The Rookie did minimal press at SDCC despite their appearance, as their upcoming season won’t premiere until 2025, but fortunately, they graced the fans with a panel to talk about the recent season, and discuss how much the show has exploded in recent months.
Luckily, I was still able to attend the panel and get some photographs and a recording for the fans who couldn’t!
On the panel was executive producer and star Nathan Fillion and stars Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, Jenna Dewan, Shawn Ashmore, and Lisseth Chavez.
The panel was moderated by Damian Holbrook.
And just before this transcript was scheduled to go out, ABC released the tiny preview that we were shown prior to the panel, including Season 7 clips, which can be viewed below!
[*Please note that the audio recording was overcome by cheers, so some portions may be cut or slightly adjusted.]
DAMIAN: We’ve got executive producer and star Nathan Fillion. Mekia Cox. Alyssa Diaz. Richard T Jones. Melissa O’Neil. Eric Winter. Jenna Dewan. Shawn Ashmore. Lisseth Chavez.
[Sitting order, left to right: Melissa, Richard, Alyssa, Eric, Nathan, Mekia, Shawn, Jenna, Lisseth]
DAMIAN: So I did this thing where I opened up an email account for the fans of The Rookie to send us. Yeah, and let me tell you, you people did not disappoint. You terrified. The amount I— Somebody sent in 38 questions; just in one email. So, you guys, do you understand how beloved this show has become?
NATHAN: No.
DAMIAN: You know, we’re going into season seven. You guys are currently in production and filming all around L.A. and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. None of you are. So I just… I’ll just get it out of the way now. Since, Nathan, you’re the only executive producer here on the table: How dare you? How dare you guys? You and the executive producers and the writers. You had to know that you were going to do something last season that was going to very much upset the fans. What were those discussions like?
NATHAN: What was so upsetting? What upset you? What part upset you? What are we talking about?
RICHARD: Oh, you know the break up.
NATHAN: Oh, you’re talking about breaking up the lovebirds.
NATHAN: Hey, guys, it’s gotta happen.
RICHARD: It’s gotta happen.
NATHAN: It’s got to happen. That way, it’s more sweeter when—if. If… they get better.
DAMIAN: Notice also that your character got his wedding and dancing and happiness and the rest of us were left in the wreckage of our broken hearts.
NATHAN: That’s right.
DAMIAN: And now. Now that Bailey and Nolan are married and you come from. You have a soap opera background. So, you know, putting together a couple can be the death knell. How are these two going to stay interesting now that they have a happy life?
NATHAN: You know, I think it’s great is that the whole conceit of the show is that Nolan has hit the reboot button on his life. He was a father. He was a husband. He was a contractor. He’s no longer any of those things. When he reset his life, I think this is just an indicator that he’s doing the right thing that is working out well, and that the fact that he has found someone who is fantastic and incredible and is absolutely more than equal is better. I think this is an indicator of, he’s made the right choice in the reset and the success of his marriage is an indicator.
JENNA: I agree. Thank you. Well. And also, in The Rookie, which was so fun, it’s never boring. There’s always something that comes that tests the relationship, that tests our bond, that tests our characters.
DAMIAN: The big bad storyline of season six. Like who ordered Boyd to be killed. Will that be revisited in season seven?
DAMIAN: You.
NATHAN: Me? And what was the question again? It’s so echoey, so echoey in here.
DAMIAN: Will we will we see the resolution of what happened at the end of season six? Will that feed into season seven?
NATHAN: Yes.
DAMIAN: Okay. Alright.
NATHAN: Nailed it.
DAMIAN: Jenna! The characters John and Bailey discussed adoption. Before we had a prison escape. Is this time for him to be playing Daddy?
DAMIAN: Yeah.
JENNA: Ohhh. Getting a little spicy over here! You know, that it’s a spoiler that I am not able to, I guess, say here, but I will say that part of what was fun about last season too was, you know, you get married and there’s these steps that happened in a relationship and we got to really go through that and see the different emotional levels of what that would mean for each other and what we each need and want. And I think that will continue to evolve and what that looks like, we will see and it will be interesting. And I really enjoyed that in season six and delving into that with John and Bailey. And the more emotional side of things. So, yeah, I’m excited to see where we go with that with the next season. I can’t, you know, I don’t think there’s anything else I can say.
DAMIAN: Right, yeah.
NATHAN: Yes.
DAMIAN: Alright, let’s go back. The dancing at the wedding. We all know about the dancing. And actually, I have a question for Step Upper. But can you please explain how that all evolved? Because that was kind of off the cuff, right?
