FBI: Most Wanted star Julian McMahon was killed off of the CBS series after three seasons playing Special Agent Jess LaCroix. Here’s why he left.
The FBI franchise has become a huge staple of the CBS primetime lineup. The three procedurals created by Dick Wolf — the mastermind behind NBC’s trio of One Chicago shows — have delivered successful ratings on Tuesday nights and given CBS a property to rival its longtime NCIS universe. FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and the latest spinoff, FBI: International, are bringing in plenty of viewers and seem like they’ll be going for years.
However, they’re also experiencing the same cast turnover that’s happened with the NCIS shows. Just like Mark Harmon departed the original NCIS (although the door was left open for a cameo in the future), FBI: Most Wanted star Julian McMahon stated that he was stepping down from the series after nearly three seasons playing team leader Jess LaCroix. Why did McMahon leave the series, and what did it mean for FBI: Most Wanted’s future?
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on May 29, 2024: The original FBI series has received an epic renewal, confirming that it will be on the air through its ninth season and potentially beyond. Its spinoff series are doing particularly well also, with FBI: International returning for a fourth season and FBI: Most Wanted coming back for a sixth. Most Wanted has undergone several major changes over its early seasons, including losing its main star, Julian McMahon, whose character was killed off at the end of Season 3. Why did McMahon leave the series, and how has it affected the cast since then?
FBI: Most Wanted Had a Cast Problem Long Before McMahon’s Departure
Despite the success of FBI: Most Wanted, several original cast members left before the end of its third season. Nathaniel Arcand’s Special Agent Clinton Skye left in Season 2, and Kellan Lutz’s Special Agent Kenny Crosby moved on after the Season 3 premiere episode. The show did a good job of handling their departures by finding suitable (if not better) replacements in Miguel Gomez’s Special Agent Ivan Ortiz and Alexa Davalos’s Special Agent Kristin Gaines, respectively.
Yet replacing the lead agent — and the show’s main star — was an entirely different problem. Jess LaCroix had been in charge since FBI: Most Wanted’s inception in 2020. Known for his ability to intuitively solve a case and get inside suspects’ heads, Jess had been the heart and soul of the spinoff. That means McMahon’s departure greatly affected a show that had already lost a large portion of its original cast. Dylan McDermott — who previously recurred as crime boss Richard Wheatley on Law & Order: Organized Crime opposite Christopher Meloni — succeeded him, playing the character of Remy Scott. McDermott remains a crucial part of Most Wanted to this day and is expected to return for the show’s upcoming sixth season.
Jess Lacroix’s Death in FBI: Most Wanted Was No Surprise
Julian McMahon’s last episode of FBI: Most Wanted was Season 3, Episode 14, “Shattered.” During the episode, Jess and his team investigated a murder trail left by a dangerous domestic abuser. In the final minutes of the episode, they tracked the killer to a hospital in New Jersey, where Jess found the man’s wife in a parking lot. Out of nowhere, the killer appeared and opened fire, hitting Jess in the neck. The rest of the team quickly took the killer down, but the damage was done. Jess didn’t survive his wounds.
McMahon’s departure didn’t come as a surprise, though. It was reported well in advance that he would leave to work on other projects. “Over the past few months, producers of FBI: Most Wanted and I have had discussions about my departure from the show in favor of additional creative pursuits and the transition of my character Jess LaCroix,” the actor said in a statement to Deadline. Since the writers had plenty of time to plan, it looked like FBI: Most Wanted was setting up a happy ending for Jess. However, the series ultimately decided to go in a more tragic direction by unexpectedly killing its leader, just like The Rookie did to Mercedes Mason’s Captain Zoe Anderson.
In an interview with TVLine, executive producer David Hudgins was asked if producers considered writing McMahon’s character out of FBI: Most Wanted rather than killing him. Hudgins said they had, but ultimately, their decision was simple: “Look, this is Most Wanted. We’re chasing the worst of the worst, the most dangerous of the dangerous, and there is a very real risk associated with the job. We ultimately decided that that was true to the premise of the show, that risk of being shot or killed in the line of duty. We just felt like it was appropriate and emotional and tragic.” If nothing else, Hudgins was right about the “tragic” ending for McMahon’s Special Agent Jess LaCroix.
What Else Has Julian McMahon Been In?
While Jess LaCroix is one of Julian McMahon’s biggest roles in recent years, audiences may recognize the actor from other notable projects. Perhaps his most iconic role to date is that of the powerful Marvel villain Doctor Doom in 2005’s Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. He was the first actor to play the supervillain in a theatrically released film, though certainly not the last. Toby Kebbell played the role in the 2015 reboot, and the character will likely appear in the MCU’s latest reboot, The Fantastic Four. McMahon has also played another Marvel villain in the television series The Runaways, in which he portrays the villainous Jonah.
Audiences of a slightly older generation may also recognize McMahone for his earlier television roles, which include playing Cole Turner in Charmed, Dr. Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck, and Ben Lucini in Home and Away. More recently, the actor played a supporting role in the Nicolas Cage-led thriller The Surfer, which debuted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024.
While Julian McMahone’s exit from FBI: Most Wanted may have disappointed some fans, it ultimately allowed new characters to appear in the series and gave the actor the chance to pursue other interests. He may not have had the happiest of exits, but fans will always fondly remember Special Agent Jess LaCroix.
FBI: Most Wanted airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
