"The Rookie" Cast Does All Their Own Stunts Despite Growing List of Injuries, from Broken Ribs to a 'Fullon Concussion' Julia Moore, Sean NeumannNovember 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM 0 Andrew Eccles/ABC/Getty From Left: Richard T. Jones, Alyssa Diaz, Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter, Melissa O'Neil and Titus Makin Jr.
- - "The Rookie" Cast Does All Their Own Stunts Despite Growing List of Injuries, from Broken Ribs to a 'Full-on Concussion'
Julia Moore, Sean NeumannNovember 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM
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Andrew Eccles/ABC/Getty
From Left: Richard T. Jones, Alyssa Diaz, Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter, Melissa O'Neil and Titus Makin Jr. -
To film The Rookie, the cast of the police drama takes it upon themselves to do their own stunts, but that hasn't always worked out in their favor
During a discussion with the ensemble, stars Shawn Ashmore, Melissa O'Neil and Eric Winter shared stories of on-set injuries related to the show's stuntwork
The Rookie returns to ABC for season 8 on Jan. 6, 2026
The cast of The Rookie goes all-in when they're on set.
During a cast panel at Epic Con Chicago in 2024, stars Eric Winter, Melissa O'Neil, Shawn Ashmore, Alyssa Diaz, Titus Makin Jr. and Mekia Cox spoke to fans about their experiences making the ABC police drama, as they revealed that they all do their own stunts for the show.
O'Neil, who plays Sgt. Lucy Chen, said during the panel that she once cracked her head open on concrete while filming a scene — two times in a row. "That was crazy," she said. The injury was "a full-on concussion," O'Neil, 37, explained. "Nauseous, personality change — the whole thing."
Gilles Mingasson/ABC/Getty
From Left: Arjay Smith, Mekia Cox, Melissa O'Neil, Alyssa Diaz, Jenna Dewan and Nathan Fillion on 'The Rookie'
Ashmore, who plays lawyer Wesley Evers, had a similarly scary story. While filming season 4 of the show, the actor broke a rib. "All I had to do was tackle a guy," he said of the scene. "First take, adrenaline is going, 'Action!' And I hit him. I ran into him, and I felt a lightning bolt go through my body."
"Cut to 12 hours later, we're done with the day of shooting, and I go home, and I'm like 'I'm in pain,'" Ashmore, 46, recalled.
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It wasn't until five days later when his wife, Dana Wasdin, encouraged him to go to the hospital because he was still in pain, and he learned he'd had a broken rib all the while.
Winter, who plays Sgt. Tim Bradford, also had a story to tell. During the panel, he revealed that he'd once injured Diaz (Det. Angela Lopez) while filming a fight scene. The actor, 49, said that he'd warned his costar, 40, before they filmed that he "was really into Cobra Kai" at the time.
Raymond Liu/Getty
From Left: Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil in 'The Rookie'
Since the show's premiere in 2018, its viewership has skyrocketed, and with more eyes on the screen, star Nathan Fillion has felt added pressure. "Our show is becoming very popular in Los Angeles," the actor, 54, said at San Diego Comic-Con in July, explaining that was "a double-edged sword."
"It is an added extra challenge that people driving by in a car will scream, 'We love The Rookie.' And [then we have] cut, go back to the beginning," he said. "I'll take it, though."
The Rookie returns for season 8 on January 6 on ABC.
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Source: Entertainment
Published: November 30, 2025 at 01:09AM on Source: SHOWBIZ MAG
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