JENNA: Yes, yes. We were filming our wedding scene and Alexi just kind of said to me, “Go out there and dance like you’re in a wedding.” And we just really made a moment of it, and we played some old school 90s music and rap music, which gets me going. And so I ended up pulling everybody out, and we kind of danced one on one, and then it was all a big group dance, and it was just really fun. And I heard them saying people and keep rolling up to the cameras, just kind of kept rolling. And Nathan is an amazing dancer, by the way, over there. That was unplanned.
NATHAN: I’ve got five moves that’ll make you think I can dance.
JENNA: A good five moves! All that was just freestyle and improv’d. And it was really fun. It felt like a real wedding.
NATHAN: Yeah, he was sulking! There’s always gotta be one sulker at the wedding.
RICHARD: Yeah.
DAMIAN: Lisseth, since this Comic Con situation you joined the show. So, this is probably your first time on the—
DAMIAN: Alright! Because you came from the show with a large ensemble that mixed comedy and action and drama; Legends of Tomorrow. So you stepping into this role, did this feel familiar to you?
LISSETH: I… you know, I feel like it’s different. I feel like every show has felt like a different universe, although I also have had, I’ve been on another cop show. But something about this one, it is like, I guess, yeah, a little mixture of everything because it has every genre. I can’t really say it’s one. So, yeah.
DAMIAN: Now, you would be technically the rookie on the TV right now.
LISSETH: Yes.
LISSETH: In real life or…
LISSETH: I would say everyone has been amazing. I feel like everyone has taught me something. Or they welcomed with open arms. From the first episode, I feel like I just felt right at home. When I met everyone on the roll call room. That was, it was… It was great.
LISSETH: You know what, I kind of want to dive into—I do like detective, because I feel like she’s really good at, she’s great, and being a FBI. A little, like, undercover. Also, undercover work would be awesome. Yeah.
DAMIAN: Okay, so, Alyssa and Mekia, I love Harper and Lopez whenever they tag-team. They’re so much fun! I feel like this is the pairing to get stuff done. Like, literally, they’re the ones that are, like, getting, like, they’re getting into it. And Nolan’s, like, just like, [?]. He’s at home. He’s like, oh, we got to get a wedding together. We’ve got to go undercover. You know, when you guys have been working together for so long, do you find that you share a similar shorthand as the characters do?
MEKIA & ALYSSA: Oh, yeah.
ALYSSA: We just look at each other and we, like, know what we’re talking about. Like, it’s like this, isn’t it? And she’s like, “Oh, yeah. Yeah.”
MEKIA: And sometimes you just have to…the eyes.
ALYSSA: It’s the eyes. Yeah.
DAMIAN: Oh. And how is this roommate situation gonna go? Yeah. I think we need to ask about the Lucy—
LISSETH: Oh, wait wait, wait, it’s Lucina, you see.
DAMIAN: Oh, okay.
LISSETH: Someone gave us that…
DAMIAN: Let me ask you this. How is that? How is that going to work out?
MELISSA: Beautifully.
LISSETH: Yes.
MELISSA: Mysteriously. Sensationally. I mean, we’re having a lot of fun so far. Her room looks super cool.
LISSETH: Oh my God, yes.
MELISSA: And actually, we shot a roommate scene the other day, and Liss did something so funny, which I will not tell you because hopefully it will land in a blooper reel. But it cracked up everybody. She was crying in a funny way. Not in a bad way! But, yes, it was wonderful. There was. There was crying and applause after that. It was amazing.
RICHARD: That is a great idea.
JENNA: I say yes.
MELISSA: I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say yes. As an answer to your question.
DAMIAN: Okay. All right. Mekia: Harper. So, Harper’s Great, because Harper used to be such a hardass.
MEKIA: Yeah.
DAMIAN: It’s like she was tough.
MEKIA: She was.
DAMIAN: And she has gotten. I won’t say she’s—She’s not a mush, but she’s softened.
MEKIA: She’s softened up a little bit.
DAMIAN: But she’s been through [?].
MEKIA: That’s the thing, is she came from doing a ton of undercover work. And so I feel like she came from this area where she couldn’t really trust anyone. And so when she first got into this family, she didn’t consider it family.
She had a very hard edge and hard exterior, and I think, you know, training this one right here and then getting to know the rest of the people, she gained a little bit more trust. And then she realized that, like, these are her friends and kind of her family. And I don’t think she’s really had that before, so, yeah, she really cares deeply for each one of these. She might not say it, but she definitely feels it. And I think just becoming a mom as well. Becoming a mom definitely softens you. And so she’s a mother of two now and she has some step-kids as well. So I think that makes her a little bit more…soft.
DAMIAN: Yeah. And it’s great because you get to play these different layers, which you can always tap back into the tough version.
MEKIA: Oh, and it’s always there. It don’t go away.
