle. The two women slowly but surely become obsessed with each other as the case goes on.

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FBI Agent and reluctant pageant queen Gracie Hart has it all: killer fighting skills, spot-on intuition, a unique sense of humor and stunning beauty (after a truly hilarious makeover). Sandra Bullock played the savvy special agent who saved her fellow pageant contestants in both 2000's "Miss Congeniality" and 2005's "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous." Her portrayal even earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress.

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We have FBI agent Clarice Starling to thank for not only cracking the mystery of Hannibal Lecter and his crimes but for being one of the most fearless heroines ever. Clarice originally encountered Hannibal when she was an FBI trainee in "The Silence of the Lambs" and managed to do what her male counterparts couldn't: Solve the case. Jodie Foster took on the role of cunning and determined Clarice in the original film, earning herself an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for best actress.

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Special Agent Elena Delgado is not only a tough-as-nails FBI agent — she's also a doting single mom raising a young daughter. Roselyn Sanchez starred as the beautiful and skilled Elena, a former NYPD detective, on CBS's "Without a Trace" from 2005 to 2009.

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Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union joined forces for the 2019-2020 police drama "L.A.'s Finest." The "Bad Boys" spinoff followed their characters, Sydney "Syd" Burnett, a former DEA agent-turned-LAPD officer, and partner Nancy McKenna, who's also a mom, as they fought crime in the City of Angels.