‘The Rookie’ stars shares most intense on-set moments

The Rookie cast opened up about the stunts and intense scenes from the show.

During a cast panel at Epic Con Chicago 2025, stars Eric Winter, Melissa O’Neil, Shawn Ashmore, Alyssa Diaz, Titus Makin Jr. and Mekia Cox shared behind the scenes stories from the ABC police drama.

O’Neil, who plays Sgt. Lucy Chen, recalled a terrifying moment on set as she once cracked her head open on concrete, twice in a row. “That was crazy,” she said. The injury was “a full-on concussion," O’Neil, explained. "Nauseous, personality change — the whole thing."

Ashmore, who portrays lawyer Wesley Evers, had a similar experience. While filming season 4, he broke a rib. 

"All I had to do was tackle a guy,” he said. “First take, adrenaline is going, 'Action!' And I hit him. I ran into him, and I felt a lightning bolt go through my body.”

Five days later, after his wife Dana Wasdin urged him to get checked, he discovered the rib had been broken the entire time.

Winter, who plays Sgt. Tim Bradford, shared that he once accidentally injured Diaz during a fight scene.

He admitted that he’d warned her beforehand, saying he “was really into Cobra Kai” at the time.

Since the show’s 2018 premiere, its popularity has soared, adding pressure for star Nathan Fillion. "Our show is becoming very popular in Los Angeles,” he said.

The 54-year-old actor had also shared at San Diego Comic-Con in July, “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."

The Rookie returns for season 8 on ABC, January 6.