Nathan Fillion is gearing up to make his anticipated return as Officer John Nolan on Season 6 of The Rookie. But after sharing an emotional post on Instagram, could the former daytime actor be hinting that his time on the police series is nearing its end? Is Nathan Fillion leaving The Rookie? Read on to learn more.
The Rookie, ABC’s police procedural drama, follows the story of John Nolan (played by Nathan Fillion), a newly divorced man in his 40s who, after inadvertently helping the police stop a bank robbery, moves from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career as a police officer at the Los Angeles Police Department. The series was created by Alexi Hawley and is based on the true story of William Norcross, a real officer with the Los Angeles Police Department who moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and joined the department in his mid-40s.
Fillion has played John Nolan since The Rookie Season 1 in 2018. He’s also an executive producer on the series. Fillion’s role as Nolan has proved to be one of the most rewarding in his acting portfolio, which includes playing Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live, Malcolm Reynolds on Fox’s Firefly, and Richard Castle on the ABC dramedy Castle.
“Castle was fun to play because he got away with everything. I would never hang out with that guy, but playing him was fun. John Nolan is a character I’ve kind of grown into. It’s nice to play someone who is thoughtful,” Fillion told The Toronto Sun in January 2023.
He continued, “It’s a police show, so there’s a lot of drama and excitement there. But I think there’s something relatable about the redo and the restart,” Fillion responded when asked why The Rookie has connected so well with viewers. “Dropping everything and push into something entirely different. That’s a new reality for a lot of people, especially coming out of the pandemic. We’ve all reprioritized and made changes. People have quit jobs and people can relate to change.”
The Rookie has gone on to have immense success; the Season 5 premiere earned 8.2 million total viewers, according to an ABC press release. The show even spawned a spin-off series, The Rookie: Feds, although the show was axed after one season in November 2023.
Season 6 of The Rookie is set to premiere on February 20, but could this be Fillion’s last run? Keep reading to find out.
Is Nathan Fillion leaving The Rookie?
Is Nathan Fillion leaving The Rookie? As of February 2024, neither ABC nor Fillion have announced plans for the actor to leave the show. However, with the recent cancellation of The Rookie: Feds, there’s always a chance that this season could be the 52-year-old star’s last (although we really hope not).
Ahead of the Season 6 premiere, the actor penned an emotional post to promote the upcoming season. He also shared a teaser clip for Season 6, which was pushed from fall to spring because of the now-resolved writers’ and actors’ strikes.
“It’s been a long time, but we’re finally here. We made it through the strike, and we’ve been hard at work to bring you another season of #TheRookie,” Fillion wrote in the post. He continued, “I get a little emotional when I talk about this show. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved, and truly enjoy the fantastic experience it has been.”
Fillion concluded, “And now, we get to share it with you. Consider this a call for back up. Join us on Tuesday, February 20, on ABC and Hulu. Come in hot. Lights and sirens.”
Fillion likely signed a standard six-year contract with The Rookie, and if that’s the case, the agreement may expire after this upcoming season. As for his involvement beyond Season 6, it’ll be dependent on if he decides to renew his contract. We previously reported that the actor makes about $100,000 per episode on The Rookie, which pays Fillion between $1.4 million to $2.2 million each season, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about all things The Rookie and Nathan Fillion.
