Shemar Moore is addressing the SWAT spinoff that’s moving ahead without his former castmembers, saying, “Nobody likes change, but without change, you can’t grow. You can’t win without taking your lumps.”
The actor, who led the CBS series SWAT for eight seasons before it was canceled, took to his Instagram on Monday to share a lengthy video (below), acknowledging that he “might catch some flak” from the industry and fans following the announcement of SWAT Exiles, which sees him return as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson.
While Moore praised his former SWAT castmates, he also explained why he’s taking on the spinoff alone by comparing himself to a quarterback in football, aka “Tom Brady of SWAT.”
“That’s not arrogant, that’s not ego, it’s a fact. I’m the quarterback. I’m Shemar Moore, aka Hondo,” he said in the video. “But I had a squad, a strong squad, a family, a team, and I would be remiss if I didn’t say out loud to the world and to them, because I know they’re watching this, I love you, I respect you, I appreciate you.”
Moore continued, “That’s my family for life. Just like in sports, Tom Brady might be the quarterback, but people get traded. Tight end gets traded, the running back gets traded, the receivers get traded, but the teams keep on pushing with their quarterback and I’m that guy. So proud, so grateful. I’m not gonna apologize for nothing. Busted my ass for 31 years to do what I do, and excited about the future. I’m excited that SWAT gets to keep playing ball.”
On Sunday, Sony Pictures Television announced that it has greenlit a spinoff of the crime procedural following Moore’s character, who is “pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance, experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits.” No other former SWAT castmembers have said that they will be returning for the new series.
Moore added in his video that SWAT Exiles is set to start filming this summer.
While SWAT just concluded its eighth and final season, it was previously canceled after its sixth season in 2023, before it was revived two more times. After CBS canceled the show for a second time in March, Moore had been pushing to find a new home for the series.