Summary
- Richard T. Jones sits down to talk about The Rookie Season 7 and also look back at the growth of his character Lt. Wade Grey.
- Jones hopes for international scenes in future episodes, showcasing Grey away from the precinct.
- Jones promises tension in Season 7 with diabolical criminals on the loose after the escape at the end of Season 6.
Season 7 of The Rookie is officially here. After having survived COVID and the SAG/WGA strikes, the series is back and better than ever. The truncated Season 6 offered a lot in a short time, from the drama between Bailey (Jenna Dewan) and John Nolan's (Nathan Fillion) marriage to Monica (Bridget Regan) rising up the criminal pyramid, there was a lot to take in. The season ended on a twist as we saw Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) and Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee) escape from jail. On top of that threat, the precinct has a couple of new rookies. It seems that LIeutenant Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) has a lot on his plate this season and that's on top of his day-to-day duties as a leader and mentor to all of the police offices at the Mid-Wilshire Division.
We spoke with Richard T. Jones about Season 7 of The Rookie and Lt. Grey. We first discussed the road to Season 7 and what he was the most proud of when it came to playing this character. When we first met Grey, he was kind of a prickly character who didn't believe that John Nolan had what it took to be a police officer. And in the following seasons, the two have become closer. Jones teased future tension for the season ahead, calling Jason and Oscar "diabolical criminals." He also discussed whether Grey would make the move to captain and the defining moments where he began to understand his character. Watch the full interview with Jones in our video player above, or read the transcript below.
What Is Richard T. Jones Most Proud of When It Comes to Lieutenant Grey's Story?
"What I love about Grey is his nurturing nature..."
COLLIDER: Season 7 of The Rookie. It's been a long road. It's been a long journey. Instead of looking forward, I'm actually going to look back first. For your character, when you look back on Grey’s arc and his story, what are you the most proud of when you think of his character and playing his character?
RICHARD T. JONES: What I'm most proud of about Lieutenant Grey — I'm a lieutenant now, I didn’t know if you were aware of that — what I’m most proud of about this character is his growth. I think he's starting to realize you can't judge a book by its cover, starting with Nolan. At first, I was like, “Nah, man, this ain’t for you. This ain't the job for you.” And as I saw his dedication to the work and that he had the same heart that I had, I embraced him. What I love about Grey is his nurturing nature. He loves to nurture these young people and bring them up in the right way, in a safe way, so when they're hitting the streets they come home at night. So, I love that about my character. I love the growth. He cares more and more for the individuals as well as protecting the badge, in other words. He brings those together very well.
Jones Is Ready for 'The Rookie' To Go International!
"We have taken other characters out of the country and stuff like that, but I would love to take me to Japan or somewhere on the beach..."
I really enjoyed that arc where he and his wife go to New York, and they see his daughter. I thought that was such a fun little interlude, especially him functioning in New York.
JONES: [Laughs] It was.
Do you have any type of storylines like that in mind where you're like, “I want to do this at some point,” that you've maybe pitched, or maybe this is your moment to pitch out out into the world?
JONES: Wow, that's a good idea. Look, why don't you tell me this before we start rolling? No, I love stuff like that. Of course, we can't do the kidnapping again, but I would love to do something more like that where we take my character — we have taken other characters out of the country and stuff like that, but I would love to take me to Japan or somewhere on the beach, but we have to go to this. We have to get a little skeleton crew and go to these places so we can shoot the real of it.
You have to shoot it in person on location.
JONES: Exactly. Italy or something like that. Something nice.
Pick something where it looks like you have to be there.
JONES: You have to be there. There. [Laughs] Just so we're clear.
Richard T. Jones Teases Tensions Arising in 'The Rookie' Season 7
"So, it's about us keeping our cool, keeping our calm about ourselves, but also being very effective, very fast."
Just looking into Season 7, there's a lot going on. Season 6 ended on a big note, and really, with all of these criminals, it's not just Oscar and Jason out there, but the fallout for Monica. Can you talk a little bit about how the cast or the characters are going to be dealing with all of this fallout and all of this chaos?