DAMIAN: Sheila wants to know… I think it’s just a favor. Can you post more guitar playing on your IG?
MEKIA: Oh, for me? Okay, I’ll do that! But it has to be a battle between me and Eric!
ERIC: Oh, no.
ERIC: She’s the guitar player. I am terrible.
DAMIAN: So, Alyssa. Before Shawn gets to talk… Shawn Ashmore is known as literally one of the nicest people in showbusiness.
EVERYONE: (agrees)
DAMIAN: So, what is it like getting to work with this guy and just getting to, like, be in that dynamic with him where he’s playing a character who makes a lot of mistakes. Like a ton.
SHAWN: Thanks, Damian.
ALYSSA: Shawn is the best of our crew. Shawn is my favorite TV husband. I love him. I’m like, “Good morning, TV husband, how are you?” He’s such a sweetheart. He’s so talented. He works hard, but he’s also fun. And we can talk about, like, sci-fi stuff and have a lot of depth. And I love working with him.
SHAWN: Thanks, I feel the exact same way.
ALYSSA: I love to have him as my husband.
DAMIAN: Alright. Now, Shawn…
SHAWN: Do I get to talk now?
DAMIAN: What kind of work have you two done to make this couple feel so lived.
SHAWN: Honestly, I think that… And Alyssa didn’t tell me this until maybe season three, but I kind of got brought in as a potential love interest. Right. But there’s always that sort of—You got to try it out. Like, is there the chemistry? And I felt like we hit it off immediately. And that’s what I loved about the Lopez-Wesley relationship is like, it was born from this sort of antagonistic romance, right. So, like they get fired up because they argue and then they fall in love and they have this thing. But Alyssa told me in season three, she’s like, “I was kind of auditioning you. Like, I didn’t know all about you. I had heard good things, but I didn’t know.” But I will say, like, I think probably from the second day on set on, we just had a connection and had chemistry and I felt very welcomed. And I think it was just very natural. I think we just hit it off. Sometimes that works, you know, between actors for a relationship like this, and I think we both like the same stuff. We talk about weird, like, I won’t get into it here, but, like. But she said sci-fi. I think she means more like conspiracy theory and, like, weird, like, we just we we just come back and talk. Talk about that stuff.
ALYSSA: Time travel, that kind of stuff. Quantum physics.
SHAWN: Yeah, yeah. So we just like clicked on that. Yeah. So we just hit it off and went from there. I think a lot of that is the writing. And we’ve kind of created this really interesting bond. And there’s this dynamic where they’re combative. But that leads to a deeper part of their relationship. And I think that we always come back to that. And I think that’s what works. So I think a lot of it is our natural chemistry and a lot of kind of the scenarios that our writers put us in.
ALYSSA: Yeah.
DAMIAN: I mean, it felt like every season finale, it’s feels like Wesley’s dying.
SHAWN: I mean, Damian, you’ll remember this from the first show I did with Alexi, The Following, and I was constantly always almost dying in that show. And then, Season 1 I came back after the first three episodes, maybe the fourth episode I was in, I was stabbed in a bomb shelter. And I was like, “Is this what it’s gonna be like, Alexi?”
DAMIAN: But there’s two of you!
DAMIAN: Richard, now that Harper is soft, you get to be the resident grump of the Mid-Wilshire.
RICHARD: Thank you, I appreciate it.
DAMIAN: You got to be the tough one with this crew, and you kind of have to be, because it’s kind of like wrangling cats sometimes.
RICHARD: All the time. All the time.
DAMIAN: How difficult is it to be the one who has to walk into a scene and be the stern one when you’re working with this crew?
EVERYONE: (looks at Richard)
RICHARD: Only if you knew. I’m the one that really needs to get wrangled in there.
ERIC: It’s true.
RICHARD: So, it’s very difficult because it’s outside of who I really am. So, I have to put on the persona of Sergeant Grey so I can come and wrestle these guys, because when we’re all together, it’s like kindergarten.
DAMIAN: So, if Grey had to give the actors a performance evaluation…how would they test?
RICHARD: Oh my goodness… Well, the person who plays Grey is, he’s amazing.
RICHARD: You know, these… Let me tell you something about these actors. I come in every day, and I am so privileged and honored to work with them. I always tell them that they’re killing it every time like I’ve never seen on camera because they’re so good. I tell Mekia that all the time, because every time I do a scene with Mekia, I’m like, “Why am I here?”
But no, these guys are fabulous. They would all get A+s.
DAMIAN: Does Grey see them as his family?
