The Rookie Cast Shares Why Their Characters Still Surprise Them After All These Years
After a jaw-dropping season 8 finale cliffhanger, I spoke with The Rookie’s Melissa O’Neil, Lisseth Chavez, Mekia Cox, and Eric Winter at the Disney 2026 Upfront Red Carpet. The stars opened up to The Nerds of Color about evolving with their characters throughout the series, which storylines resonated with them personally, and more.
John Nolan, once the oldest rookie in the LAPD, now uses his life experience, determination and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20+ years his junior. John and the team must navigate the intense, unpredictable nature of their jobs and personal challenges, while uplifting the next generation of first responders.
“Playing [Tim] Bradford has been a gift because it’s been one of the most complex characters I’ve ever played. It’s just been every season, peeling back layers, never knowing what I’m getting as I start a season,” Winter shared. “I’m always surprised. So to be going into season 9 and still having questions, and still wondering and wanting to know more, is a gift because you can burn out of a character pretty easily.”
“I feel like Lucy’s gone through a lot of different challenges and being somebody who’s able to recover and keep trying again, and it’s not just in physical peril that she gets in; it’s also professionally,” O’Neil expressed. “She’s always somebody who doubles down, pivots, knows how to keep making it work out, and I definitely relate to that, and I’m proud to represent that on the show. But a single storyline that’s been really cool to bring to life, I think, would definitely be what she dealt with when she accidentally killed that person named Martin. It was a real departure from anything, so as an actor, it was very rewarding to try to access that.”
“It’s beautiful to sit in a character for this long. You no longer have to consciously think about what they’re going to do,” Cox, who portrays Nyla Harper, explained. “It’s just there. It’s in your body. You feel her. You read the script, you know exactly what’s going on, and you can just drop in. I haven’t really had that with other characters that I’ve played because it hasn’t been this long. Time really does do something special for your character.”
Chavez then added, “For every season, I do feel like there has been a shift or a growth. Even for this season, I do feel like she’s more grounded, and there is a part of me where I was like, ‘Wait a minute, I’m still Celina,’ but I was still trying to connect the dots. But it still makes it very exciting as an actor, just to sort of continue learning about my character.”