Actor Tru Valentino has commented on his surprise exit from The Rookie. His response comes one day after it was reported that Valentino would not be returning as a series regular for Season 7.
In the series, Valentino has been playing the role of Aaron Thorsen. He joined the series in Season 4 as a recurring character, ane Valentino was promoted the following season, serving as a series regular for Seasons 5 and 6. The day after the news broke, Valentino shared a message posted to his Instagram Stories. It did not include a specific reason for why he was leaving the show, but instead expressed how grateful he is to have had the experience of being a part of it. The actor also hinted that he might “pop back up” in the future, hinting at guest appearances.
“I will always cherish my time on The Rookie but couldn’t be more excited for what the future has in store,”
Valentino said. “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 wrold, 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 Officer Thorsen, over and out!”
Valentino addressed the show’s popularity and what it was like to be a part of it in an interview with Give Me My Remote earlier this year. He reflected bcak to his first day on the set, which for the actor, still felt like it just happened. Valentino also remembered how comfortable the Rookie team had made him, and it wasn’t long before he felt like he was part of the family.
Aaron Thorsen’s First Day Didn’t Feel Like So Long Ago
“Oh, man, I remember that because it wasn’t that long ago,” he said. “My first day on The Rookie, we did scenes where Aaron had to talk to Harper for the first time and basically stand his ground [saying,] ‘This why I’m here. I’m not just a spoiled brat or whatever. I went through what I had to go through to get here.’ And, for me, it was intimidating because I had never worked on a TV show before. [There was] the crew around me and then doing [the scene] with Mekia [Cox], and the scene and stuff like that. And then after the scene, they’re like, ‘Oh, you gotta, like, have some emotions.’ And I’m just like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’”
He added, “So that was a little nerve-wracking. But the director [Lisa Demaine] was awesome. And she made me feel very comfortable. And by the end of that day, I think some of the crew members were like, ‘Hey man, good job [on] your first day.’ So that was cool.”