RICHARD: Yeah, these are my kids, you know, except for Nolan, because he’s my age. He’s like my brother. But yeah, I really kind of look at all of them. You know, I feel responsible for all of their lives. Grey really looks at them as part of, not only the family, but they’re children to him. And that’s one reason that I couldn’t retire.
DAMIAN: Alright. Melissa. Alright, first, before we get to any of the other stuff, I again, the questions were—it was a billion of them. I had to block out a filter. But I need to talk to you about Juicy.
MELISSA: Oh.
DAMIAN: I don’t even like girls, and I was like, “Huh.” But it’s working here. Where did that come from? Like, did you get to work with the team on designing this character?
MELISSA: Oh my gosh. So you know what? It kind of started because I’ve always wanted to play a character with, like, long nails. I don’t know why. I just really wanted to play somebody that gestured like this, you know? And then we kind of went from there.
DAMIAN: So you went from the nails?
MELISSA: Yes. We went nails-in. Yes.
DAMIAN: What was the reaction when you walked on set in that outfit?
MELISSA: I don’t remember… I think I was…
EVERYONE: (speaking over each other)
ERIC: I mean, there was a long pause. We had to take in—
MELISSA: A long, silent pause. What is happening right now?
DAMIAN: How long did it take to get into that?
MELISSA: I don’t think too long. But that’s primarily because the team is amazing. I mean, Judy, our makeup artist is an artist, and so she crushes that every single time. And hair, they just kind of strung it up. We have an amazing team behind the scenes.
DAMIAN: I mourn that we didn’t get it like a TikTok: Get ready with me to go undercover situation where we watched the entire—and maybe for season seven, we can work on that with the all female episode that’s going to happen [?].
So, Yasmin wants to know if Lucy were describe what Sergeant Grey means for her personally and professionally, what would you say?
RICHARD: Yeah. What would you say?
MELISSA: This is the thing. This is the thing. I’m really hoping—I’ve been gunning for more scenes between Lucy and Grey, because I think Lucy is somebody who is always seeking to grow and someone who does that usually has a mentor of some kind. And her mentorship was coming in different forms for several years, as we all know. And that has transitioned. And so I think Grey is the one she really looks up to, and I think on some level is hoping to get approval from. Not approval, but like the rubber stamp, you know, and so I’m hoping that that will unfold in some way.
RICHARD: And that was a good answer.
MELISSA: Thank you, sir.
RICHARD: That was a good answer.
DAMIAN: Alright, Eric! So this guy, talk about a tough nut to crack. This guy has been so guarded for so long, and then we suddenly find out that he’s dumping her because he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough.
ERIC: Okay, first—
CROWD: (boos)
RICHARD: It’s totally right.
DAMIAN: How broken is this man? And can he be fixed because his last therapist sucked.
ERIC: First, let me start by saying that the breakup was not my fault. It is Melissa’s fault. I didn’t come up with that idea. She threw me under the bus and said I created it.
MELISSA: What are you talking about? It’s like you’re trying to pick a fight with me! In front of everybody?
ERIC: Yes, Bradford’s been through the wringer. He’s a mess. I think he’s been slipping things under the rug for so long, and Lucy truly makes him very happy. But he’s been faking a lot of his own happiness with just things that he’s been dealing with in his past and I think it all finally caught up to him. And we saw that moment that I think he just doesn’t want to let her down like he’s let himself down. It’s been this big thing he’s got to take care of personally before he can give her his best version.
NATHAN: In the end, that is a very incredibly responsible thing to do. When you’re dealing with somebody’s heart to say, “I take this seriously.”
ERIC: It’s not you, it’s me.
DAMIAN: You know, since filming season seven, so has Tim been doing that work?
ERIC: Uh…
MELISSA: That’s a spoiler! That’s a spoiler!!!
ERIC: That’s a spoiler.
MELISSA: That’s a spoiler!
ERIC: In different ways. Yes, in different ways, he has been putting the work.
DAMIAN: Is there a possibility that we’ll get to see Tim Bradford cry?
NATHAN: Only because he accidentally pulled a nose hair.
ERIC: Not yet, but very possible. I’m sure—it seems to happen.
DAMIAN: And now you two. You guys were very proactive. Like a lot of TV ships, there was like, “Oh, it happened and the fans love it!” You guys really like—you created the name, but like, jokingly.
ERIC: Yeah. I mean, we created that name just because we were partners in season one. All of us as TOs kind of created a little fun names with our rookies and we’re like, oh, this is our shipname.
MELISSA: We’re Tucy!
ERIC: Yeah, we started with Tucy—
MELISSA: We started with Tucy.
ERIC: Chenford took off and became its own thing. I truly credit the relationship to the fandom. I mean, we were just partners coming up with a name. You guys had a name, you know, Wopez did as well. Yeah. Heard the fans.
