For many fans of the hit NBC cop show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, middle-aged detectives Michael Hitchcock and Norman 'Norm' Scully rank highly among their favorite characters. Their apparent incompetence and ambition to do as little work as possible around the place has made them legendary. The hilariously lazy duo even have their own episode, creatively titled 'Hitchcock and Scully', in the show's sixth season.
The pair, who have been partners in the NYPD for 30 years, and are frequently mistaken for a couple, are known for their hilarious antics. Often Hitchcock and Scully spend their work hours plotting little schemes such as stealing snacks from the other detectives, tricking colleagues into following their scams, snacking on their favorite food (buffalo wings), and just generally out-grossing each other by divulging details of embarrassing ailments. On weekends, these two are either watching the game at home or down at the dog track. They're adorably inseparable. But what are the actors who play Hitchcock and Scully, Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller respectively, like in real life? Do they share any similarities with their on-screen characters? And are they like an old married couple, or is it more of a master-pet type relationship? Let's find out more.
6 Joel McKinnon Miller Is A Talented Singer
Miller's talents aren't limited to his comedic acting. Just like his on-screen character Norm, he's also a talented singer! The actor took operatic singing lessons as a child, and also studied theatre and opera at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Miller puts his talents to use, and and has sung to large crowds! Back in 2018, he sang the national anthem at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. He's a self-proclaimed lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, so he considered it a huge honor to sing before the crowds there.
5 Both Are Dedicated Family Men
Both Blocker and Miller live up to the sweetness of their characters onscreen. Both are devoted husbands and fathers and spend a lot of time with family outside of their busy work schedule. Miller, whose Twitter bio reads 'Dad Husband Actor', married his wife Tammy back in 1984 and they've lived happily in Los Angeles since 1991. The couple share two children, Owen and Caitlyn, the latter of whom is an environmental planner and got married in October 2019.
Blocker is pretty similar! He's been married to wife Danielle Aubuchon for over thirty years, and they have two children together. Writing to his wife on Instagram, the actor described his wife as 'the most lovely, best life partner one could ever hope for' and also said 'You are my everything, Danielle. Thank you for making my life so much better.' Aw!
4 Dirk Blocker Went Back To School And Wants To Get Into Teaching
His bio on NBC.com says that Blocker reportedly 'went back to school to earn his bachelor of arts degree so he could teach K-12.' Dirk Blocker is also a published author! In 2017, he released his first children's a book entitled Master and the Little Monk, which is about "a lonely young boy who is befriended by a unique ally and mentor." During lockdown, he and wife Danielle worked remotely with illustrator Cintia Segovia to turn the story into a short video, which is available on Vimeo.
3 Joel's Biggest Hobby Is Completing Puzzles
He might not solve crimes in real life, but Joel does love solving jigsaw puzzles. He's apparently kind of obsessed with them, and has posted 55 photos of the finished jigsaws to his Instagram page. Its an interesting hobby which must really fill the dead time while on set!
2 They're Good Friends Off The Set
It seems Hitchcock and Scully are more than just best buddies on the show! Actors Joel and Dirk have also developed a close friendship outside of work. The show's been running for so many seasons, and their characters are so often in scenes together, it seemed natural that the pair would become friends. The duo often take funny selfies together in costume behind the scenes on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and share sweet messages too. For Dirk's recent birthday, for example, Joel wrote 'Happiest of birthdays to my pal', to which Dirk swiftly replied 'Love you pal!!!' Yep, they're pals alright.
1 Both Are Proud 'Dog Dads'
Blocker and Miller also share a love for canines! Both are proud 'dog dads' and regularly post cute pup-dates to their Instagram pages of their beloved pets. Blocker's two dogs, Maude & Phyllis, are often shown sleeping adorably next to each other with cute captions such as 'Sleeping beauties' and 'When they put their heads together they make quite a team.'
Miller's pet Elliot, who is a rescue dog, also makes regular appearances on his dad's social media, and he often travels with the actor between home and the filming locations for Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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