The Rookie Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From?

ABC’s The Rookieassembles an impressive cast of both new and seasoned actors to fill out the fictional police precinct of Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles. The series follows John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), who joins the LAPD as its oldest recruit after a bank robbery incites him to change his career trajectory. The story is based on the real life of William Norcross, who acts as executive producer on the show. The Rookie uses its focus on new recruits to lend an outsider’s perspective to the job of policing, inviting fresh insights with each new member of its ever-expanding cast.

The Rookie has seen considerable success since its first season ran in 2018, even spawning a spinoff series, The Rookie: Feds. The Rookie’scast has changed many times over its lengthy run, with beloved characters dying or otherwise departing the show and several new officers, both seasoned veterans and fresh recruits, joining the precinct. Among its number, the Rookie cast counts an Emmy nominee, two blockbuster movie stars and several actors returning to law enforcement roles.

Nathan Fillion As John Nolan

Birthdate: March 27, 1971

Character: John Nolan is the titular rookie. He joins the LAPD (one of only two agencies that takes new officers aged over 37) after aiding police officers in a bank robbery gives him a sense of purpose. Nolan stands out from his fellow police officers in temperament as his empathetic and somewhat bumbling nature often irritates those in the LAPD by not fitting the mold. However, Nolan’s rich vein of outsider experience, particularly his years working in construction, allows him to approach situations from a different perspective and to notice small details that often go overlooked.

Actor: Nathan Fillion, who also executive produces The Rookie, has an accomplished TV track record. Many will recognize him as Rick Castle, the mystery novelist and amateur detective who pairs with an NYPD detective to solve murders in Castle. Fillion also starred as Mal Reynolds in Firefly and Jacques Snicket in Netflix’s adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

His film credits are just as impressive as Fillion appeared in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad as TDK or “The Detachable Kid” and in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 as Master Karja. Fillion's breakout role was as Joey Buchan on One Life to Live, for which he was Emmy-nominated.

Melissa O’Neil As Lucy Chen

Birthdate: July 12, 1988

Character: Played by Melissa O'Neill, Lucy is a fellow rookie who joins the precinct at the same time as John. Lucy is hardworking and determined, but she shares a compassionate nature with Fillion's character. This ambitious cop is no stranger to dangerous situations, notoriously being buried underground in a barrel by serial killer Caleb Wright.

Actor: Melissa O’Neil began her path to the Rookie cast as the third winner of Canada’s American Idol. She released her debut album in 2005, and it went gold, but then she turned to acting. After a stint on Broadway, O’Neil turned to television and film, starring in SyFy’s Dark Matter, as well as playing Suki in iZombie and the T.A. Beth, in the Anna Kendrick film A Simple Favor. She also had video game voice roles in both Tom Clancy's The Division and Tom Clancy's The Division 2 as Faye Lau.

Eric Winter As Tim Bradford

Birthdate: July 17, 1976

Character: Initially assigned to Lucy as her training officer in season 1, Tim is a disciplined, no-nonsense former marine squad leader notorious for subjecting his recruits to spontaneous “Tim Tests” to ensure their preparedness. In the fourth season, Tim was promoted to Sergeant 1, and then he became part of the Metro Unit (an LAPD armed response unit) in the fifth season, although he returned to Mid Wilshire in season six.

Actor: While Tim is certainly one of Eric Winter's memorable roles, he also appeared in 400 episodes in the role of Rex on The Days of Our Lives, romantic rival Colton in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and another law enforcement officer, FBI agent Craig O'Laughlin in The Mentalist. Winter is also a former fashion model. Winter is also someone with a big role in television movies, as he has appeared in several Lifetime and Hallmark television shows.

Alyssa Diaz As Angela Lopez

Birthdate: September 7, 1985

Character: The stern training officer-turned-detective Angela Lopez’s relationship to the rules is flexible, being more interested in the spirit of the law than the letter. In the first two seasons of The Rookie​​​​​​, she was a training officer for Jackson West, and in the third season, she was moved up to police detective. She is loyal and shows how much she cares when she pays tribute to Jackson after his death by naming her baby son after him in the fourth season.