DAMIAN: Erica, so Sabine has mentioned that you’ve been campaigning to bring your mom on the show?
ERIC: Not my real mom! My mom would kill me! I would love to meet Tim’s mom. Yeah, I feel like Tim’s mom is a light in his life. I feel like his dad was so sour in his, you know, childhood existence. I would love to meet my mom and have a family gathering with my sister. And maybe that’ll be a way that Lucy gets invited to my house and there’s conversation.
DAMIAN: So they say that usually, like, you know, you fall in love or marry your mother or your father—that idea. So who would you cast to play his mom?
MELISSA: Well, you know what? What I hope they do is draw from Eric’s real life because his mom is an absolute gem. I don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance to be her, but she’s amazing and very sweet. So it would be someone like that.
NATHAN: I would say Susan Sullivan. I’m just putting that out there.
DAMIAN: That’s good.
NATHAN: I can tell you from experience, she’s an excellent TV mom.
DAMIAN: Excellent TV mom. Alright. So, Nathan.
NATHAN: Yes.
DAMIAN: When the show launched, it was: Nathan Fillion is ‘The Rookie’. And it was fun because he’s an older guy, he’s not really, you know, rookie age. But it was positioned as this, you know, you were the center, you on the poster, everything. Over the course of this time, this ensemble has gotten so strong and so connected that did it take some pressure off of you? That you could, you know, take a couple days off and you knew that these guys were just going to elevate?
NATHAN: The title and that idea that it’s my show was always just a trick of the light. This has always been an ensemble cast. I am just so very pleased to be able to say that this program can, at any one time, rest squarely on the shoulders of any member of this cast. That’s where… That’s where we’re at.
But when they’re doing their scenes, I’m still behind the camera. So we’re going “No, do it again.”
DAMIAN: Well, it’s clear. I mean, you guys have all seen the [?]. You’ve seen how they interact on social or whatever. You guys are really connected. And it’s very weird for a show seven seasons in You know, like there are certain shows they get to like season five; They’re not even talking to each other. You guys, you had so much fun together.
ERIC: Too much.
DAMIAN: Probably too much! Including producers and directors. But you guys also probably feel it when you’re watching a cast that enjoys working together. It makes the show so much more fun. And so when you do, if any of you watched the show, have there been any things where you’ve watched you be like, “Oh my God, I just could not get through this scene”?
MELISSA: Are you gonna tell the bread story?
SHAWN: The bread story!
MELISSA: Tell that story!
SHAWN: Oh yeah, yeah. I don’t remember who started this, but we were doing a scene in a hospital room. Melissa, Richard, Eric, myself.
MEKIA: I was there.
SHAWN: And Mekia was there. And Melissa had to, like, walk into a room and it was like four of us standing there waiting for her to, like, deliver some information. And I don’t know if it was Richard or Eric, but there was, like a fake piece of bread, like a loaf of bread.
ERIC: It actually came from Lucy’s apartment. That’s where we took it initially.
SHAWN: So then Eric started… Every time someone had a line, he would kick it to that person. So you receive the loaf of bread on your line and then kick it to the next person. It was just, like, ridiculous.
MEKIA: While keeping a straight face.
MELISSA: Also on my coverage. So it’s on me and they’re kicking this thing around and I have to be super serious the whole time while there’s just bread being like, kicked around.
SHAWN: But you filmed it! You got through it!
RICHARD: You sure did.
MELISSA: Thank you, yes I did!
RICHARD: And I think we were really good with the bread. It was like we were professional soccer players.
DAMIAN: What was it like when you film the roll room. Like, those rooms. So many of you in the room. And Jenna and Shawn, are you so grateful that you don’t have to be there that day?
SHAWN: That my first scene this season was in a roll call room, I was like, “Oh.”
JENNA: It’s good. It’s good comedy. It’s also really funny as in the scenes we do because, on The Rookie, there’s so many scenes with, you know, this much technical jargon to sustain both part of our jobs. And so there are scenes late in the day when we come up and you can just see in our eyes, we’re holding onto the words. So we were like, we’re just there. Looking at Eric, we have the scene where you come out to the ambulance and the cars crash and you come up, and I could tell, just I was like, I can’t look him in the eye because I look in the eyes, I start laughing. And so we just kind of, like, avert eyes the whole time. We get through the paragraph like, “Great, great. We did it.” So a lot of that fun stuff.
DAMIAN: Mentioning the car crash, the action on the show seems to have gotten more and more extreme. Like there’s so much more. Like, that season finale.
NATHAN: One might say Emmy worthy. The Rookie was nominated for Stunt Coordination and we’re all very proud.
