Every boy at some point in his childhood dreams of being a cop – chasing the baddies and bringing justice to the world. The desire to help others in such a manly way has led to a plethora of films and TV programs that feature the awesomest of awesome cops. This list looks at the ten best. As usual, be sure to tell us your favorites in the comments.
Valiant, played by Bob Hoskins, is a toon hating policeman charged with the investigation of a murder wrapped around a love triangle. This is a cartoon that is more geared for adults but still appropriate for children. Valiant plays the standard hard drinking, cursing, fighting cop of the mid. 20th century. Acting with co-stars that aren’t real certainly poses a challenge but Hoskins manages to turn in a good performance in spite of this difficulty.
David Caruso plays the all-seeing, all-knowing cop in C.S.I.’s Miami rendition of the series that made police scientists cool. Caine is one of the more cheesy characters ever to hit the screen, movie or television. He can be expected to utter the most obvious, self-serving line to fit the situation. He is at his best/worst when dealing with children as he lays his bravado on thicker than usual. What would a cop list be without the best police officer ever to live in the entire world? Horatio Caine, an unintentionally hilarious character.
Peter Sellers does a masterful job of playing Inspector Clouseau in the 1963 edition of The Pink Panther. Sellers is one of the most dynamic actors ever, anyone who has seen Dr. Strangelove knows the dexterity of his skills as he plays 3 characters with entirely different mannerisms, even accents. Peter Sellers is one of my favorite actors to grace the silver screen.
The protagonist in the movie “From Hell” is played by Johnny Depp in this who-dun-it surrounding the Jack the Ripper killings of the mid. 19th century. Abberline is an opium addicted, yet extremely clever cop who remains a step behind Jack for the balance of the film, only to come to a surprising conclusion as to the identity of Jack the Ripper.
The Da Vinci Code is a controversial book that spawned a movie based on the quest for the holy grail. Captain Bezu Fache, played by Jean Reno, plays a Parisian police officer who is a loyal member of the Roman Catholic order, Opus Dei. Fache’s motives become clear throughout the film as he acts not in the interest of the law but at the direction of a powerful bishop. But, like all good cops, Fache proves an able study as he unearths the truth behind this conflict of church vs. intellectuals. Despite the fact that the film is crap, like the book upon which it is based, the acting from Reno was definitely good enough for inclusion here.
Sipowicz was the main character of the television series NYPD Blue which was played by Dennis Franz. Sipowicz is the stereotypical New York police officer, outspoken and not afraid to use physical force to convince suspects and witnesses to cooperate. This was an incredibly successful series spanning 12 years, Sipowicz was one of the main forces behind it’s success.
LA Confidential is a story of mid 19th century Los Angeles, White is a cop who develops quite an affinity for prostitute Lynn Bracken, played by Kim Basinger. White and his nemesis Ed Exley, an uber ambitious policeman with a sterling law force lineage, team up to solve the murders known as the “Night Owl Killings”. Along the way they uncover a prostitution ring where women are “cut” to look like movie stars and expose an internal affairs scandal that would threaten to tear down the structure of the L.A.P.D. Bud White has immense physical strength and an uncanny ability to sense and intervene in the abuse of women. He is a fanatic protecter of the fairer sex. Bud White is played by Russell Crowe.
Played by Tommy Lee Jones, Bell is a small town Texas sheriff caught up in a feud between Mexican drug lords, their American accomplices, a contract killer, and a small town boy named Llewelyn Moss who stumbled on a heroin deal gone wrong, making off with over 2 million dollars. Bell is the moral cop who tries, albeit unsuccessfully, to bring in Moss and protect him from the wrath of the Mexican cartels and the contract killer hired by the American importers. This is one of the Coen brother’s less than humorous films, adapted from the book of the same title written by Cormac McCarthy. The film is, of course, No Country For Old Men.
Morgan Freeman plays this cerebral cop who teams up with a young, less cerebral David Mills, played by Brad Pitt. Somerset is in the last stages of his career and has been largely marginalized by the rest of the New York police force. “Seven” is the story of a religiously fanatic serial killer who seeks to find an example of each of the seven deadly sins and murder the sinner in a symbolic way. Somerset and Mills are the detectives who nearly capture the killer, but fail, as he is able to finish his murderous spree. This movie is classified as a horror film but is just as appropriately called a suspense thriller. Kevin Spacey does a very good job playing the killer intoxicated by the Holy Ghost.
