‘The Rookie' Cast: A Guide to All the Actors and Characters from Season 1 to Season 6

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Andrew Eccles/ABC/Getty

Andrew Eccles/ABC/Getty

Meet the stars ofThe Rookie.

The ABC series, which premiered in October 2018, follows John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a recently divorced 45 year old who starts a new life in California and becomes the oldest rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department.

The show, based on the true story of LAPD officer William “Bill” Norcross, follows John as he learns the ins and outs of an unpredictable career, all while facing adversity due to his age. Off-screen, Norcross continues to serve in the LAPD and is an executive producer on the procedural crime drama, perhis LinkedIn.

Speaking withThe Hollywood Reporterin 2018, Fillion, who also serves as an executive producer, opened up about whyThe Rookieconnected with audiences.

“[John Nolan] is literally starting his life over, from scratch,” he said. “He has an incredible history behind him, but he’s starting everything brand new. It’s a very attractive prospect that people can relate to.”

Now five years after its original debut,The Rookieseason 6 is in the works, withEric Winterteasing the new scriptson X(formerly known as Twitter) after theWriters Guild of America’s strike ended.

While the cameras get rolling again, here’s everything to know about the cast ofThe Rookie.

Nathan Fillion as John Nolan

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Nathan Fillion plays John Nolan, an L.A. transplant and the oldest rookie in the LAPD.

Despite the actor only starring in the space WesternFireflyfor one season in 2002, it was dubbed a cult classic and inspired a follow-up 2005 movie,Serenity, in which Fillion reprised his starring role.

“They are light dramas,” he toldParadein 2022 aboutCastleandThe Rookie. “There are moments of intensity with largely happy lives, which I think that’s pretty much how my life is, so I hope that’s close to reality.”

Eric Winter as Tim Bradford

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Eric Winter plays Sgt. Tim Bradford, Lucy Chen’s training officer.

To pay for college at UCLA, Winter worked as a model, including in a commercial forBritney Spears’ fragrance Curious.

Winter was born in La Mirada, California. He married Puerto Rican singer and actressRoselyn Sánchezin November 2008, and the couple have two children: daughter Sebella “Sebi” Rose and son Dylan Gabriel.

Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen

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Melissa O’Neil plays Officer Lucy Chen, another rookie in the LAPD.

O’Neil was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and she first stepped into the spotlight when she auditioned for the third season ofCanadian Idolin 2005 while still in high school. O’Neilwas crowned the winnerin September of that same year, becoming the first female winner and the youngest in the show’s history. She signed a record deal with Sony Music Canada and released herself-titled debut albumtwo months after winning.

Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen

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Tru Valentino joined the cast ofThe Rookiein season 4 as rookie officer Aaron Thorsen. He was promoted to series regular in season 5.

He has primarily done voice-over work for animated series, includingSpidey and His Amazing Friends, Netflix’sThe Cuphead Show!,Fast & Furious Spy RacersandMadagascar: A Little Wild. Valentino is also in the main company ofthe Groundlings Theatrein L.A.

Valentino’s parents are U.S. Army veterans. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and raised in Waynesville, Missouri.

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune

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Jenna Dewanplays Bailey Nune, a firefighter and John Nolan’s love interest who joined the series in season 3.

Dewan was born in Hartford, Connecticut, but moved frequently throughout her childhood. In 2000, she began working as a backup dancer forJanet Jackson, first appearing in her “Doesn’t Really Matter” and “All for You” music videos and later joining her on tour in 2001. She has also danced for artists likePink,Missy ElliottandChristina Aguilera.

In 2006, Dewan began dating herStep UpcostarChanning Tatum, whom she married three years later. Their daughter,Everly Elizabeth Maiselle, was born on May 31, 2013. The couple announced they were separating in 2018, and thedivorce was finalizedthe following year.

In February 2020, she revealedher engagementto actorSteve Kazee, whom she began dating in 2018. Their son,Callum Michael Rebel, arrived in March 2020.Kazee joined DewanonThe Rookiein season 4, playing her character’s estranged husband.

Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper

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Mekia Cox joined the cast in season 2 as former undercover detective Nyla Harper, John Nolan’s training officer who later returns to a detective position.

Cox was born in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but her family moved to Orlando, Florida, when she was 7. She married basketball analyst Britt Leach in April 2018 and gave birth to their first daughter that December. She announced her second pregnancyon Instagramin January 2022, which was written into her storyline onThe Rookie, and their second daughter was born in May of that same year.

Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey

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Richard T. Jonesplays Wade Grey, a sergeant and watch commander in the Mid-Wilshire Division.

He was a guest in series likeNumb3rsandGrey’s Anatomyand landed recurring roles onHawaii Five-0,Nikita,American Horror Story: Hotel,Criminal Mindsand more.

Jones was born in Kobe, Japan. His father, Clarence Jones, was a professional baseball player playing for the Nankai Hawks in Osaka, Japan, and the family moved to California after the 1978 season.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez

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Lisseth Chavez joined the series in season 5 as rookie Celina Juarez.