DAMIAN: So. Yeah. Have you filmed anything in season seven so far that you’re just like, “Wait until they see this?”
MELISSA: Yeah. Already.
RICHARD: Yes.
MELISSA: The sequences are incredible. I mean, I feel like the other thing that’s going on is our crew is—they’re building these incredible rigs because they’re also doing this for as many years now, so they’re finding ways to refine. And the bigger cool rigs that we get to do, the cooler shots they’re doing and the sets. It’s just, it’s incredible. Yeah.
DAMIAN: For the cops on the panel, and for Jenna also because you’re still in the first responder situation as well. Do you feel, you know, do you feel an added pressure or responsibility to represent this field, especially now because things have changed so much for police officers and firefighters since the show premiered? Do you feel that like responsibility to present like they’re good?
ALYSSA: Yeah, we definitely; we just did our training. We train every year. We go back to the LAPD and we did virtual reality training this year.
RICHARD: Yes, please don’t go too detailed into that one.
ALYSSA: There’s a funny story there, too.
ERIC: Should we talk about that, Richard?
RICHARD: No, we should not.
ERIC: Want to talk about it? You sure?
RICHARD: We’re good, we’re good, we’re good.
ERIC: Someone may have fallen [?].
NATHAN: It does become important to us though. We do a little bit of training before each season. We like to dip back into it. We have a couple of police officer consultants that work with us. Bob and [?].
RICHARD: Bob’s here.
MELISSA: Bob’s here!
NATHAN: I knew Bob would be here; he’s almost as big a nerd as I am. There are times where we are filming something and for expedience and story’s sake, we just. We’d stop. Stop. But this wouldn’t happen. This would actually make us better cops. Because you can’t come into a room and just put you back to the corner like that and think that’s [?]. We feel a responsibility to safeguard the profession and make sure we don’t look like crappy cops. At the same time, it’s a TV show.
MELISSA: Yeah. And I just want to add: it is a TV show and we always have always tried to be aspirational. And at the same time, I really love that our show doesn’t pretend like there aren’t people who are fallible in this profession. And when it does happen, we don’t ignore it. We acknowledge it. And we also acknowledge that, yeah, sometimes there are bad cops and that happens. And this is how we hope that people navigate that situation.
DAMIAN: We’re going to do some audience questions. If you want to ask some, the mic is right there. So, while you’re lining up, I just want to ask one more—But I’m hoping that someone can say something to this. Matthew Glave has been such a great part of this show. He’s been one of my favorite—he’s just hops up and causes trouble and he’s always behind bars. But now, he’s not.
Does this mean we’re gonna see an expanded version of this character, and if so, how dangerous is he?
RICHARD: [unintelligible]
LISSETH: That’s probably an Alexi question, but I can say we love him.
MEKIA: And there’s now Jason and Oscar—I think they’re focusing more on Jason as of right now, but I think he’s going to come back at the end of the bend.
NATHAN: Oscar’s such a beloved character, but we beloved hating him. It’s no joke. It’s no joke. Basically, we just hated him.
DAMIAN: Alright, go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi, my best friend got me into The Rookie, so I’m here. She’s not here today, so I’m asking her question. She’s just curious what your favorite ensemble cast moment is. And also, I made you guys friendship bracelets, so can I just kind of like toss this to you guys?
NATHAN: I’m gonna say, I’m just gonna throw in an answer. Favorite ensemble cast moments are, when we’re not actually rolling; when we’re actually, solving problems. I’s such a shorthand with these professional people. When there’s something awkward or not working, watching people say, “What if I didn’t have a this? This will be great. Let’s just use that.” Everybody understands their job so very, very well. Solving problems is so great. And then all the fun we have in between takes and when we’re not actually filming, when they’re changing the cameras around. The volume gets very high, especially when Richard’s around.
MEKIA: Yes.
NATHAN: The volume gets really, really high. I remember, Bill Roe one time was just staring at us, kind of laughing, and the second day he said, “I’ll go quiet, come down.” And he said, “No, no, don’t. Picture the alternative. That’s what we don’t want. This is fine. This is it.”
RICHARD: He did say that.
NATHAN: Yeah, he did.
DAMIAN: Alright, thank you. Go ahead.
QUESTION: So with such a large ensemble cast, is there anyone that ever wants to do, like, a spin off of any of the other of the characters, maybe even, like Walking Dead, where after the show ends, do several spinoffs, maybe ten of them or whatever.
MEKIA: Someone just mentioned that today about, the two of us had a little, you know, Cop Mom spin off. But I mean, maybe once the show ends. I just, I couldn’t see leaving this cast.
ALYSSA: Yeah. It’s family.
MEKIA: It’s too much of a family.
QUESTION: And can you sign my petition to bring back Firefly?
