Although one actor is leaving The Rookie ahead of season 7, the ABC series gains two more, who join the veteran cast during the premiere. The police procedural show, created by Alexi Hawley, follows the personal and work lives of the law enforcement officers who work at the Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division in Los Angeles. However, as its name implies, The Rookie mostly revolves around first-year cops. As time goes on, though, newbies filter in and out of the station (or are promoted and remain a part of the list of characters).
New episodes of The Rookie season 7 air on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET. Season 7 has 22 episodes.
Like many other police procedurals, The Rookie features an ensemble cast. Some play police officers (at any level) in Mid-Wilshire, while others are the spouses of said cops. Unfortunately, though, fans have to say goodbye to one of those officers as Tru Valentino exited The Rookie during the season 7 premiere. Valentino, who played Aaron Thorsen, is no longer on the show, but his departure has resulted in the addition of two new rookies.
Nathan Fillion As John Nolan
Date Of Birth: March 27, 1971
Active Since: 1993
Actor: Nathan Fillion was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he grew up. After college, Fillion moved to New York City, where he participated in theater and pursued an acting career. One of his first roles was as Joey Buchanan in One Life to Live, which landed him a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 1996. Fillion's breakthrough came when he was cast as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the cult TV show Firefly in 2002.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Nathan Fillion's Movies & TV Shows
Role
One Life to Live
Joey Buchanan
Saving Private Ryan
Pvt. James Frederick "Minnesota" Ryan
Firefly
Malcolm Reynolds
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Caleb
Serenity
Malcolm Reynolds
Castle
Richard Castle
The Rookie
John Nolan
The Suicide Squad
Cory Pitzner/T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Master Karja
Superman
Guy Gardner/Green Lantern
Character: Since the pilot episode, Fillion has starred as John Nolan in The Rookie, and that hasn't changed in season 7. When the show began, Nolan was a rookie and now, he's training them. Nolan will finish out Celina Juarez's first year in season 7, but he also has other things to worry about (like Jason Wyler and Oscar Hutchinson's escape from prison and his and Bailey Nune's desire to adopt).
Melissa O'Neil As Lucy Chen
Date Of Birth: July 12, 1988
Active Since: 2005
Actress: Melissa O'Neil was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When she was in high school, O'Neil auditioned for Canadian Idol (Canada's version of American Idol) season 3 and ended up winning the competition at 17 years old. She subsequently released a self-titled album, and a few years later, O'Neil began acting in theater. The actress eventually started auditioning for onscreen roles, later landing the part of Lucy Chen in The Rookie.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Melissa O'Neil's Movies & TV Shows
Role
Canadian Idol
Herself
Dark Matter
Two/Portia Lin
iZombie
Suki
A Simple Favor
Beth T.A.
The Rookie
Lucy Chen
Character: O'Neil has been a part of the main cast of The Rookie since season 1, and she continues playing Lucy in season 7. As some may recall, Lucy and Tim Bradford broke up in the previous season. However, romantic tension remains between them, especially now that Lucy is acting as a training officer and she and Tim make a bet about whose rookie will be better. Lucy's trainee is newcomer Seth Ridley.
Eric Winter As Tim Bradford
Date Of Birth: July 17, 1976
Active Since: 1999
Actor: Eric Winter was born in Los Angeles County, where he stayed throughout his adolescent years. When he was first starting out, Winter modeled and was relatively successful. However, Winter's acting career really took off when he landed the role of Rex Brady on Days of Our Lives in 2002. Since then, Winter has appeared in various films and TV series.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Eric Winter's Movies & TV Shows
Role
Days of Our Lives
Rex Brady
Brothers & Sisters
Jason McCallister
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Colton Graham
The Ugly Truth
Colin Anderson
Witches of East End
Dash Gardiner
Rosewood
Adrian Webb
The Rookie
Tim Bradford
Character: Winter stars as Tim Bradford in The Rookie season 7. Back in season 1, Tim was Lucy's training officer, and seven years later, he's training rookies right alongside her. This season, his "boot" is Miles Penn. Tim had a rough time in previous episodes, which resulted in Tim and Lucy's breakup in The Rookie season 6. However, Tim has been attending therapy and working on himself.
