In recent years, The Rookie’s multi-demographic fanbase has grown exponentially, partially thanks to all the cast members' TikTok efforts. The series is not going anywhere any time soon, and though it won’t be back on the 2026 TV schedule, Season 9 will arrive in 2027 along with its new Jay Ellis-starring spinoff. Plenty of people watch the Nathan Fillion-led procedural, and yes, that includes mega- celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, who visited the set for what sounds like the sweetest reason.
CinemaBlend was in attendance for The Rookie panel at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend, where the entire cast and Alexi Hawley, the show’s creator, talked all about the fan-favorite series. At one point, Hawley revealed that The Rock wound up expressing interest in stopping by the set one day because of his daughter. And it’s both very cool and very sweet:
So an unknown actor named Dwayne Johnson called us up because his daughter, his nine-about-to-become-10-year-old daughter, was a huge fan of the show. We were her favorite show and [he] wanted to bring her to set. And I mean, I think that was a really amazing day for us on set to have him there with her…. That was pretty surreal for sure.
I love that Johnson did that for his daughter. And it’s not so surprising. He’s definitely gone above and beyond for his three kids, even giving them cameos in Moana 2. While he had trouble convincing his daughter, Tia, that he was Maui from Moana, he probably scored some cool dad points from Jazz, who turned 10 last December, when she went to Paramount Pictures to visit the set of her favorite show.
Johnson is not the first celebrity to score some cool dad points when it comes to The Rookie. Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles made a surprise cameo on the ABC drama during Season 8, all because Ackles’ daughter, JJ, is a fan. Hawley previously explained to TV Insider that Ackles initially reached out to Fillion about having the cast record a birthday video for her, and Hawley was the one who suggested a cameo. Ackles and Padalecki managed to film something separately, as they were both filming separate projects, and it worked out pretty well.
For some reason, it never really occurs to me that celebrities or children of celebrities would be watching the same shows I watch, and that they are fans. It’s just sweet what they would do for their children. Now I need Johnson to appear on The Rookie, just like Ackles. He’s definitely a busy man, but it’s not like his appearance would have to be a big one. The Rookie takes place in Los Angeles, so it would be easy for there to be a call at a movie set or for some of the characters to spot Johnson in the street while doing patrol.
With filming commencing on Season 9 of The Rookie, perhaps something could happen. Johnson does always seem to be working, so that might be hard. At the very least, he was able to make a set visit happen, which I’m sure was more than enough for his daughter. The Rookie Season 9 premieres in 2027 on ABC. All eight seasons are streaming now with a Hulu subscription.
