Jerry O’Donnell Does A Nathan Fillion — But In Real Life: Mad Men Actor Becomes Real-Life ‘Rookie’

Jerry O’Donnell has pulled a Nathan Fillion. In what can only be called a full circle moment for him, the 65-year-old performer known for playing lawmen on screen has officially stepped into the role in real life. In what many are calling a real-world version of The Rookie led by Nathan Fillion, O’Donnell has joined the Asheville Police Department in North Carolina as a trainee officer.Fans know him from crime procedurals like Bosch and dramas such as Mad Men, O’Donnell is currently undergoing Basic Law Enforcement Training and rigorous field preparation before earning full-fledged officer status. In a conversation with The Asheville Watchdog, O’Donnell shared how physically demanding the process has been - from sprinting up parking garages

to intense circuits of push-ups, burpees and air squats.

However, again, much like Fillion, the new chapter is not about reinvention for novelty. “I feel blessed and grateful to still have some ability… it’s a sense of purpose - to be of service,” he said, adding that real fulfillment, for him, now lies in being “used up” in the pursuit of something meaningful.However, even before Hollywood, O’Donnell does has a history in uniform. He spent four years with the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division. A college play changed his life, eventually leading him to legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen and a move to Los Angeles. Since his debut in the early ’90s on The Flash, he has appeared in nearly 50 films and series.However, his biggest break was The Young and the Restless, followed later by a stint on The Bold and the Beautiful. He has also worked in Dexter, NYPD Blue, JAG and its spinoff NCIS.Fiction has yielded to reality for the actor now. While most actors hang up their boots in retirement, O’Donnell pulled them up tighter, proving that sometimes, the boldest role of all is one where you live for real.