Alyssa Diaz As Angela Lopez
Date Of Birth: September 7, 1985
Active Since: 2001
Actress: Alyssa Diaz was born in Los Angeles. Aside from that, though, not much is known about her early life. As for her acting career, Diaz has appeared in various TV shows, varying from soap operas to crime dramas. However, Diaz's breakout role was as Julie Goodyear in Red Dawn in 2012.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Alyssa Diaz's Movies & TV Shows
Role
As the World Turns
Celia Ortega
The Nine Lives of Chloe King
Jasmine
Red Dawn
Julie Goodyear
Army Wives
Gloria Cruz
Ray Donovan
Teresa
Zoo
Dariela Marzan
Narcos: Mexico
Mika Camarena
The Rookie
Angela Lopez
Character: Diaz reprises her role as Angela Lopez in the cast of The Rookie season 7. Like many others in the show, Angela has been a staple character since the beginning. She has come a long way from training Jackson West in season 1, though. In The Rookie season 7, Angela is a detective and an integral part of the team.
Mekia Cox As Nyla Harper
Date Of Birth: November 18, 1981
Active Since: 1994
Actress: Mekia Cox was born in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, but moved with her family to Orlando, Florida. Cox started dancing and acting when she was young -- she starred as a kid actor in shows like Kenan & Kel and All That. She later graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in music and began partaking in theater. While Cox got her start in dance and on the stage, she soon began appearing in more TV series, like 90210 and Chicago Med, as she got older.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Mekia Cox's Movies & TV Shows
Role
90210
Sasha
Almost Human
Anna
Secrets and Lies
Amanda Warner
Chicago Med
Dr. Robin Charles
Once Upon a Time
Princess Tiana/Sabine
The Rookie
Nyla Harper
Character: Cox plays Nyla Harper in The Rookie season 7. She joined the ABC police procedural series when Afton Williamson's Talia Bishop left The Rookie after season 1. Nyla became Nolan's new training officer, but since then, she has returned to her detective work and partnered with Angela.
Richard T. Jones As Wade Grey
Date Of Birth: January 16, 1972
Active Since: 1992
Actor: Richard T. Jones was born in Kobe, Japan, but grew up in Carson, California. His father, Clarence Jones, was a professional baseball player for the Nankai Hawks in Osaka when his son was born. Upon returning to the United States, Jones graduated from Tuskegee University and started auditioning for films and TV series. Jones' first prominent role came in 1999 when he began playing Bruce Calvin van Exel in Judging Amy.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Richard T. Jones' Movies & TV Shows
Role
What's Love Got to Do with It
Ike Turner, Jr.
Ally McBeal
Matt Griffin
Judging Amy
Bruce Calvin van Exel
Girlfriends
Aaron Waters
Why Did I Get Married?
Mike
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
James Ellison
Hawaii Five-0
Governor Samuel "Sam" Denning
Nikita
Commander Evan Danforth
American Horror Story: Hotel
Detective Andrew Hahn
Criminal Minds
Officer Lionel Wilkins
The Rookie
Wade Grey
Character: Jones has starred as Wade Grey in every season of The Rookie. He begins the ABC police procedural TV show as a sergeant, but at the start of season 7, Grey is promoted to lieutenant. Grey is still in charge, of course. However, unfortunately for Grey, the new title comes with a lot more paperwork.
Shawn Ashmore As Wesley Evers
Date Of Birth: October 7, 1979
Active Since: 1989
Actor: Shawn Ashmore and his identical twin brother -- fellow actor Aaron Ashmore -- were born in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The two Ashmore brothers have appeared in various projects together over the years. However, Shawn Ashmore is most recognized for a film series he worked on without his sibling -- X-Men. He starred as Bobby Drake/Iceman in four of the 10 X-Men movies (not counting Deadpool), including the first three.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Shawn Ashmore's Movies & TV Shows
Role
X-Men
Bobby Drake/Iceman
Cadet Kelly
Brad Rigby
Smallville
Eric Summers
X2
Bobby Drake/Iceman
X-Men: The Last Stand
Bobby Drake/Iceman
Frozen
Joe Lynch
The Following
Mike Weston
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Bobby Drake/Iceman
The Rookie
Wesley Evers
The Boys
Lamplighter
Character: Ashmore joined the cast of The Rookie in season 1 as Wesley Evers, but he wasn't promoted to series regular status until season 3. Wesley is the Assistant District Attorney and Angela's husband. Despite being in a loving relationship, Wesley gets jealous when one of his wife's fellow detectives confesses his feelings for her during a therapy session with Dr. Blair London (which Wesley is forced to listen to for his job).