In the brilliant film Fargo, Jerry hires two men to kidnap his wife so he can get his rich father in law to pay the ransom of $1 million. Once the ransom is paid the kidnappers will get $40,000 and Jerry gets the rest. That’s the plan, but what happens is something totally different. Blood is shed when a cop and two innocent people are killed. Marge Gunderson is the Chief who investigates the murders. While Marge investigates, Jerry gets involved in deeper problems, ranging from financial troubles, to threats from the kidnappers. Marge Gunderson is played by the indomitable Frances McDormand who is brilliant in every role she plays. She brings a wry wit, down-to-earth character, and humor to the character and creates the role of a cop that you can’t help but love.
Notable Omissions: Dignam from The Departed (played by Mark Wahlberg)
Contributor: yurmama
simon pegg playing officer angel in Hot Fuzz
dale cooper
I couldn’t agree more about Horatio Caine – do you think it was intended for him to be so incredibly cheesy, or is that just the awesomeness that he was able to bring to the role? Either way, I can never keep a straight face while watching the show…my mom, on the other hand, thinks he’s sooo *****y! ick…
You need Denzel Washington in man on fire
Where is detective elliot stabler (law and order svu)? lasader (pysch)? these are the epitome of real men on tv. Disapointanment is all over me
Randall – I don’t know what the solution would be. But some of these lists are about as relevant as last week’s grocery list. I understand tastes and preferences, but the fact that the person who wrote this list hasn’t shown up to defend his/her choices is evidence enough that it was poorly written and can’t be defended. Or they’re out mowing the lawn.
Granted, my list had plenty of statistics and research from respected sources. I looked at a lot of material before I ever wrote anything down to try to cut down on the subjective nature of ranking my list. And then I hung in there all day to make sure people knew where I was coming from if they had any objections.
Frankly, I don’t see any of that going on here. This is clearly a list of something someone watched and thought they should belong. The reason I have a beef with it is I know how much time I spent with just one list – idea, research, personal ranking, fact checking, re-ordering, writing the blurbs, re-reading, submission, commenting.
I spent sometime massaging my choices because I care enough about the site to not put something in unless I could defend it properly. My process doesn’t have to be the formula, but for crying out loud, put SOME effort into it and if everyone’s calling you out, get your ass in here and say SOMETHING.
okay – if i’m not mistaken & i could be
most lists are written by J. so whatever concern or dispute you have about the validity and sourcing of those lists you should email J about.
..not a good idea. its an entertainment site not educational or something to be cited in any professional way.
as for other contributors’ lists-
LV is not in a position to pay for professional writers who are obligated to be able to verify sources. this a public site for regular folks to contribute lists that are of interest to them. fact checking and citing sources is encouraged but most folks don’t have the time or resources to do that.
this ain’t a precise science here folks, k?
it is supposed to be FUN and a place to be entertained and hopefully engage in friendly banter and conversation.
those of you who have submitted professional grade quality lists..i salute you. sincerely. but that is not the focus of this site…at least as i see it. J may differ on that point. he is quite capable of speaking for himself.
so as much as i love this site…to cite it as a source like say, Wikipedia..
and frankly, i prefer it that way. much less stuffy. pretentious. uppity. snobby. dull. boring. etc etc etc
and it does allow for a huge range of topics.
so..you want to submit a list? please do so. be forewarned this is the internet and thick skin is required. not just at LV but anywhere online. altho i do think here we at least are able to work things out even after the ***** has hit the fan.
and if you are quoting or using stats or whatnot…cite your sources.
but i think you get the point. 
i would appreciate you actually do more than just write ’10 Things I Like About Me’ or something equally inane.
but most lists do not require that kinda detail and can be kept light and frothy.
but! if you do want to get more professional and be more precise…i for one would welcome that too.
anyway…i’ve gone long. again.
Horatio Caine but no Gil Grissom??? Blasphemy…
C’MON WHERES THE GUYS FROM LAW & ORDER SVU?
130. KRISSY -
CHASING DOWN THE SOURCE OF ALL THIS SCREAMING!
all caps = screaming online. means u r be’n rude dude! so stop it.
click the blue link on top of comment entry box for the FAQ for guidelines in how to write a comment. which includes NO ALL CAPS!
