Sharon Lawrence Sharon Lawrence is the actress who played famed aviator Amelia Earhart in the episode . She is best known for her Emmy Award - nominated role as Assistant DA Sylvia Costas in five seasons of the gritty , popular television series " NYPD Blue " . Her co - stars on this series included fellow " Star Trek " guest actors Gordon Clapp and Michael Buchman Silver . She also guest - starred in the pilot episode of ABC ' s legal drama " Boston Legal " , starring William Shatner and Rene Auberjonois and recently had a recurring role as Maisy Gibbons ( with whom Steven Culp ' s character had an affair ) on ABC ' s " Desperate Housewives " , starring Teri Hatcher . Lawrence voiced the character of DC Comics ' on an episode of " Superman : The Animated Series " written by Hilary J . Bader . Her character was given to introducing herself in a grandiose fashion reminiscent of Lwaxana Troi . From 1997 through 1998 , she co - starred with Jonathan Banks on the sitcom " Fired Up " , executive produced by Kelsey Grammer . From 1999 through 2001 , she and Stephen Root were cast members in another sitcom , called " Ladies Man " . In 2001 , she starred the short - lived TV series " Wolf Lake " . Also starring in this series were Bruce McGill and the late Kellie Waymire . Lawrence more recently starred in the short - lived CW series " Hidden Palms " and had a recurring role on the hit USA series " Monk " ( her debut episode was directed by Peter Weller ) . Lawrence has also made guest appearances on such television shows as " Civil Wars " ( in an episode with Kevin Brophy , Jenette Goldstein , Jennifer Hetrick , Kenneth Mars , and George D . Wallace ) , " Cheers " ( with Kirstie Alley , Kelsey Grammer , and Paul Willson ) , and " Judging Amy " ( with Barbara Babcock ) . She also had a brief recurring role on the ABC legal drama " Philly " , working with James Avery , Ron Canada , Jerry Hardin , Robert Harper , and Kristanna Loken . While working on " NYPD Blue " , Lawrence found time to appear in many made - for - TV movies . These include " In the Line of Duty : The Price of Vengeance " ( 1994 , co - starring Dean Stockwell , Norman Large , Tina Lifford , Brian Markinson , Ron Taylor , Susanna Thompson , and Dell Yount ) , " The Heidi Chronicles " ( 1995 , co - starring Kim Cattrall ) , " A Friend ' s Betrayal " ( 1996 , with John Carroll Lynch ) , and " The Uninvited " ( 1996 , with Marnie McPhail and Lawrence Pressman ) . In addition , Lawrence and Ed Begley , Jr . played husband and wife in the 1994 TV movie version of " The Shaggy Dog " ( co - starring James Cromwell ) . In 1997 , Lawrence and actor Daniel Hugh Kelly played a married couple in the TV movie " Five Desperate Hours " . Lawrence has worked with DS9 guest star Jeffrey Nordling on three television projects . They first worked together in the 1994 movie " Someone She Knows " ( co - starring Spencer Garrett ) , then played relatives in the 1999 movie " Blue Moon " ( along with Richard Kiley ) . Most recently , Lawrence appeared with Nordling on a 2008 episode of the FX series " Dirt " . Some of Lawrence ' s more recent TV movie work includes " Aftershock : Earthquake in New York " ( 1999 , with Mark Rolston ) , and " Atomic Twister " ( 2002 , co - starring Corbin Bernsen ) . Her performance in the 2006 Lifetime movie " Augusta , Gone " earned her a nomination from from the Prism Awards . She also has a few feature films to her credit , including " The Only Thrill " ( 1997 , featuring sound work by numerous " Star Trek " sound department members ) , " Gossip " ( 2000 ) and " Little Black Book " ( 2004 , co - starring Cress Williams ) . Currently , Lawrence is starring in the Canadian television series " Hitched " . This series is scheduled to air in 2010 .