Actor Shemar Moore had to deliver an emotional goodbye to the action-packed cop show S.W.A.T. after eight seasons. But long before its cancellation, the series couldn’t have come at a better time for the veteran actor. Moore had just left Criminal Minds to explore new career opportunities when S.W.AT. arrived when he least expected it.
Shemar Moore agreed to do ‘S.W.A.T.’ after a blind leap of faith
S.W.AT. wasn’t exactly waiting for Moore after he left Criminal Minds. The veteran actor wasn’t sure where he’d end up after he retired Derek Morgan in season 11 of the show. He just knew he wanted to add a little bit more excitement to his career, even if that meant being a bit uncomfortable for a while.
“I knew what I was yearning for (was) something fresh and new that challenged me so I could be excited to go to work and not be comfortable in the beginning,” Moore once said according to The Spokesman-Review. “To earn my stripes, to earn my way. But as long as it was something that moved me, that inspired me.”
Moore found what he was looking for in S.W.A.T., which was adapted from the 2003 movie of the same name. Similarly to his role in Criminal Minds, Moore would also play a role in his new CBS series that would see him hunt down bad guys. But that was where the similarities ended. Moore was cast as the lead in the cop show, rather than as a part of an ensemble like in Criminal Minds. S.W.A.T. also offered Moore all of the challenges and creative risks he wanted out of a project. However, the Daytime Emmy-winner clarified that he didn’t leave Criminal Minds specifically for S.W.A.T.. Back then, Moore didn’t even know about the procedural.
“When I left Criminal Minds, it was a blind leap. I just believed in me and I was hungry to grow. I didn’t know S.W.A.T. was coming. I had no idea. I was an unemployed actor trying to figure it out. But my mother gave me a card that said, ‘Leap and the net will appear.’ I went on vacation to Sydney, Australia, and I lost myself. I got away from the business. I was like, ‘I’m chilling,’” Moore once said in an interview with Soap Opera Digest.
Shemar Moore called his role in ‘S.W.A.T.’ Derek Morgan on steroids
There were plenty of reasons Moore couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into his S.W.AT. character. The series wouldn’t just be about Hondo battling criminals in thrilling action sequences. It would tackle issues like racism, the relationship between law enforcement and civilian community, and Hondo being caught in the middle of two worlds. At the same time, Moore reassured viewers that the show’s heavy subject matter wouldn’t take away from the fun.
“You’re going to have a good time. It’s a thrill ride. It’s everything you know S.W.A.T. to be, but I really believe we’re going to surprise you. What I’m describing is why I am here playing Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson,” Moore said.
Additionally, playing the leader of a SWAT team meant Moore had to maintain peak condition. Even more so than he did when he was playing Derek Morgan.
“Hondo is a bad dude in a good way,” Moore said in an old interview with New Jersey Herald. “Physically I gained 10 pounds from what people remember from my run on Criminal Minds. I was a tough guy there, kickin’ down doors and tacklin’ guys, but what I tell my fans is Hondo is Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds on steroids. Not just physically and, no, I’m not taking steroids. I just changed my diet, I got in the gym but also emotionally and mentally and the stakes that Hondo has to play with and the pressure that’s on him.”