Annie Wersching as Rosalind Dyer

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Annie Wersching played Rosalind Dyer, a serial killer and recurring antagonist in seasons 2, 3 and 5.

The actress was born in St. Louis and got her start appearing on shows likeStar Trek: Enterprise,CharmedandSupernaturalbefore her first major role on24. She starred in the main casts ofBoschandRunawaysand had roles onThe Vampire DiariesandStar Trek: Picard.

In 2013, Wersching played Tess in the PlayStation gameThe Last of Us, providing motion capture and voice-over work. The game has since spawneda hit HBO seriesof the same name.

In September 2009, Wersching married actor Stephen Full. They shared three sons: Freddie, Ozzie and Archie. In mid-2020, she was diagnosed with cancer; Wersching kept her diagnosis private and continued to work.

Wersching diedin L.A. on Jan. 29, 2023, at the age of 45. On Feb. 14, 2023, the seriesdedicated an episodeto the late actress.

Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez

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Alyssa Diaz plays Angela Lopez, a training officer turned detective at the Mid-Wilshire Division.

Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers

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Shawn Ashmoreplays Wesley Evers, a lawyer and Angela Lopez’s love interest.

In July 2012, Ashmore married film executive Dana Renee Wasdin. The pair met on the set of the psychological horror filmFrozen(2010), on which Wasdin was an assistant director.Their son Oliverarrived in July 2017.

Titus Makin Jr. as Jackson West

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Titus Makin Jr. played Officer Jackson West, another rookie later assigned to the Mid-Wilshire Division.

“It starts back for me, even just playing a cop in the first place, which was a hurdle [with] where I’m from and how I viewed the cops growing up,” he toldEntertainment Weekly. “To play one, I already was wrestling with, ‘Oh man, people are gonna think I’m Team Cops.’ And the reality was I was struggling.”

Since departing from the series, he has appeared onNCIS: Hawai’i, in the movieOn the Come Up(2022), and two short films.

Brandon Routh as Doug Stanton

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Brandon Routhportrays Doug Stanton, a training officer, in season 3.

He joined the Arrowverse as Ray Palmer/The Atom onArrowin 2014 and subsequently starred inLegends of TomorrowandThe Flash. In the 2019 Arrowverse crossover event, “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” hereprised his role as Superman.

Dylan Conrique as Tamara Collins

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Dylan Conrique joinedThe Rookieseason 3 as Tamara Collins, a troubled teenager Lucy Chen takes under her wing.

Arjay Smith as James Murray

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Arjay Smith plays James Murray, a community activist and Nyla Harper’s future husband, who was introduced in season 3.

He first rose to fame as the star of Nickelodeon’sThe Journey of Allen Strangefrom 1997 until 2000. Smith has had recurring and guest roles on shows likeMalcolm in the Middle,Sons of AnarchyandMajor Crimes, and he had a starring role onPerceptionfrom 2012 to 2015.

Smith was born in Redlands, California. He married director and producer Brittany Scott Smith in December 2015. The couple share two children.

Ali Larter as Grace Sawyer

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Ali Larterplayed Dr. Grace Sawyer, John Nolan’s love interest in season 2.

She grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Larter married actor Hayes MacArthur in August 2009, and the couple share two children: son Theodore Hayes and daughter Vivienne Margaret.

Afton Williamson as Talia Bishop

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Afton Williamson portrayed Talia Bishop, John Nolan’s training officer, in season 1.

Williamson also alleged that a guest star sexually harassed her and that the head of the hair department sexually assaulted her at the season 1 wrap party.

Entertainment One, the series’s production company, completed its 400-hour investigation the following month and found no evidence of wrongdoing. In a statement to PEOPLE, eOne said that those investigated “did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manneror demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace.” In anInstagram post, Williamson called the results “heartbreaking.”

Mercedes Mason as Zoe Andersen

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Mercedes Mason plays Zoe Andersen, commanding officer of the Mid-Wilshire Division in season 1.

As for her personal life, Mason married David Denman in September 2014. The couple share two sons, Caius Kane and Sagan Cyrus.

Niecy Nash as Simone Clark

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Niecy Nash appeared as a guest star inThe Rookieseason 4 in two episodes that were a backdoor pilot for her character, FBI agent Simone Clark. Her spinoff series,The Rookie: Feds, premiered in September 2022 and was canceled in November 2023 after one season.

Nash was born in Palmdale, California. She hasthree children— Dominic, Donielle Mikel and Dia La Ren — with her ex-husband Don Nash, to whom she was married from 1994 until 2007. She was married toJay Tuckerfrom 2011 to 2020.

In August 2020,Nash marriedmusicianJessica Betts. Betts also appeared onThe Rookie: Fedsas Dina “DJ” Jackson, Simone Clark’s love interest.

source: people.com