Actor: Before joining the Rookie cast, Alyssa Diaz appeared as Julie in 2012’s Red Dawn. She has also played Teresa in the acclaimed series Ray Donovan and Mika Caramena in Narcos: Mexico. The Rookie is far from Lopez's first role in a crime procedural drama, as she had guest roles in CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Law & Order LA, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Bones. She also voiced another cop, Renee Montoya, in Batman: The Long Halloween and then reprised her role as Teresa in Ray Donovan: The Movie.

Shawn Ashmore As Wesley Evers

Birthdate: October 7, 1979

Character: Wesley Evers is the privileged but principled public defender-turned-assistant district attorney. After serving as a recurring character in the first two seasons, he was promoted to the main role in the third through sixth seasons of the show. He is married to Angela Lopez and has two kids with her. Wesley almost died when a criminal ordered a hit on him, but he survived and is still a major player in the series in the seventh season.

Actor: Wesley is played by Shawn Ashmore, who is best known for playing Bobby Drake/Ice Man in the X-Men films, Lamplighter in the superhero property, The Boys, and Joe in the memorable ski-lift horror film, Frozen. The Rookie is not Ashmore's first starring role in a crime-based drama either, as he also played Mike Weston in The Following and the attorney Sam Spencer in the short-lived series Conviction.

Richard T. Jones As Wade Grey

Birthdate: January 16, 1972

Character: Sergeant Wade Grey is the watch commander at the precinct and is responsible for assigning and overseeing cases. He is a former Police Sergeant II and a former Lieutenant I. Grey also has a tragic past, as he was a former patrol officer who was shot by someone and watched his partner get gunned down and killed in front of him. Angela Lopez, who was a rookie at the time, was there, and this bonded them on the series. However, he was someone that Nolan had to win over.

Actor: He is played by Richard T. Jones, who is best known for playing Cooper in the sci-fi horror film Event Horizonand appeared alongside Rookie co-star Nathan Fillion in Santa Clarita Diet as Rick. Jones' authoritative presence has seen him play military and police roles in many series and films such as Detective Hahn in season 5 of American Horror Story and Captain Hampton in 2014's Godzilla. Other projects in which Jones has played military or law enforcement include Collateral, Phone Booth, Grey's Anatomy, Super 8, Nikita, and Renaissance Man.

Mekia Cox As Nyla Harper

Birthdate: November 18, 1981

Character: Nyla Harper is John’s second training officerfrom season 2. Having spent years undercover, she comes to the precinct haunted and antagonistic until John helps her work through her issues. Since then, Nyla has fit in nicely and helped John become the cop he has and helped push him to reach his full potential as an LAPD officer. She is tough and sarcastic and holds her own with all the men in the series.

Actor: Mekia Cox is an accomplished TV actor, having played Robin Charles on Chicago Med, Tiana/Sabine in Once Upon A Time, and Lizzie in the J.J. Abrams series Undercovers. She is no rookie to crime dramas, starring as Amanda Warner on season 2 of Secrets and Lies and playing small roles in The Mentalist, CSI: NY, Gotham, Leverage, and Almost Human.

Jenna Dewan As Bailey Nune

Birthdate: December 3, 1980

Character: John's wife, Bailey Nune, is an LAPD firefighter and was the most popular of John’s romantic partners on The Rookie before their eventual marriage as her presence brings a lot of entertaining storylines. She was a recurring character in the third and fourth seasons and then was moved into a main role when her and John's relationship intensified and led to marriage. She remains a main character on the show as The Rookie heads into its seventh season.

Actor: Jenna Dewan, who played Lucy Lane in both Supergirl and Superman & Lois, is relatively new to crime drama but an experienced romantic lead. Dewan's most recognizable role is likely that of Nora Clark in Step Up, in which she plays opposite ex-husband Channing Tatum. Dewan has also appeared in several romantic comedies, including The Six Wives of Henry Lafey as Sarah Jane, Berlin, I Love You as Mandy, and The Wedding Year as Jessica.

Lisseth Chavez As Celina Juarez

Birthdate: May 25, 1989

Character: John’s first official trainee, Celina Juarez is a firm believer in the occult and mysticism who relies heavily on instinct to catch criminals. With Tru Valentino leaving The Rookie as Aaron Thorsen, this opened the door for the show to promote Juarez from a recurring cast member to a full cast member for season seven of the series. She made her first appearance in the fifth season and has since proved her worth to the police department and has become a valuable asset to the LAPD.

