‘NYPD Blue’ Star Left the Squad at 40 to Get Her GED — 14 Months Later She Was Anchoring CNN

A former cast member of the iconic television series NYPD Blue made a stunning decision to walk away from acting. Andrea Thompson pursued a career in journalism, but after a few years she left that behind as well.

On NYPD Blue, Thompson played Detective Jill Kirkendall during seasons 4 through 7. She appeared in 77 episodes but felt driven to change course in her career.

In April 2001, Thompson visited The View to talk about the decision. She shared she was in the acting industry for 20 years, and at one point, “There was a period of my life where I wanted nothing but to act.”

However, Thompson explained, around the time her son was born, she realized that she wasn’t paying attention to the entertainment industry much.

Instead, she shared, she “became much more concerned with the world, much more concerned about the environment, about global economies, about the conditions of women all over the world, and less about what was going on in Hollywood.”

Thompson decided that she wanted to pursue a career in journalism and walked away from NYPD Blue. She had loved working with the likes of Jimmy Smits, Kim Delaney, and Dennis Franz, but Thompson felt it was time to make a change.

As Fact Snippet noted, Thompson had dropped out of high school at 16, before earning her diploma. In 1999, to prepare for her shift into journalism, she earned her GED.

She landed a job at CBS News in Albuquerque, New Mexico, beginning as a general assignment reporter. Thompson said she loved reporting.

During her visit to The View, Thompson said that reporting was a “more interesting job, more fun job” than what she’d done in entertainment. “It’s been extraordinary,” Thompson gushed.

“I’m so happy I did it. I have the best life, and really, I walk into the newsroom every morning, and I work with people who are intensely intelligent and intensely focused on their work, and I have the opportunity, in many cases, to go out and save people’s lives,” Thompson explained.

At the time that Thompson appeared on The View, she was near the end of her contract in Albuquerque. She revealed she was considering some new job offers she’d received, and soon, she joined CNN Headline News.

However, after just eight months at CNN, in March 2002, she quit.

As CNN reported, Thompson stated, “I decided to leave my position at ‘CNN Headline News’ after several weeks of careful consideration. I have enjoyed anchoring at ‘Headline News’ but have decided that it is time for me to make a change in my daily professional life.”

In August 2024, Thompson appeared on The Jay Michael Show and shared big updates on what she did after leaving CNN.

For several years, she’s been living in Mexico, and she’s loving her life there. She works in real estate, which she had also pursued while living in Los Angeles.

On her real estate Facebook page, her bio reads, “Who says there are no 2nd acts? I’m on my 3rd one! Living the dream in Mexico, loving every minute, and working as a real estate agent.”

Thompson noted during the podcast, “It’s been very interesting rediscovering myself post-motherhood.” She seems to have no regrets over any of the big life changes she made. Her third act, as she described it, seems to suit her quite well.