It goes without saying that when it comes down to one of the most talented and entertaining ensembles on network television, The Rookie is going for the prize.
In an age when ensembles face a litany of casting issues, shifts, changes, and cutbacks, The Rookie has remained intact with little issue.
And while the cast has evolved over the years, it has found a relatively consistent rhythm.
So, what are the characters and cast looking like for The Rookie Season 7?
Related: The Rookie Season 7: Everything We Know So Far
Let’s get into it below!
John Nolan (Nathan Fillion)
John Nolan has shed his title as the “oldest rookie” some time ago, but it doesn’t stop the others from cracking a few jokes at his expense.
Whether you love or are annoyed by him, he’s the heart of the series, often serving as a bridge between many characters.
He’s had incredible growth and evolution throughout the series.
We saw Nolan trying to navigate being the best training officer he could be for Celina Juarez.
He’s still struggling with this, as sometimes Celina’s errors reflect his leadership.
Nevertheless, his paternal approach to training her has been a true highlight of the series on the professional front and inspired some of his personal arcs as well.
We saw a lot of Nolan coming out ahead and showing how competent and even badass he’s become as a cop.
Some of his greatest highlights were the season premiere, the 100th episode, and the season finale.
He married Bailey during the big 100th episode celebration, and now the two are considering fostering and adopting children in the near future.
Related: The Rookie Season 6 Episode 2 Review: Celebrating 100 Episodes
We’ll get to see Nolan in “Dad Mode” for more than just his rookie and son when he comes into town for a visit.
But, of course, he’ll have to contend with the return of Bailey’s ex-husband, who has a vendetta and the two of them in his sights.
Nathan Fillion has slayed as John Nolan for going on seven seasons now.
He puts his blood, sweat, and tears into the role.
He enjoys doing his own stunts when he can.
But he’s no stranger to leading fan-favorite series.
His work as Rick Castle on Castle was one for the books and a series that people still discuss at great length now, especially as it’s going into syndication, resulting in repeats across multiple networks for viewers’ enjoyment.
He’s also well-known for his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the sci-fi cult favorite Firefly.
The Canadian-American actor has been a staple of television and film for many years, taking a spin at the soap opera One Life to Live, which earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination and a massive fanbase, which he’s carried with him since.
Related: Chicago Fire is Soapy But In the Best Way
Frankly, it’s easier to ask what Fillion HASN’T done, as across roughly three generations, everyone will recognize him from one significant role of his or another from television, videogame voiceover work, and films, including Marvel hit Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad.
Not only does Fillion stay booked and busy, but he’s also into philanthropy work, co-funding a nonprofit, Kids Need to Read, which helps put books into underfunded libraries.
It’s something dear to his heart as the son of two educators who taught English.
Prior to acting, he intended to pursue teaching himself along with his brother.
Another interesting factoid about Nathan Fillion is that he’s hard of hearing. He’s completely deaf in his left ear, something he’s experienced since he was a child.
Tim Bradford (Eric Winter)
Tim Bradford is nothing short of a fan favorite!
He’s the type of grumpy sunshine character who has easily had one of the strongest character evolutions in the series.
Despite coming across as a hardass, Bradford has proven to be one of the strongest training officers of the series, which is likely why the season has opted to place him back in the shop.
Related: The Rookie: Does Chenford’s Breakup Romanticize Sacrificing Love for Growth?
Bradford has seemingly lived his adult life with a set of rules and structure, some remnants of both his past in an abusive household combatting his father and protecting his sister.
He’s since learned to ease up a bit, which he had done quite well thanks to his relationship with Lucy.
However, the season saw his past returning to haunt him as we learned some troubling news about his days in the military and how he covered for a fellow soldier who turned out to be nefarious.
We saw how Bradford’s honorable and noble stream of thoughts and feelings contrasted with his actions, placing him in trouble and struggling in all facets of his personal and professional life.
Bradford was benched from Metro and returned to patrol, but there seems to be a potential open door for him to return.
Meanwhile, his romantic relationship with Lucy takes a hit when he breaks up with her.
While he got some much-needed therapy from the shady Dr. London, he and Lucy are still separated from each other, something that may change in the seventh season.
While Bradford often opposes therapy, Eric Winter was a UCLA psychology major.
He is no stranger to having many in-depth conversations about life, feelings, and love with his beautiful wife, Roselyn Sánchez.
Related: The Rookie: Broadcast TV Needs More Complex Villains Like Elijah Stone
You can stream their podcast, He Said, Ella Dijo, nearly anywhere you can find podcasts.
Eric Winter is no stranger to charming audiences.
The actor and former model has a diverse repertoire.
He’s starred in everything from soap operas like Days of Our Lives to fantasy series like Witches of Eastwick, family dramas like Brothers & Sisters, and other procedurals like The Mentalist.
