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Former "NYPD Blue" star Amy Brenneman has her day
in court — and a Golden Globe nomination.

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judge still strangled by her mother's
apron strings. But Brenneman likes
the character, who unquestionably
seems to have more questions than
udging by Amy Brenneman's
answers.
scintillating yet sly smile, her
If the series is about being able to
new TV series, Judging Amy,
come home again — Judge Amy Gray
airing 10 p.m. Tuesdays on
returns to her parents' home in
CBS, hits home — even if it addresses
Hartford, Ct., after working in New
matters in a somewhat different way.
York — it also shows that the
The drama series, in
adage of "Home, Sweet Home"
which the former NYPD
has a bittersweet edge.
Blue star plays a judge sen-
"I think you've got to come
tenced to living within the
home
at some point in your
legendary shadow of her
life,"
says
the actress, "even
mother, a judicial giant, is
inside your spirit."
based on the true story of
Her spirited performances —
the actress' mother.
including film roles in Michael
"My mother is a superior
Mann's Heat and Neil LaBute's
court judge in juvenile mat-
Your Friends and Neighbors —
ters [in Connecticut] like the
have
earned Brenneman acclaim
character that I play," says
and
applause
over the years.
Brenneman, 35, adding that
She's
just
been
nominated for
her TV mother is also based
a Golden Globe as Best Actress
on the actress' mom.
in a TV Drama, and has also
"It's become its own
earned the respect and support
thing," says Brenneman
of her parents — not that there
about the way the relation-
wasn't a struggle to untangle the
ships on the show are
family ties.
mished-mashed and played
"I know for me, a lot of my
out. Brenneman's character,
20s
was about going off and
Amy Gray, a new divorcee
proving that I wasn't like my
with a 6-year-old daughter in
mother," says Brenneman, that
tow, moves in with her very
"I was so different I wasn't
opinionated mom, Maxine,
going to do anything like her."
played by Tyne Daly. The
Except ... be her. "And then
multigenerational family
we all know, you fall flat on
includes Dan Futterman as
your face because you're exactly
Amy's brother, Vincent, a
like your parents."
free-spirited, would-be novel-
How could she counter their
ist.
opening
arguments when they
Doing her own thing has
Amy Brenneman: "It wasn't until I got to Harvard that I
pushed law school?
become Brenneman's way of got this feeling of association, found Judaism attractive and
After all, her home environ-
earning bravos.
got curious about it."
ment was a successful one,
Encouraged to go into law
filled, to a degree, with the tri-
like her mom and dad did, the
umphs
of her mother, the judge, and
episode
season's
sweetly
funny
Frasier
Harvard graduate took her class act
her
father,
the environmental attorney.
"Merry
Christmas,
Mrs.
Moskowitz,"
into acting instead.
Oh, sure, they could be judgmen-
one of the funniest programs ever
Indeed, it was at Harvard that the
tal. Yet, there was a time when her dad
aired during the long run of the
actress, born to Jewish parents but not
offered judicious advice that kept her
award-winning comedy.
actively involved in the religion, found
going.
"I could tell it was a wonderful
the pull of her people's past. "It wasn't
"There was one moment when I
episode," she says of the segment
until I got to Harvard that I got this
was in my theater group, I was mak-
where she must do battle with her
feeling of association, found Judaism
ing $10,000 a year and I felt like such
very Jewish mother. "I didn't know it
attractive and got curious about it,"
a
loser," she recalls.
was
going
to
be
classic,
so
that's
a
nice
she says.
Her folks were never at a loss for
thing."
Michael Elkin is entertainment editor
words, however, as in, "When are you
Right now, she's involved in anoth-
of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia.
going to go to law school?
er classic bit of bravura: playing a

MICHAEL ELKIN
Special to the Jewish News

I
I

All

If she's had any questions about her
heritage ever since, her husband,
director Brad Siberling, is there to
help with the answers.
Not that she's inexperienced getting
that holiday feeling, especially lighting
up at Chanuka time.
Brenneman played Kelsey
Grammer's Jewish sweetheart in last

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