There's a reason why Brenda Leigh Johnson was the leader of the Priority Homicide Division, a special LAPD unit cracking high-profile murder cases. From her charm to her bluntness and Southern accent, the character took pride in creating a safer city. 

"She's a bundle of contradictions," Kyra Sedgwick, the actress who plays Johnson on The Closer, told the Associated Press in 2007. "From the moment she wakes up in the morning till she goes to sleep at night, everything outside of work is full of mistakes."

Although The Closer is heavily focused on Johnson's career as a Deputy Police Chief, her personal life is also shown. That side of the character wasn't as "stone cold." 

"In her work, she's just an absolute genius, but her personal life was sort of a mess. That's such an intriguing character to play," Sedgwick added.

Although she confidently leads and stands her ground in her job, her personal life could be better. According to the Associated Press, romance makes the character nervous. Her boyfriend, Fritz Howard (Jon Tenney), wants them to ditch Johnson's tiny space for a bigger nest to share. She's "alternately confrontative and standoff-ish with people. She is clumsy with her social skills, even with a guy she probably loves."

However, the character gives off a sense of authenticity, which was Sedgwick's mission. "I got incredibly lucky," the actress added. During the time of the interview, The Closer saw 6.6 million viewers weekly in its previous season. It was one of the most popular crime shows on air at one point, hence why Sedgwick received back-to-back Best Actress In A Television Series – Drama Golden Globe nominations from 2006-2011.

The actress won the 2007 nomination and two Emmys for the show in 2009 and 2010.