Jenna Dewan As Bailey Nune
Date Of Birth: December 3, 1980
Active Since: 1980
Actress: Jenna Dewan was born in Hartford, Connecticut, but she moved around a lot when she was young. After high school, though, Dewan attended the University of Southern California and began working as a professional dancer. One of Dewan's first music video appearances was for Janet Jackson's song, "Doesn't Really Matter." Afterward, she joined Jackson for her All for You Tour in 2001. However, Dewan's breakout on the screen was when she starred opposite Channing Tatum in the 2006 film Step Up.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Jenna Dewan's Movies & TV Shows
Role
Step Up
Nora Clark
American Horror Story: Asylum
Teresa Morrison
Witches of East End
Freya Beauchamp
Supergirl
Lucy Lane
The Resident
Julian Booth
Berlin, I Love You
Mandy
The Wedding Year
Jessica
The Rookie
Bailey Nune
Jenna Dewan's husband in real life, Steve Kazee, stars as her character's ex-husband, Jason Wyler, in The Rookie.
Character: Unfortunately, when The Rookie season 7 opens with episode 1, Dewan's character, Bailey Nune, is overseas, deployed with the National Guard. However, Bailey returns in episode 3, just as Jason Wyler is still on the loose. Nolan and Bailey also discussed adopting a baby during the season 6 finale, suggesting this storyline will return in season 7.
Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez
Date Of Birth: May 25, 1989
Active Since: 2009
Actress: Not much is known about Lisseth Chavez's upbringing, but she got her start in showbiz as a model. Chavez started acting in 2011, and her breakthrough came eight years later when she was cast to play Vanessa Rojas in Chicago PD. Since then, Chavez has been landing various significant TV roles.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Lisseth Chavez's Movies & TV Shows
Role
Murder in the First
Skylar Jennings
The Fosters
Ximena Sinfuego
Chicago PD
Vanessa Rojas
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Esperanza "Spooner" Cruz
The Rookie
Celina Juarez
Character: Chavez's The Rookie character, Celina Juarez, was introduced in season 5 when she became Nolan's rookie. The actress was bumped to series regular status in season 6, and in The Rookie season 7, Celina is almost done with her training.
The Rookie Supporting Cast & Characters
Deric Augustine as Miles Penn - Following Aaron's The Rookie season 7 exit, two new actors joined the show's supporting cast, including Deric Augustine as Miles Penn. Miles is one of the new rookies who has the pleasure of having Tim as his training officer. Before appearing in the ABC show, Augustine starred in Cloak and Dagger and All American.
Patrick Keleher as Seth Ridley - Patrick Keleher plays the other rookie cop in The Rookie season 7 -- Seth Ridley. Lucky for Seth, Lucy is his training officer. Keleher mostly starred in shorts prior to being cast in the police procedural series.
Brent Huff as Quigley Smitty - Brent Huff returns as Officer Quigley Smith, a role he has played since the beginning, in season 7. Viewers might recognize Huff from his roles in Shameless, Mad Men, The West Wing, or NCIS.
Bridget Regan as Monica Stevens - Although not seen in the season 7 premiere, the main characters have unfinished business with Bridget Regan's Monica Stevens. Monica escaped during the season 6 finale of The Rookie, and as of season 7, episode 1, the antagonist was last seen in Bolivia. Aside from The Rookie, Regan has appeared in The Last Ship, White Collar, and Jane the Virgin.
Steve Kazee as Jason Wyler - Steve Kazee reprises his role as The Rookie villain Jason Wyler in season 7. He escaped from prison with Oscar Hutchinson at the end of season 6 and headed to Los Angeles for revenge. Although Kazee has starred in various TV shows, the actor is most known for starring as Guy in Once, which won him the 2012 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