NATHAN: Yes.
DAMIAN: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Okay. Hi, guys. Okay, can I just say you guys are amazing? Thank you so much for being part of the show. My husband and I love you. Your comfort show. Thank you so much. Also, ladies, you guys look absolutely beautiful. I feel like that should be mentioned. I was just going to ask, is there, what do you like slash dislike of your character? I was just curious.
RICHARD: Everybody?
QUESTION: Yes.
NATHAN: Pick two. You get to pick two.
QUESTION: Okay, Nathan and Eric.
ERIC: I love his loyalty. I dislike, sometimes, his toughness. His rigidness.
NATHAN: I like that he wears the same outfit every day. Don’t have to do a bunch of fittings. And I hate that he runs so much.
DAMIAN: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. I was wanting to know, like, how did you guys feel about Chenford? And, like, did you expect that relationship to happen originally, or was it like, kind of a surprise that it occurred?
MELISSA: Who are you asking?
RICHARD: Probably one of you.
ERIC: Probably the both of us.
NATHAN: Let’s assume Chenford.
ERIC: I’ll jump in and say that it very much turned into what it became. You know, I mean, we never thought it would become that by any means, with everything that Tim was going through and her life working with me, you know, as the characters. But I think it’s been very fun going on this journey with them now and seeing how much it’s changed each of them and the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. It makes it a fun relationship for sure to explore.
MELISSA: Yeah, I definitely… I don’t think you’re expecting it at all. Especially at the beginning. Do you remember their original relationship? What? Like he’s not cool at all! I’m not dating that guy! Yeah. So no, I, I feel similarly, as with Eric, it’s been really fun to go on that journey and, exciting that people are so invested. You know, we’re having a good time.
QUESTION: Thank you!
MELISSA: Thank you.
QUESTION: Hello! We love you. I watch with my son, and it really brings us together. So he’s 17, and I thank you for that. And one thing always on our playlist is Daddy Cop. Every day I walk around the house, walking down the hallway and singing. Yeah, okay. Anyway, besides that, when is there going to be a Daddy Cop video?
NATHAN: I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know. All I can tell you is God gave me this daddy cop butt and there’s changing it now.
QUESTION: But would we want you to? Hi. I’m Rebecca from Clovis, California, and my question is, I really enjoyed The Rookie: Feds and I was kind of disappointed when I got canceled. It was really good. And so, I know this last episode, you guys had a few of them on there. Is there going to be more of that going on? Because I really enjoyed that.
NATHAN: I’ll say yes, there is. We’re trying to create a universe in which we can all exist and kind of cross over into different episodes. So short answer: Yes.
QUESTION: Hello, there. My question is, since you consider the whole cast of family, how is it, what’s the process of introducing new cast members?
NATHAN: Why don’t we ask a new cast member? Lisseth, what’s that process been like?
LISSETH: Well, I feel like the process… I think their sense of humor. I feel like that was like a great intro, even, like, for my first—when I met the whole cast, I was a little nervous that I actually accidentally introduced myself as Selena Gomez.
True story. I didn’t understand until I think, Eric, you were like, “Selena who? Selena Gomez is here?” I was supposed to say Celina Juarez, but I think, yeah, I don’t know. I think we all sort of like, I don’t know, it’s just our sense of humor. We all laugh. Till this day, sometimes it gets brought up, but it’s just because—
JENNA: Selena Gomez…
ERIC: You need a thick skin to come into this cast. You need to be able to laugh.
RICHARD: Yes, because we like to have fun. Okay, we’re going to work hard and we’re going to have a good time doing it.
NATHAN: We do poke a lot of fun at each other, but in a trusting, loving way. And I got to say, it’s such a lovely idea that there are new members of our cast. I know, but it’s hard for me. And I tell them all the time to remember a time when they were not on our show. You guys, you complete me.
Except you, Richard.
DAMIAN: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Hello, my name is [Emren?] and my question is for Nathan. What is your favorite scene filming?
NATHAN: Jenna, this is an excellent question for you. What scenes do I love filming the most?
JENNA: Scenes in our house where we’re not doing action.
NATHAN: Yeah, we’re like, dressed casual. Sitting on the couch.
JENNA: Sitting on the couch.
NATHAN: Chilling out. Snacks. Richard’s rarely there.
RICHARD: [unintelligible]
NATHAN: Thank you.
QUESTION: Hi, before my question, I was just wondering, Nathan, I have this bracelet for you; I was wondering if you wanted it?
NATHAN: Yes! I do! Thank you, I don’t know how to throw it up here—thank you! Now what was that question that’s burning inside?
QUESTION: At the end of season five, there was this guy. And I was wondering, like, if he’s coming back. Like the man in the van.
