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The Rookie was down a series regular when it returned for Season 7: Tru Valentino’s Aaron Thorsen. But why did Valentino leave The Rookie and was it his decision?
Why Did Tru Valentino Leave The Rookie?
TVLine confirmed in August 2024 that Valentino had departed the role of Aaron Thorsen ahead of Season 7. The actor originally joined the procedural as a recurring character in Season 4 and got promoted to series regular in Season 5.
Valentino posted a message on Instagram Stories at the time, hinting that the exit wasn’t his decision: “I will always cherish my time on The Rookie, but couldn’t be more excited for what the future has in store. I adore the friends and relationships made while being there. It was such an amazing opportunity and feel so lucky to have had the last 3 seasons. Thank you to the best fans in the world, I know I don’t talk much, but I appreciate you all so much. You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire Precinct. Until then, 7 Adam 19, this is Office Thorsen, over and out!”
In an interview with ScreenRant, The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley seemed to confirm that Valentino was let go from The Rookie because Thorsen’s storyline had played out in the series. “Tru is a great actor, and he was a huge part of our show for several seasons, and so we’d love to have him back in some capacity. It just ultimately felt like, creatively, for where the show was going, that we needed to pivot a bit. But he’s still very much alive in our universe,” he said.
In The Rookie Season 7’s premiere episode, John Nolan and Celina Juarez explained that Aaron was no longer a part of the LAPD’s Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division because he was now in North Hollywood where no one knows he was once a patient of therapist Blair London, who turned out to be dirty at the end of Season 6.
Prior to Valentino’s official exit, fans had already been speculating about the possibility after the actor’s absence from the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel. Valentino was also conspicuously absent from BTS videos shared by the cast at the time on the set of Season 7.
But The Rookie’s cast won’t be lacking in faces for Season 7, as the show added two new characters for Season 7. Deric Augustine, better known for All American, Godfather of Harlem, and Shameless is set to play Miles, a Texas transfer who “despite having two years under his belt, will be a rookie at the LAPD.”
Patrick Keleher, better known for Funny or Die’s The Egos, on the other hand, plays new rookie Seth. Now, Seth may look on the outside like he’s got everything to be the perfect police officer, but he’s not very good with decisive action, which is exactly what the job needs.
The Rookie has seen some cast turnover. Mercedes Masohn’s Captain Zoe Andersen was killed off in Season 1, and Afton Williamson’s Officer Talia Bishop parted ways with the show ahead of Season 2, but other than those two the only other big departure was Titus Makin’s Jackson West dying following the events of the Season 3
ABC’s crime drama follows John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a 45-year-old newly divorced man from Pennsylvania, who, after helping police officers during a bank robbery in his hometown, moves to Los Angeles to pursue a new career as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. The series, which premiered in 2018, follows the personal and professional lives of Nolan and other officers, detectives, and sergeants with the LAPD. Rounding out the cast is Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Melissa O’Neill as Lucy Chen, Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez, Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper and Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez.