Actor: Lisseth Chavez plays Celina Juarez on The Rookie. Before she got her recurring, and later main role, on the police procedural, she worked on another, even more successful cop show with Chicago P.D., where she played another rookie officer in Vanessa Rojas. While she was supposed to be a romantic interest for Kevin Atwater, it never panned out, and she left the series and joined The Rookie. She also had a recurring role as Spooner on Legends of Tomorrow.

The Rookie Supporting Cast & Characters

The Rest Of The Rookie Cast Members

Brent Huff As Quigley Smitty: Brent Huff plays Smitty, a lazy training officer whose bizarre interjections often serve as comic relief around the precinct. As well as being a fairly prolific documentary filmmaker, Huff has appeared in small roles in Shameless and NCIS.

Titus Makin Jr. As Jackson West: Titus Makin Jr. plays Jackson West, the arrogant Rookie who joins the cohort in season 1 as Lopez’s trainee and forms a part of the main cast until his departure from the show in season 3. Makin’s other credits include David on Glee, Clark Wilkins on Pretty Little Liars, and a small appearance on Fillion’s previous cop drama, Castle.

Afton Williamson As Talia Bishop: Afton Williamson plays the determined, ambitious Talia Bishop, Joe’s first training officer who leaves after season 1 to join the ATF. Williamson stars in the crime series, Banshee, as Alison Medding and as FBI agent Katie in Shades of Blue. She also appears in a recurring role in The Following alongside Rookie co-star Shawn Ashmore.

Kanoa Goo As Chris Sanford: Chris Sanford is an assistant District attorney and Lucy’s ex-boyfriend. He is often an ally, but sometimes challenges Lucy, particularly when he perceives her as being too lenient. May may know Kanoa Goo best for playing roles on Kyle Ferguson in Fire Country, Sir Aldred in Dwight in Shining Armor, and Gavin in I Was A Simple Man.

Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen: Aaron Thorsen is a rookie for whom John serves as interim training officer when Aaron arrives on the show, fresh off a not guilty verdict in a highly publicized overseas murder trial. Aaron Thorsen is Tru Valentino's first live-action TV role, although Thorsen is a prolific voice actor, having lent his voice to dozens of games and animated series.

Dylan Conrique As Tamara Colins: Portraying Tamara, the young teen who forms a close bond with Lucy, is Dylan Conrique. She played Kayla in Chicken Girls and appeared on the ABC sitcom The Kids Are Alright before joining theRookiecast.

Arjay Smith As James Murray: Nyla Harper’s ex-husband, James Murray,is played by Arjay Smith. Smith also starred as Max Lewicki in the crime procedural Perception and plays Brian Parks in the disaster movie Day After Tomorrow.

Crystal Coney As Nurse Lisa: Crystal Coney recurs on The Rookie as the disciplined Nurse Lisa. Coney plays another nurse in Dahmer and appears as Angie in HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones.

Brandon Jay McLaren As Elijah Stone: Brandon Jay McLaren plays the recurring antagonist, the ruthless drug dealer Elijah Stone. McLaren has played main roles in numerous crime series including Buckley on FX’s Snowfall, Xavier Watkins on Turner and Hooch, Oliver Yates on Ransom, and Bennet Ahmed on Netflix’s The Killing.

Mercedes Mason As Zoe Andersen: Zoe Andersen is a marine and captain of the Mid-Wilshire precinct throughout The Rookieseason 1. She stars as Ofelia Salazar in Fear The Walking Dead and makes recurring appearances as DEA Agent Talia Del Campo in NCIS: Los Angeles, Cora in How To Get Away With Murder, and Lena in The L Word: Generation Q.

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The Rookie

TV-14

Crime

Drama

Comedy

6/10

382

9.2/10

Release Date

October 16, 2018

Network

ABC

Showrunner

Alexi Hawley

Directors

Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro

Writers

Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff

Cast

See All

• 
  Nathan Fillion

  John Nolan
• 
  Melissa O'Neil

  Lucy Chen

The Rookie follows John Nolan, a small-town man who embarks on a new career as an LAPD officer after a life-changing event. As the force's oldest rookie, Nolan faces skepticism from superiors who view his pursuit as a midlife crisis.

Main Genre

Comedy

Creator(s)

Alexi Hawley

Seasons

7

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