Dennis Franz, the retired actor best known for playing Detective Andy Sipowicz on NYPD Blue, was spotted on a rare public outing with his longtime wife in the Los Angeles area last week. The sighting comes two decades after Franz stepped back from Hollywood following his 12-year run on the ABC police procedural.
Franz, now 81, was seen enjoying an al fresco lunch with his wife, Joanie Zeck, on the patio of Pierre LaFond & Co. in Montecito, California, on Wednesday, September 9. After finishing their meal and heading to their car, Franz appeared to go back into the eatery to pick up a snack for the road.
The actor looked nearly unrecognizable compared to his signature look on NYPD Blue, with his hair and beard grown out to a noticeably longer length. For the outing, Franz wore a casual look of a blue T-shirt paired with a red plaid button-down shirt and gray cargo shorts, accessorized with a slim gold chain and a flashy watch.
A rare sighting with his wife
Franz and Zeck, who have been married for more than three decades, wore coordinating outfits for their excursion. Zeck was seen in a colorful button-down shirt with a red and blue plaid pattern, black pants and navy blue sneakers, finishing her look with a pair of oversize sunglasses.
His award-winning role on NYPD Blue
Franz is best known for playing Detective Andy Sipowicz on NYPD Blue, a role that earned him a Golden Globe, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. He began his acting career in theater before moving into television.
Early in his decades-long career, Franz was typecast and frequently hired to play police officers. By his own count, his role on NYPD Blue was the 28th time he had played a cop on screen.
From Vietnam to Hollywood
Before turning to acting, Franz served 11 months in Vietnam after being drafted into the Army in 1968. He later joined a theater group in Chicago before going on to build a career in television and film.
Franz starred on Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1987. He also appeared in several films directed by Brian De Palma, including The Fury (1978), Dressed to Kill (1980), Blow Out (1981) and Body Double (1984).
Among his many police roles, Franz worked alongside Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2, playing airport police captain Carmine Lorenzo in the 1990 sequel. He also appeared in the film adaptation of David Mamet's American Buffalo in 1996, starring alongside Dustin Hoffman.
Life after NYPD Blue
Franz retired from acting after NYPD Blue ended in 2005. He and Zeck are currently selling their 7-bed, 9-bath mansion in Montecito, having recently listed the 8,000-square-foot property for $16.5 million.
Franz was last spotted on a public outing in March 2023, just weeks after his NYPD Blue onscreen son, Austin Majors, died at age 27.
