Who Plays Officer Cosgrove On Blue Bloods?

You don't have to be a fan of "Blue Bloods" to recognize that casting is one of the show's undeniable strengths. The central cast includes major stars like Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, and Bridget Moynahan, while others joined later in the series, like "The Sopranos" star Steve Schirripa. Guest stars like Michael Imperioli, Kevin Dillon, and a long list of others have also stopped by. The show has a knack for filling the screen with big talent. But this doesn't mean that every cast member has to be a movie or television star. Even the younger actors brought in for small roles have a star quality that's hard to miss. 

It may be difficult to place the face of every one of these actors just by their characters, especially considering the sprawling New York City setting of the show. Officer Cosgrove is one such character, appearing in 11 episodes of the series from 2013 to 2019. Cosgrove is a uniformed officer who serves in the 54th Precinct along with many of our protagonists, including Detective Danny Reagan (Wahlberg). She's interacted with the main cast, mostly introducing them to dead bodies or witnesses, and it's clear in the repeated appearances that the actor can keep up. But who plays Officer Cosgrove? 

In her first appearance as Officer Cosgrove, actor Racine Russell isn't even given a name. She's instead listed as Uniform #1 in the first episode of Season 4, titled "Unwritten Rules" (via IMDb). It's an important episode centered around a cop shooting that also introduces Officer Eddie Janko (Vanessa Ray), who goes on to become part of the Reagan family after marrying her partner, Officer Jamie Reagan (Will Estes). 

Russell's introduction isn't too glamorous, as she brings a witness to Danny Reagan at the scene of the shooting. But Uniform #1 clearly makes an impression, because she then becomes a regular face, appearing next in Season 4, Episode 13, titled "Unfinished Business." She makes nine more appearances, each with a name this time, with her latest being in Season 9, Episode 21, titled "Identity." In this episode, Cosgrove also introduces Reagan to a shooting scene, albeit with some more confidence. 

Russell's biggest role of her career so far has been playing Cosgrove, but she's also been a part of other significant franchises, appearing in "The Following" for an episode in 2014, as well as guesting in "The Blacklist: Redemption" in 2017. The actor's most recent role was in an independent release called "Last Call," a film with a major cast that includes Jeremy Piven, Taryn Manning, and Bruce Dern. It's a fittingly impressive group to join after spending some time in "Blue Bloods."