EVERYONE: (unsure)
MELISSA: You just, you know, we had so many.
NATHAN: What was his name?
QUESTION: It was like, the villain. Like, he didn’t have a name.
NATHAN: Oh, the sick man in the van. No, wait, I’m talking about—what season?
DAMIAN: Bautista?
ERIC: What about Garza?
RICHARD: [unintelligible]
MELISSA: I thought it was Kristian Bruun.
SHAWN: That was a couple years ago.
ERIC: We’re all really old.
DAMIAN: There was a whole strike—memory’s fading…
MELISSA: Oh my god.
ERIC: The dudes with the masks?
RICHARD: Yeah, who?
NATHAN: Oh, the main big bad? Well I think we took care—I think he was…
ALYSSA: Did you watch season six?
RICHARD: Yeah, we got him.
NATHAN: I think you missed an episode. I don’t want to spoil anything for you; but go back, you missed a scene. Short answer. We love him. Long answer. He’s dead.
QUESTION: [in full Juicy getup] Hi, my question is if we’re ever going to see Juicy again? Sorry, RIP Dim. And if we’ll see any more doppelgangers?
MELISSA: I don’t know. I don’t. I have no idea if we’re bringing her back, but she is… She’s not dead, so that’s exciting.
Wait. Are you in a Juicy getup?
QUESTION: I am.
MELISSA: Wait!!!
Juicy cosplay!!!
QUESTION: And my friend is cosplaying Dim.
MELISSA: I’m dead! You guys, that’s wonderful. I don’t know, but I’ll pass it on. I love that. I love that you dressed up as her today. That’s beautiful. Good work.
ERIC: I think Dim has a twin brother. And he’ll probably start dating Juicy.
NATHAN: Shawn has an actual identical twin brother that I would like to see on the show.
SHAWN: Wesley’s long-lost brother?
RICHARD: Lost?
SHAWN: Not lost.
NATHAN: Not even lost.
DAMIAN: I like this. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi, everyone. Wow, this is so crazy. Because of my questions for Shawn. Okay, so first of all, I love the movie Frozen.
SHAWN: Oh. Not the Disney one, I’m afraid.
NATHAN: Not for kids!
SHAWN: Not for kids!
QUESTION: So, watch Frozen, everyone.
NATHAN: My favorite princess, Shawn.
QUESTION: But part of a twin duo of acting actors. Do you have anything to share when you get mistaken for your brother? Like any strange stories.
SHAWN: Well, here’s the thing. It happens every day. It’s not strange anymore. It’s very, very normal. And I think, honestly, the experience for me is mostly just saying you don’t have to feel bad. You know, people like, “Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed.” And I’m like, “It happens every day. It’s all good.” And that’s to be expected when you look exactly like somebody, you did the exact same job. We also don’t work together a lot. We actively try to, like, not be like a unit. So it’s very interesting. So basically I’m just like, don’t feel bad. It’s cool. I’ll let him know that you like that work that he did.
NATHAN: And the other side is that he’s an excellent actor.
SHAWN: Yes, he is. Nathan’s got a very good point here, Aaron is very, very talented. It would probably be much harder if I was like, “Oh, God, he sucks.”
QUESTION: Love you in Smallville.
NATHAN: That was his brother.
DAMIAN: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi, my name is Nate and my question is for the whole cast. If you could be any other character from the show, who would you be?
RICHARD: Harper.
MELISSA: Harper.
NATHAN: I would go, Tim. Just because it’s easy; I’d just be cranky the whole time. I don’t know. Who cares? I don’t want it. Get out of here!
ERIC: And I would pick Nolan. Cheer everybody up.
SHAWN: I’d be Grey. I’d wanna be the boss.
JENNA: Lucy or Harper. I mean, I’d love to have that birthing scene; that was fun.
LISSETH: It’s hard. Lucy.
ALYSSA: Yeah. I think Lucy too.
NATHAN: Let me change my answer to Lucy.
DAMIAN: Thank you. This is going to be our last question.
QUESTION: My question is for everyone and it’s kind of like the last one, but it’s who your favorite character is beside yourself.
RICHARD: Oh, that’s a different question. I like that.
ALYSSA: I like Grey.
MEKIA: Smitty.
EVERYONE: (agrees on Smitty)
RICHARD: Yeah, Smitty, that’s a good one.
MELISSA: That’s classic.
RICHARD: Hard to beat.
ERIC: Tough to beat.
SHAWN: It’s hard to top that answer.
DAMIAN: Yeah, you can’t top that. Thank you so much! And listen, thank all of you for being here! And give it up for the cast of The Rookie on ABC! Thank you so much!
