No one likes to be blindsided, especially when it comes to major career news. But that’s exactly how one SWAT star found out about the new spinoff series, SWAT Exiles. No, there wasn't a meeting or anything like that. The news came through a simple text message, leaving the actor both surprised and amused.
In a recent interview with TVLine, SWAT star Jay Harrington was asked about his reaction to the announcement of the new spinoff, revealing how he first heard the news and sharing his honest thoughts on the unexpected development.
Harrington shared that there had never been any discussions about a spinoff from the SWAT creative team, and he didn't even have an inkling himself that news of a spinoff was coming when he was shooting the SWAT series finale. He goes on to explain that because SWAT had been canceled and revived a few times before, he thought there was still a chance it might continue, especially with the rise of streaming platforms.
In his mind, the possibilities were either the show would return or it would end. However, he never expected a spinoff. He tells TVLine, "I did not have a spin-off on my bingo card," meaning that a spinoff wasn’t something he was anticipating at all. It was a complete surprise. When asked about how exactly he found out, Harrington revealed that it wasn’t through official channels or even a formal announcement.
Instead, he learned the news just a day before it went public, when co-star Shemar Moore reached out to the cast personally via text to give them a heads-up. Moore explained what was happening and let them know that there were talks that the studio might reach out to them soon. Harrington then informed his reps, only to find out they didn’t know anything about it either.
"It was the day before. Shemar reached out to to all of us to say, “This is what’s going on…,” and, you know, there’s talk that they’ll reach out to us about stuff. He wanted to be the one to tell us, and say “your reps will find out shortly.” That’s when I told my reps, and they had no idea." - Jay Harrington
Was he mad about being left out of the loop? Not exactly. Harrington made it clear to TVLine that he doesn’t feel entitled to anything just because he’s been with the show for eight seasons. He understands the business. Still, he believes there’s a difference between being owed something and simply being given the courtesy of a heads-up.
If anything disappointed him, it was the fact that the original cast wasn’t mentioned at all when the spinoff was announced. But even that feeling didn’t last long. He quickly reminded himself of the pride he takes in the eight years of hard work and success the SWAT team achieved together.
Is there any bad blood between him and Moore? Absolutely not. Harrington shared with TVLine that their bond remains solid. After Moore shared the spinoff news, he made it clear to Harrington that he was available to talk more if he wanted to have a deeper or more personal conversation. Harrington then responded with appreciation, texting Moore to say, “I’m sure you did your best."
"We’ve been brothers for years, so that doesn’t change." - Jay Harrington
While it's unfortunate how the studio handled the spinoff announcement, I'm glad to know that it didn't affect Harrington and Moore's friendship. Moore is the only original cast member confirmed to reprise his role in SWAT Exiles. He will portray Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, and viewers will see his character leading a team of young recruits.