This list is abysmal…..
i give up ..fer now.
later dudes & dudettes.
Where is Wiggum!!!!!
Willem Dafoe from Boondock Saints.
Hehhheh, Horatio makes my day ^_^
Bustin comment chops here…
Denzel Washington in Man on Fire = Bodyguard
)
Gil Grissom = Forensic Scientist
Monk = WAS a cop but works as a “consultant” (I’m watching Monk right now!
Gibbs from NCIS = Investigative agent for the Navy…acts like police but technically not
112. bucslim
…there should be some sort of critique of the list…
There is a critique list – it’s this whole comment section
Great suggestion, whomever mentioned Barney Fife!! haha, I love it! Now his voice is going to be stuck in my head all day…
There have been an incredible amount of colicky people lately.
oh, and Dafoe = FBI
I’m not attacking anyone in particular…I’m just being difficult for funsies.
Lenny Briscoe? 274 episodes of Law & Order?
John McClain… “YIPPY KAI-YAI MOTHER F****RS!!!”
Sorry, had to write it down as the phrase kept repeating in my head since I first saw the title of the list…
If I say I hated Fargo, will people hate me? And what if I said I enjoyed watching the drama-queen that is Horation Caine?
*goes to hide under desk so as to avoid injury*
John McClain, Robocop, Barney Fife, Chief Wigam, Smokey, and of course Farva “powder sugar, it’s delicious”?
121. Lifeschool
I for one would be very interested in reading a list of top 20 tricks to speed up windows XP (and i’m not a computer nerd)lol
Cyn: For some reason I have this vision of you banging your head against a brick wall…
This was an entertaining read…tho I don’t know much about cop shows, I can heartily agree with the horatio comments because he is the reason i can’t stand the show. But I love CSI the vegas one.
The Shield, anyone? There’s a few guys who could make the list from that show alone.
where’s densel from training day?
I was really hoping to see Fish from Barney Miller, or at least Chief Wiggum.
i can’t believe lennie briscoe isn’t on this list–the greatest detective on one of the longest running cop franchises on US television!
You forgot Officer Barbrady from South Park. Move along folks nothing to see here !
Imho,This list is incomplete without the names of some of the most talented and memorable tv cop of all times:
1. Vincent D; Onofrio (Det. Goren)
2. Peter Falk (Lt. Columbo)
3. David Suchet (Hercule Poirot)
Thanks for the effort and concern.
Saghy
olivia benson, elliot stabler, fin, munch (law & order svu), gibbs (although actually an federal agent), john mccain, gil grissom. take ur pick. any of these would have been 100 times better then some of the people on this list
i love the chief wiggum comment too. too funny
Dirty Harry -all the way!
Yurmama should be arrested for compiling that list. David F%#king Caruso! Are you kidding me? Here’s the real list forgive any repeats, I haven’t read any of the comments): Jane Tennyson(Prime Suspect), Joe Friday(Dragnet), Barney Miller, Sam Tyler(Life on Mars), Constable Benton Fraser(Due South), Dirty Harry, Frank Drebin(Naked Gun), Popeye Doyle(The French Connection), Officer Krupke(West Side Story), Mad Max,
In fact I could give you ten more from one show alone that is better than the writer’s motley crew , at least David Caruso isn’t in it. These ten cops are going to get Yurmama to confess to murdering a genre. They don’t take kindly to cop killers: Jimmie McNulty, Bunk Moreland, Cedric Daniels, Kima Greggs, Lester Freamon, Beadie Russell, Sgt Jay Landsman, Ellis Carver, Thomas ‘Herc’ Hauk, Leander Sydnor.
chow yun fat in hardboiled.
Eddie Valiant isn’t a cop…he’s a private eye!
This is way too broad and subjective of a category for it to be a good list.
john mclain dirty harry and grisham come one
The first two people I thought of were Harry Callahan and Frank Serpico. Very disappointed at their absence.
I’d also have liked to see Lt. Columbo, Steve McGarret, and Joe Friday somewhere. All definitely more deserving of a reference than Horatio Caine.
In fact, the list should have just been broken up into movie cops and TV cops. Entirely different territory.
John McClane also deserved a mention, as stated above. And since Eddie Valiant is a PI, you could have thrown Jack Bauer in there since he’s closer to a cop than Eddie.
