Sharon Gless on life after Cagney & Lacey, beating alcoholism and finally finding calm

The sharp, witty Californian looks much younger than her 78 years – “Must be the lighting in here,” she says, erupting into laughter

Sharon Gless (Alexei Hay/PA)

From her apartment on Fisher Island, off the coast of Miami, Sharon Gless is happily recounting tales of Cagney & Lacey – the hit Eighties cop show which used to attract 30 million viewers a week, and paved the way for so many female police series which followed.

Writer Lynda La Plante, creator of Prime Suspect, approached Gless at an event long after Cagney & Lacey ended, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress recalls, smiling behind her fashionable black-rimmed specs, her white-blonde hair swept back to reveal a seemingly flawless complexion.