A longtime TV tough guy renowned for playing cops is trading in the prop badge for the real thing. Jerry O’Donnell, best known for playing law enforcement figures across four decades in shows including Dexter, Alias, and NYPD Blue, is now training to become an actual police officer in Asheville, North Carolina. After moving there with his wife to slow down, the Brooklyn-born actor instead found a new calling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024, when the community rallied to rebuild after the catastrophic storm. At 65, he’s running, lifting weights, and knocking out push-ups alongside recruits half his age—or less. “I was in the Army, and they asked me, ‘Did you fight for the North or the South?’” he joked, recalling his classmates’ banter. “People don’t bust your chops unless they

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