LA confidential was mid 20th century folks
Anon: The Sweeny is before my time, but this morning I suddenly thought about Inspector Morse. Any cop who sings in a classical choir has got to be ok in my book.
Yogi, (151),
Many thanks for not including the inimitable Frank Drebin out, I can just picture his face if he had been.
no die hard movies?? bruce willis ??? dang..
Another personal opinion list. And in my opinion one of the worst ever. JF I hoped you enjoyed your day off.
Great List though definitely missing a few big ones Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop), John McClane (Die Hard), Dirty Harry, Alonzo Harris or Jake Hoyt (Training Day), Javier Rodriguez (Traffic), Frank Serpico (Serpico), Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon) or for any law and order fans Detective Lennie Briscoe
what about adrian monk (monk)
Robert Goren From Law and Order CI is absent from this list! FOR SHAME!!!!!!!1
Woah kids… I posted #137 on particulars already regarding some of these once again mentioned for recommendation like gibbs, monk, grissom…
lol, krazz… I know John McCain in 149 was a typo but when the presidential campaigns were first going on, I thought McCain was McClain.
“No Sh*tt*n me, Bruce Willis for president??!” For a while, I made them interchangeable because it was funny…
Police Chief Wiggum?
The good thing is at this point, by initiating one list, the reader gets several lists worth in the comments.
So, there is no need to have umpteen cop lists when all enquiries should be re: this one.
128: Cyn, don’t take it bad. If you like, I’ll make you the list you suggested – ‘10 Things I Like About Cyn’
Grissom from CSI (las vegas) doesnt count as a cop??
he’s really good
LA Confidential is set in the 20th century and not in the 19th… (ofcourse)
Jesse #32 – i’m with you on those four – should all be sitting right behind Frances McDormand as Gunderson – brilliant No.#1 HOWEVER – I also thing Martin “Lethal Weapon 1-4″ Riggs should be there as well. And while we’re at it – where oh where was ex-Naval Officer Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord) from “Hawaii Five-O”
Dudes #37 – Again, total agreement; BUT Mr.Frater will tell you he’s a “Federal Agent”
BTW – jfrater – FBI and agencies such as NCIS are officially classed as ‘Police Forces’ – their operatives are classed as Federal Agents in order to allow them jurisdiction in special cases as being higher in the pecking order than local cops, State Cops etc – - – but they’re still police – thus Starling and Gibbs should qualify – longer list, maybe.
To all those who wished for Cagney and Lacey -NO!!! Do that and you’ll have to include Starsky & Hutch, the twits from Adam 12 and those ‘male Bimbo’s’ from CHiPS!
ERRATA: The Jack the Ripper Killings (No.7 – Frank Aberline)took place in 1888 – this places them at the END of the 19th Century (Late-19th Century) rather than the mid-19th Century as you wrote.
No.4 – “LA Confidential is a story of mid 19th century Los Angeles” The dress of the men in the photo and the fact that they are seen framed by a car window would suggest the mid 20th Century – - – - mind-block after writing Frank Abberline’s description ???
very dissapointed in the lack of paul smecker(the boondock saints) he is FBI, but, still counts in my book
Oh yeah? Yeah.
For 4…did you mean mid 20th century? That doesn’t look mid-1800s to me from the picture, but I’ve never seen the show, so, you know. Just wondering.
John McCLane!!!!!! where is he you fools!?!!?
Unbelievable that Sgt. Dignam from The Departed only got an honorable mention. Definitely deserves top five
Bigski….a big YES to you. I love Officer Barbrady, and I would like to add Chief Wiggum. Something about an animated cop…..
My ol’ lady thinks Horatio is just the hottest thing ever. It’s becoming a source of friction in our relationship. As for me, I’d rather watch Barney Fife.
Come on? No Shaft, No Axel Foley, Neither one of the Chips cops, No guy from Police Academy who does the noises, No Dirty Hary, and worst of all NO JOHN McCLANE. How can you have a list of best cops and not have John McCLANE.
You put John McClane and Horatio Caine into a locked room and tell them to go at, which one do you think is walking out on his own strength. It sure as hell isn’t going to be Horatio Caine.
MCNULTY. WATCH 1 EPISODE OF THE WIRE N TRY NOT TO GET ENTRENCHED…
sorry for caps, but everybody on the wire is better than this list for the most part…