JONES: Well, we're professionals, so we deal with it with kind of an ease, but understanding the dangers of everything around, and especially when it comes to Jason and Oscar. We understand that these are diabolical criminals. They're diabolical. So, it's about us keeping our cool, keeping our calm about ourselves, but also being very effective, very fast. So what you'll see is a lot of, not tension in the sense of mental tension, but tension in the fact of going after it and trying to get these guys under control.
Will Lieutenant Wade Move Up in the Mid-Wilshire Division?
"He's not like a lot of the younger characters, like the Chens and the Lopezes, that wanted to become a detective."
I'm actually curious because Grey is at the same age level as Nolan, and I feel like when it first started, there was some tension there.
JONES: Yes.
But I like when the two of them bond over being a little bit older men, mature men.
JONES: Seasoned. We like the word “seasoned.”
Is there something that you want to explore when it comes to your character and that element of him? Obviously, as you said, he's a lieutenant. I assume captain is after that?
JONES: Captain is after that.
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New episodes of 'The Rookie' air every Tuesday on ABC.
Is that something that is in his purview, or is he good where he is?
JONES: When it comes to Grey, Grey is very comfortable where he is. He didn’t even want the lieutenant promotion. You know what I’m saying? It was just kind of given to him, and he was like, “Oh, okay, I gotta take it? Because I've been here that long?” But I don't think it's anything that he was striving for. He's not like a lot of the younger characters, like the Chens and the Lopezes, that wanted to become a detective. I think he had his opportunity to do all of that, but he's very comfortable, and not just comfortable, but he's satisfied and training up these people and making them strong. I would say “patrol cops,” people on the street. He likes the street, and he likes helping people that want to work the street like that.
I like that about him. I like that about a lot of the characters. They're working the community.
JONES: Yeah, exactly.
Jones Reveals What Is the Most Important Part of Wade Grey's Character
"It's a dangerous calling, and it's something that, if you don't take it seriously, it can change not only your life but it can change everybody else's life."
That's important. When you look back at playing your character and when you first got Grey, what was the moment for you where you were like, “I get this character now?” Do you have a specific scene or a specific storyline where you're like, “I get it. This is how it's going to work?”
JONES: It's funny because I kind of got Grey immediately with the first speech to Nolan, when he was just like, “Look, man, this is a calling. You can't just be coming in here.” Even though I was trying to make Nolan retire early, there was something about that speech that let me know his part in the whole thing, that he believed this was a calling, and everybody's not called to that. It's a dangerous calling, and it's something that, if you don't take it seriously, it can change not only your life but it can change everybody else's life. It can change your partner's life. It affects more than just you. So, you have to be very careful in what you're doing.
Because of that speech, I had a nice talk with Alexi [Hawley], and Alexi just kind of was like, “Yeah, that's exactly where this character is.” That's his heart. His heart is to make sure all these men and women that are under him understand that if you've been called to this, then it is very important. It’s something to take serious and it’s something to hold precious.
What Is Lieutenant Wade Grey's Song for a Potential Musical Episode?
Wrapping up, when you get a lot of seasons in a show sometimes they like to play around and sometimes there's a musical episode. I'm curious, if there was one, what is his song?
JONES: Please have a musical episode! I would love that. I actually pitched that. I actually pitched a black and white musical episode, and they said no. But I did pitch it. What would the song be? I can't sing a lick, but everybody else on this show can. That's what's great about it. I just want to hear everybody else’s voice.
There’s autotune. There are ways we can get around this.
JONES: That’s what I’m trying to say.
What is Grey’s song?
JONES: Grey’s song would be, probably, “To live the impossible dream…” It’d be, like, one of those big ballads. “To fight the unbeatable…” I'd be like that.
I think you can sing. This is amazing.
JONES: No, I really can't, but maybe I'll rap one or something like that. Yeah. I can do the rap part.
New episodes of The Rookie Season 7 premieres on Tuesdays on ABC. You can watch previous seasons on Hulu in the U.S.
The Rookie
- Release Date
- October 16, 2018
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Alexi Hawley
Cast
-
John Nolan -
Melissa O'NeilLucy Chen
WHERE TO WATCH
Starting over isn't easy, especially for John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of joining the LAPD. As their oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from those who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 7
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
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