Nathan Fillion is ready to take The Rookie abroad!
Hot off the heels of season 7’s conclusion in May 2025, the 54-year-old actor was joined by executive producer Alexi Hawley at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26. The pair debuted a trailer for the upcoming season and discussed filming the premiere of the ABC procedural in Prague.
“When I first said, hey, I want to go to Prague for season 8, I got some looks, because that’s not a normal network television thing to do,” Hawley said, referring to the budget restrictions of filming network TV. “But I’m like we can absorb it, because we’ve gotten really good at making the show.”
“I’ve said this, it felt like we were making Casino Royale,” Fillion added of filming in the capital city of the Czech Republic.
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“[It’s been] a double-edged sword, our show is becoming very popular in Los Angeles,” Fillion explained as he noted it can make it difficult to film on the streets of the city.
“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. I’ll take it, though,” he said.
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Nathan Fillion signs Funko Pops before the Funko: Welcome to the Funderdome at San Diego Comic Con Panel on July 24, 2025 in San Diego.
Fillion shared that his family has always been fans of the show, saying, “When I first started doing The Rookie, and The Rookie started airing, my youngest niece Jordan said to me, ‘Nathan, you’re finally on a show I like!’ I said, ‘I’ve actually been on TV since before you were born.’ She said, ‘I know.’”
As for what else fans can expect from season 8, Hawley teases, “We have an undercover Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) story that we’re working on in the writers’ room right now.”
Fillion would also like to see one star return to the show: Pete Davidson, who played Peter Nolan. He noted the Saturday Night Live alum “wants to come back” but “is hard to get a hold of.”
Calling Davidson “a joy” to work with, he added, “He vibrates on a different plane, and no two takes are alike. He’s feeling his way through stuff, and he’s, yeah, he’s very sensitive, very concerned about doing a great job, and he really loves his work. He’s so kind.”
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Nathan Fillion and Lisseth Chavez on ‘The Rookie’
The Rookie is one of ABC’s most successful series.
Premiering in October 2018, the show follows John Nolan (Fillion) as he joins the Los Angeles Police Department in his 40s after going through a divorce. As the oldest rookie in the LAPD, John has to deal with all the complications of being a new cop and facing adversity due to his age, while also starting a new life in California.
The show is based on the true story of LAPD officer William “Bill” Norcross, who continues to serve in the LAPD and is an executive producer.
The series — which was recently nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination For Drama Programming — also stars Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Melissa O’Neill as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez.
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With seven seasons under his belt, Fillion has previously raved about the show and its longevity.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, Fillion opened up about why The Rookie has connected with audiences so much over the years.
“[John Nolan] is literally starting his life over, from scratch,” he said. “He has an incredible history behind him, but he’s starting everything brand new. It’s a very attractive prospect that people can relate to.”
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San Diego Comic-Con 2025 is being held at the San Diego Convention Center from July 24 to July 27.
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