Yancy Butler has accepted her mission. Her Bochco mission. 

      Butler is one of only two female characters on Bochco’s new "Brooklyn South," a series delving into the personal and professional lives of Brooklyn cops on the beat. 

      Keenly aware of the gender challenge at work, Butler says, "As a woman, I’m very excited, also, to see how Valentine [Officer Nona Valentine, played by Klea Scott] and I kind of work out and what our roles will be -- kind of playing in the boys club, but not becoming one of the boys, I think, is one of my goals." 

      It's no wonder Butler has some issues with portraying her femininity, considering her role in "Drop Zone" opposite Wesley Snipes was originally written for a man, and she was Jean-Claude Van Damme’s co-star in "Hard Target." 

      The actress comes from three generations of showbiz, studied at the HB Studio at age 13, and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. She has also been a series regular on the television series "Mann & Machine" and "South Beach." 

      In regard to "Brooklyn South," Butler is comfortable relying on the merit of her character rather than her sex, commenting, "I think that my character came into a very strong story line, so I’m actually very curious as to how she'll handle that, both as a woman and a police officer."