Bill Brochtrup

American television actor Bill Brochtrup was best known for his portrayal of public administrative assistant John Irvin on "NYPD Blue" (ABC 1993-2005). Born in Inglewood, California and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Brochtrup studied acting at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Upon graduating in 1985, he wasted no time making a name for himself on the west coast. When he wasn't gaining serious stage credibility at South Coast Repertory, The Pasadena Playhouse, or the Black Dahlia Theatre, among others, the boyishly handsome talent balanced television work on "Tour of Duty" (CBS 1987-1990), "Murder She Wrote" (CBS 1989-1996), and "ALF" (NBC 1986-1990) with early movie roles in "Rockula" and "Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects" (both 1989). Openly gay, Brochtrup made no attempts to hide his sexuality from casting agents. That decision proved fortuitous when Brochtrup landed the role of kind-natured, gay public administrative assistant John Irvin on "NYPD Blue." Brochtrup's inherent warmth transformed a series temp into a fan favorite who would stick with the series for the remaining decade of its run. So successful was Brochtrup's working relationship with series co-creator Steven Bochco that the pair would later work together on both "Public Morals" (ABC 1996) in which Brochtrup reprised the role of Irvin and "Total Security" (ABC 1997). Neither show aired past a single season, but Brochtrup had connected with viewers, which put him in high demand. In the following few years, one-off turns on "Without a Trace" (CBS 2002-09) and "Dexter" (Showtime 2006-2013) led to recurring roles on "Shameless" (Showtime 2011-) and "The Closer" (TNT 2005-2012) spinoff series "Major Crimes" (TNT 2012-18). In 2019, classic television lovers rejoiced when it was announced that "NYPD Blue" was getting a reboot, and John Irvin would continue to serve the people of the 15th Precinct.