How ‘Blue Bloods’ Actor & Former Cop James Nuciforo Helps the Show Stay Accurate

Blue Bloods brings the stories of NYPD cops to life with the help of one of its main actors, James “Jim” Nuciforo, who plays Detective Nuciforo. Here’s everything you need to know about the former detective and how he contributes to the CBS procedural drama both on screen and off.

What he does

The police procedural consultant since Day 1 — after a long association with Law & Order — was tasked with ensuring Blue Bloods’ cops were portrayed realistically. The retired NYPD detective works closely with writers who might ask, “I’m writing a story about this [case]; How do I get from point A to B? Do you have any good stories?” He certainly does, sometimes giving full stories. “Blue Bloods tries to make it happen, but a good technical consultant has to realize this is a TV show,” Nuciforo explains. “It has to be entertaining.”

In the latest season…

For Season 10’s “Fog of War” — one of 10 classic episodes recorded while actors and writers were on strike — country singer Lyle Lovett played a Texas Ranger and Nuciforo played Contact a “legendary” ranger for help. “Lyle has great attention to detail,” Nuciforo said, and “knows as much, if not more, than I do [about the Rangers].”

Behind the scene

Nowadays, Nuciforo says, every actor playing a Blue Blood cop can meet one on the street, but in the early days, he had to teach them how to properly hold a gun while searching a house, and he Take them to the guns. scope for the lesson. “And when the New York beat cops still had nightsticks, I taught Len Cariou and Will Estes [Henry and Jamie Reagan] how to swing them,” he recalls.

Gotta love it!

While filming in New York, “a guy ran through the set with a girl chasing him, screaming, ‘He stole my phone!’” he recalls. “An actor checked his hip and he flew away.” Nuciforo and the others grabbed him before the real law arrived. Lesson learned well.