The Rookie stars know how to stay fit. Nathan Fillion reflects on career longevity, while Jenna Dewan emphasizes the importance of rest. Niecy Nash-Betts enjoys acupuncture and sauna treatments. Britt Robertson shares her hair care secrets. Alyssa Diaz trains rigorously for her role, and Mercedes Mason discusses cultural representation in media. Mekia Cox advises aspiring actors, Lisseth Chavez loves hiking, and Melissa O’Neil combines hiking with pet companionship. Kevin Zegers focuses on outdoor workouts, and Sara Rue shares her journey towards self-acceptance and physical comfort.
Nathan Fillion plays John Nolan. He talked about his career to The Toronto Sun. “For me, it seems like each project I do I’m saying to myself, ‘Oh my God, I finally made it.’ Here I am, I’m about to turn 52 and I’ve been in this business for 30 years. I’m still experiencing firsts. This is my first time on a prime-time, 8 o’clock show of my very own. This is my first time with a spinoff show. This is my first time where they are really building out an evening with the kinds of entertainment we’re trying to bring.”
Jenna Dewan plays Bailey Nune on the show, and joined in the fourth season. She tells Shape Magazine that she makes sleep and rest a priority. “Rest is the hardest thing for me to come by, as I’m sure most people can relate, but I try to get as much as I can. Making time for myself within working, within family, within all of that is very, very important for me and not the easiest to do, but I make it a priority.”
Niecy Nash-Betts played the lead role of Simone Clark on the show’s spin off. She shared some of her wellness habits with Parade. “I’ve started a new life in acupuncture. It’s a weekly thing and that is something that I enjoy. And then I also bought an in-home or travel sauna. So maybe I cannot get down to a day spa to go sit in the sauna but I have one that I can travel with. And so, that’s an end of day routine cause once I sit in that sauna, forget about it! I’m toast after that. Having acupuncture I have found to just be a lovely gift to myself. Therapy is a wonderful gift.”
Britt Robertson played Laura Stensen on the spin off. She shared some of her favorite products in an interview with Women’s Health. Robertson says she uses Sally Hershberger Hyper Hydration Super Keratin Spray on her hair. “I’ll put it on really thick, then throw my hair in a bun and let it sink in during my workout. I’ll wash it out afterward; it gives my hair hold, makes it soft, and smells really nice.”
Alyssa Diaz played Angela Lopez on the first three seasons. She talked about her training process for the show to Starry Constellation Magazine. “We learned how to clear rooms. We learned how to arrest people. I do a lot of running and kickboxing to kick down doors and I learned how to walk with a weapon, how to load it and unload it.”
Mercedes Mason played Zoe Andersen in season one. She talked about wanting to represent the Iranian community and wanting more representation in the media to The Persian Observer. “As Iranians we have been overlooked by Hollywood. We aren’t considered white ethnically yet we aren’t considered diverse enough either so we end up falling between the cracks. It’s been one of the biggest frustrations for me as an actress. As much as Hollywood talks about inclusivity, I feel as though Iranians have been left by the wayside. I can’t think of a single show that showcases Iranian families. Or Iranian leads of TV shows. I’m hopeful that this will change. We have such a beautiful and warm culture. Saddens me that most people don’t know much about the Persian culture. There’s still so much stigma surrounding Iran.”
Mekia Cox joined the show as Nyla Harper in the second season. She shared her advice for aspiring actors with Cliche Magazine. “If it’s your dream, then you gotta go full steam ahead. And you have to love it in whatever form it comes. I always thought performing is what I’d do no matter what, even if that meant I spent my whole life doing regional theater in some small city no one ever heard of. If it made me happy, that’s what I’d do.“
Lisseth Chavez joined the cast in season five, playing Celina Juarez. She loves to go hiking to stay in shape. Chavez recently took a trip to Zion Narrows National Park, and shared highlights on Instagram. She shared this photo and video of herself wading in a river, captioning it, “Don’t let this smile fool you, I nearly froze to death.”
Melissa O’Neil plays Lucy Chen on the show. She loves to go on hikes, and she sometimes takes her dog with her. O’Neil shared these videos on Instagram of herself hiking in the woods with her dog. She captioned it, “I Love this nug so much. We celebrated by going to Millard Canyon Falls. It’s a 50-ft waterfall not even a 30min drive away from home. Kind of blows my mind how beautiful it is here some times. With all the recent rain the water is flooowwwiinng. We had a blast criss crossing the creek that was at several points pretty precarious but she is a brave pupperoni and let me backpack her around the trickier crossings.”
Kevin Zegers played Brandon Acres on the spin off. He does a lot of outdoor workouts to stay in shape, and shares some of his favorites on Instagram. One thing Zegers likes to do is swim. He shared this underwater photo of himself snorkeling.
Sara Rue has a recurring role as Nell Forester. Rue is open about her struggles with weight, and talked about her journey with Cosmopolitan. “Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows it’s such an emotional, complicated thing. As an actor, there are certain roles that you really can’t play or be cast in when you’re overweight. But I don’t want to sensationalize it; my weight loss was more of an internal thing, and it was about mentally and physically wanting to be in a place where I could feel really comfortable in my own skin. When I turned 30, I had this image of myself and where I wanted to be in five, in 10 years — but the reality of my situation just didn’t match up. So it was as simple as that — and as complex as a thousand other things going into it.”