Sylvia Costas

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Sylvia Costas played by Sharon Lawrence

Sylvia Costas-Sipowicz, ADA, was a fictional character on NYPD Blue. She was played by Sharon Lawrence.

Sylvia Costas was an elegant, beautiful ADA (Assistant District Attorney) who began an affair with the older and tough Detective Andy Sipowicz, played by Dennis Franz. Costas saw the decent, caring human being underneath Detective Andy Sipowicz's gruff exterior and fell in love with him. She was very supportive of his attempts to stay sober, a determination likely related to the fact that many of her known family members appear to be alcoholics. Meeting Sylvia's Greek family caused Sipowicz to fall off the wagon, sparking a period of strain in their relationship, which was eventually overcome in their marriage in 1998. Their union later bore a son, Theo.

As the Sipowicz-Costas nuptuals approached, Andy expressed a desire to get married quickly in a Maryland civil service, while Sylvia wanted a traditional big Greek Orthodox wedding. The two were married at the Saint Sophia Greek Cathedral.

Sylvia was very confident on the job, and was known to wield an acid tongue when cops' procedural errors blow her cases. She was raped while in law school, which made her (and Andy, once he found out) especially sensitive about rape cases. She took some time off from work to care for her newborn son Theo, but had returned to the job when she was killed in a courthouse shooting incident.