For 7 seasons, the Rizzoli & Isles cast thrilled audiences with one of television’s finest police procedural crime drama series. The TNT series originally aired from July 12, 2010, to September 5, 2016, enjoying high ratings for most seasons. Rizzoli & Isles was reportedly ranked in the top five cable programs throughout its first season run.
The chemistry between its titular characters has long been attributed to the show’s success. Rizzoli and Isles centered around two female co-leads with different personalities. In each episode, audiences watched Boston Homicide police detective Jane Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles solve cases in their respective areas of specialty. In honor of the show, these were the top Rizzoli & Isles cast and their characters.
Angie Harmon as Jane Clementine Rizzoli
Actress and model Angie Harmon played one-half of Rizzoli & Isles titular character, Jane Clementine Rizzoli. The character was portrayed as a confident, independent woman with a sarcastic and brash attitude. Jane Rizzoli was a Boston Homicide detective with an amazing knack for solving crimes. Interestingly, although Jane Rizzoli’s character is from an Italian-American family, actress Angie Harmon isn’t.
Harmon has German and Irish ancestry from her paternal side, while her mother is of Greek descent. Before her casting in Rizzoli and Isles, Angie Harmon was known for playing Ryan McBride in Baywatch Nights (1995–1997), Amanda Reardon in C-16: FBI (1997–1998), and A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael in Law & Order (1998–2001) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–2000).
Sasha Alexander as Dr. Maura Dorothea Isles
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Dorothea Isles, brought an entirely different personality. Besides her calm demeanor, Dr. Isles, a forensic expert, was known/cherished for her inability to tell a lie. Although socially awkward, Dr. Isles was Jane Rizzoli’s best friend, as well as a colleague.
Appearing in all 105 episodes of Rizzoli and Isles, actress and TV director Sasha Alexander breathed life into Dr. Isles’ character. Alexander, who’s of Serbian and Italian descent, had starred in several notable movies and TV shows before Rizzoli & Isles. These include Dawson’s Creek (2000–2001), NCIS (2003–2005), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Yes Man (2008), and He’s Just Not That Into You (2009).
Jordan Bridges as Francesco “Frankie” Rizzoli, Jr.
American actor Jordan Bridges was also part of Rizzoli and Isles‘ main cast. He portrayed Jane Rizzoli’s younger brother, Francesco “Frankie” Rizzoli. Frankie considers Jane a mentor. Against his mother’s wishes, Frankie becomes a cop and increases in rank throughout the show’s run. Like Sasha Alexander, Jordan Bridges also starred in Dawson’s Creek in his early career. Although he hasn’t had many major roles since Rizzoli and Isles, Bridges was cast as Perry Donahue in the Apple TV+ period comedy-drama Palm Royale.
Bruce McGill as Vincent “Vince” Walter Korsak
Vincent “Vince” Walter Korsak started the series as Jane Rizzoli’s partner. Before and after his promotion to sergeant-detective in Rizzoli & Isles season two, the character is positioned as a mentor to Jane. Vince later opens The Dirty Robber bar, which members of the Boston Police Department often frequent. Bruce McGill, who played Vince, was one of Rizzoli & Isles‘ oldest cast members. Since Rizzoli & Isles, Bruce McGill has continued to star in several film and television projects.
Lorraine Bracco as Angela Rizzoli
After playing Tony Soprano’s psychiatrist on HBO’s The Sopranos, actress Lorraine Bracco joined Rizzoli and Isles as Jane Rizzoli’s overbearing and fiercely protective mother, Angela Rizzoli. This often puts her at odds with her daughter, but they survive each other until the end of the show. Angela Rizzoli first worked at the police station’s cafe before later working in Vince’s The Dirty Robber bar.
Lee Thompson Young as Barold “Barry” Frost
Although Lee Thompson Young’s exit was portrayed as the character dying in the season 5 premiere, he’s a notable mention in the Rizzoli & Isles cast. Joining the show in season 1, Barry was Jane Rizzoli’s second partner. Although a cop, Barry had a morbid fear of dead bodies and blood. Young appeared in seasons 1 to 4. Barry’s character was written off the show following Lee Thompson Young’s death in 2013. After failing to show up for filming an episode of Rizzoli and Isles, police officers on a well-being check found the actor dead in his Los Angeles apartment. His death was ruled a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Other Notable Rizzoli & Isles Cast Members
Several new and recurring characters joined and exited the show throughout the show’s run. Brian Goodman played Boston’s Homicide Police Department Lieutenant Sean Cavanaugh. Goodman joined the cast in season 1 but was downgraded to a recurring role in seasons 3 and 4. Although he became a series regular in season 5, he left the show at the end of the season. Adam Sinclair played Dr. Kent Drake, Dr. Maura Isles’ new assistant and lab technician. The character was introduced in a recurring role in season 6 and was upgraded to series regular in season 6.
Idara Victor’s Nina Holiday character was introduced in season 5. She stays on the show until its finale, becoming Frankie Rizzoli’s romantic interest and later fiancee. American actress of Taiwanese descent Tina Huang was also another notable Rizzoli & Isles cast member. Huang starred as Boston Police Department’s crime laboratory senior criminalist Susie Chang. While Rizzoli & Isles cast featured a two female lead cast, British crime drama series Happy Valley followed the personal and professional life of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
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