He’s great at both comedy and drama and appeals to fans in a whole new way thanks to his often hilarious content on TikTok.
Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil)
Lucy Chen is a beloved cop who we’ve witnessed evolve from that of a young rookie to an accomplished officer with endless possibilities.
Unfortunately, despite how incredible she is in the field with undercover work, Lucy is robbed of the chance to become a detective thanks to another cop’s vendetta.
But she’s also gotten the chance to show how great she is in leadership, administrative duties, training other rookies, and undercover work.
Related: How Much Should Showrunners Rely on Fan Reaction for Storytelling?
She’s become a Renaissance woman, and hopefully, come next season, we’ll continue to see her strive for only the best professionally and actually succeed.
And maybe we’ll also see her and Bradford give it another go, too!
There probably isn’t a bigger Chenford shipper than Melissa O’Neil herself, and she and Winter are great at understanding their characters, that particular dynamic, and the fandom.
O’Neil is a great talent who has overtaken the stage and television.
She’s a Canadian icon, winning the third season of Canadian Idol and going on to tour, release albums, and join a band.
She’s also performed in multiple theater shows such as Dirty Dancing and Les Misérables and made her Broadway debut in Jesus Christ Superstar.
She’s also known for television roles in Dark Matter, iZombie, and Condor.
Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz)
If anyone wondered if there was a modern-day version of Cagney & Lacey, they’d be pleased to know The Rookie delivers it.
And one-half of that duo is Angela Lopez.
The fiery, fierce, badass detective, wife, and mom never stops impressing her colleagues, enemies, and viewers.
Related: 19 Women on TV That Deserve Our Appreciation
She maintained that fearless badassery throughout the season while navigating the fact that the season’s biggest villain was her husband’s ex.
She constantly supported everyone, from her partnership with Harper to her deep friendship with Bradford during his time of need.
She was among the first to show up during Nolan’s disastrous honeymoon and continued to be in the thick of the action throughout the season.
When the season returns, we’ll likely see even more of that and more focus on her marriage to Wesley and the family life they’ve cultivated together.
Alyssa Diaz is one of the most recognizable actors in the series for her various roles that span genres.
She got a starring role in ABC Family, now Freeform’s sci-fi young adult series Nine Lives of Chloe King.
And she went on to star in Ray Donovan, Zoo, and Narcos: Mexico.
Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox)
Nyla Harper is the other half of The Rookie’s Cagney & Lacey duo.
She’s equally as fierce and no-nonsense, able to cut straight to the point and call things as she sees them.
Related: 13 Excellent Partners In Crime Duos
She’s fiercely loyal and protective, and throughout the season, we saw her go to great lengths to get to the root of many cases and look after her colleagues and friends.
She, too, is a mother who finds ways to balance motherhood with being a fantastic detective and inspiring as a result.
Mekia Cox is an equally fierce actress who is perfect for this role.
Mekia Cox is a multitalent.
She studied music and dance from a young age in the Virgin Islands.
She is an accomplished professional dancer who was one of only two women out of an 11-member dance group who accompanied Michael Jackson during his This Is It tour.
She was also one of the feature dancers in the documentary “This Is It.”
Cox has also performed theater and has guest-starred in many series over the years, including Nickelodeon classics like Kenan & Kel and All That.
She went on to appear in series such as One Tree Hill and 90210 and had a central role in Undercovers.
Cox also had a nice stint on Chicago Med as Dr. Charles’ daughter, a physician at the hospital.
Related: Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of TV is Difficult to Watch, Making it Imperative to Watch
Cox and Eric Winter worked together and played lovers in the second season of ABC’s soapy mystery Secrets & Lies before reuniting to work together on The Rookie.
And one of her most notable roles is playing Princess Tiana, deemed the first African-American Disney princess on Once Upon a Time.
Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore)
Not everyone can be a cop in this police procedural; sometimes, they’re lawyers, too, and Wesley is great.
He’s bounced around so often, jumping from defense attorney to prosecutor to some of everything else under the sun.
The season saw him mostly taking a backseat, trying to assist Nolan through the situation with Nolan, Oscar, and the deposition.
He also had to contend with Monica, his ex, who he knew was up to no good, but they couldn’t gather enough evidence over time.
But mostly, he and Angela were adjusting to having another child.
We’ll see more of Wesley at the forefront in the upcoming season.
Chances are, you’ve seen Shawn Ashmore in some of everything over the years, and he’s become a staple for many Millennials.
And if it wasn’t him, it was probably his twin brother Aaron Ashmore. If you’re among the few who didn’t realize there were two of them, bask in that bit of greatness!
Related: 21 Most Memorable Twins on TV
Anyone who appreciates Disney classics may recognize Ashmore from his endearing role in Cadet Kelly opposite Hilary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano.
He’s also known for his role in Nickelodeon’s classic Animorphs show based on the book series.
