The Rookie has lost one of its main stars ahead of the show’s return in Season 7. It’s been revealed that Tru Valentino will not return as Aaron Thorsen when The Rookie returns in 2025.
Per TVLine, Valentino is officially out at The Rookie, leaving his role as a series regular effective immediately. The actor debuted in a recurring capacity in Season 4 before he was promoted to series regular starting with Season 5. He remained in that role through Season 6, which concluded in May. Some fans might have seen the writing on the wall with the actor’s exit as he was not in attendance during the show’s presence at San Diego Comic-Con. No reason has yet been given for why Valentino is not coming back.
Two recurring guest stars have also been revealed for Season 7 of The Rookie. Eric Augustine (All American, Shameless) will appear as Miles, a “Texas transfer who despite having two years under his belt, will be a rookie at the LAPD.” The other new addition is Patrick Keleher (The Egos) as Seth, a character who “may seem like the ideal police officer, but the job requires quick, decisive action — and that, alas, is something that doesn’t come naturally to him.”
Created by Alexi Hawley, The Rookie debuted don ABC in 2018. The series began with Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan embarking on a new career as a police officer in Los Angeles as a middle-aged man. The show utilizes an ensemble cast which also includes Alyssa Diaz (Angela Lopez), Richard T. Jones (Wade Grey), Melissa O’Neil (Lucy Chen), Eric Winter (Tim Bradford), Mekia Cox (Nyla Harper), Shawn Ashmore (Wesley Evers), Jenna Dewan (Bailey Nune), and Lisseth Chavez (Celina Juarez).
There haven’t been too many major casting shakeups in the Rookie during its first six seasons. Mercedes Mason’s Captain Zoe Anderson was famously written out of the series in the first season, while Officer Talia Bishop actor Afton Williamson would also depart before Season 2’s debut. The other big shocker with character exits came in the Season 4 premiere, when it was revealed that Titus Makin’s Officer Jackson West was killed off due to the events of the Season 3 finale.
Season 7 of The Rookie Will Go Back to More ‘Standalone Storytelling’
“We’re looking forward to going back to a bit more standalone storytelling. We’ve always had serialized stories from episode to episode, but we don’t necessarily need to touch them every week,” Hawley previously told The Wrap, further teasing that “every season our show feels slightly different.”