His more heroic roles come in the form of him playing Iceman in the X-Men movies, and he’s also dabbled in the superhero genre by playing Lamplighter on The Boys.
Before playing a lawyer like Wesley, he played law enforcement during the dark, twisty, and addictive series The Following alongside Kevin Bacon.
Sergeant Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones)
Sergeant Grey has become the father figure, mentor, and fearless leader of this brood of cops.
But it took him a bit to get to that point, especially when he spent the first season or so posing as an antagonist of Nolan, “the oldest rookie.”
Since then, Grey has centered the rest of the characters and led them through complex and intense situations.
Related: Will Movies and Shows of Today Be Classics Tomorrow?
We saw much of that during the season when he had to lay down the law and give Bradford some tough love.
We also saw a lot of Wade spending time with his wife, Luna, and learning to balance out her pursuit of social work and sometimes working alongside her for cases.
Richard T. Jones has quite an extensive film and television resume.
His impressive work has led to him perfectly balancing mainstream roles in series like Judging Amy and Wisdom of a Crowd while also serving in iconic roles in many African-American Classics like The Wood, Why Did I Get Married, and shows like Girlfriends.
He played opposite Angela Bassett in the critically acclaimed What’s Love Got to Do With It as Ike Turner.
Jones balances out playing some of the most loathsome characters with some of the most endearing, which always makes his work as enjoyable as it is diverse.
Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez)
Celina Juarez is the newest rookie, but that likely won’t be the case for long.
Nevertheless, her journey on the series has been an interesting one as she’s an unusual character whose quirky demeanor and beliefs have often butted against the nature of the job.
Related: TV Shows Should Make Stars, Not Depend on Them
But we’ve also seen some depth from her, and she’s coming off a season in which the things that made her stand out in an unusual way have evened out, making her a more balanced character.
What’s been notable is her dynamic with Nolan, which often makes her seem more like a pseudo-daughter to him than a trainee.
We’ve also seen her as the romantic object of Thorsen’s desire, but that lingered without going much further after Celina shut it down.
The upcoming season should have some intriguing elements for the character.
Lisseth Chavez is a lovely talent who has had many notable roles on television.
The former model first debuted in a reality series, True Beauty.
She went on to have minor roles in various popular series, from Southland to Lucifer.
But she got a significant role in The Night Shift and later her first significant role in The Fosters.
She followed that up with playing a police officer on Chicago PD and a superhero on Legends of Tomorrow before landing her role on The Rookie.
Related: Chicago PD Season 11 Report Card: Sidelining, Shortcomings & Some Surprises
Despite the rubbish shared that her role as Vanessa Rojas didn’t click with viewers or the producers, she won an Imagen Award for Chicago PD.
Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino)
Thorsen is one of the only other rookies in the series, but that should likely change soon.
He came into the recent season on everyone’s minds as he fought for his life after getting attacked and shot in an alley.
Fortunately, he came out okay and smoothly transitioned into getting back on patrol.
Of course, his therapy sessions with Dr. London sparked some controversies and contributed to some of the season’s twists.
He still has unresolved feelings for his best friend and fellow rookie, Celina, which will likely be explored further next season.
Tru Valentino is best known for his voice acting work in animated series and video games.
He’s voiced characters for Cuphead, Beavis, and Butthead Do the Universe, and much more.
Related: Batman: The Animated Series – Looking Back On TV’s Best Superhero Cartoon
He’s a member of the Groundlings Theater and School in Los Angeles.
He’s also the son of two Army veterans and was born in Frankfurt, Germany, before growing up in Missouri.
Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan)
Bailey Nune is a Jane of All Trades.
As an EMT, she often appears in many of the installments and at various calls, which puts her on the path of working alongside Nolan.
Bailey embarked on a more personal path during the season as she and Nolan officially tied the knot during the 100th episode.
We also saw her come to grips with what she wanted in the future as it pertained to motherhood, attempting to start the process for IVF before considering things like adoption.
Through Bailey, we’re left with a major cliffhanger: Her ex-husband escapes prison in pursuit of vengeance against her and Nolan.
Jenna Dewan is a household name and a talented actress and dancer.
She earned her claim to fame through professional dancing, as she served as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson in various music videos and on tours.
She’s also danced for Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott, and P!nk.
Related: Procedural Overkill: TV’s Favorite Genre Has Overtaken Primetime. Is It Too Much of a Good Thing?
Dewan is best known for her role in Step Up alongside her now ex-husband, Channing Tatum.
She has also appeared in Witches of Eastwick, Supergirl, and The Resident and in Lifetime films.
The upcoming season will likely also have:
-
Officer Smitty – Brent Huff
-
Oscar Hutchinson – Matthew Glave
-
Monica Stevens – Bridget Regan
-
Jason Wyler – Steve Kazee
Over to you, The Rookie Fanatics. Who do you hope to see in The Rookie Season 7?
You can stream The Rookie on Hulu.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.