The Rookie promotes actress to series regular in season 6

The Rookie wisely shifted gears in season 5, when the titular character, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), was given a rookie of his own to mentor. It was a clever way of progressing the character within the LAPD while bringing in new and exciting faces to keep the show feeling fresh.

The new rookie was Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez), who differs greatly from Nolan in approach and temperament, but nonetheless made for a charming partner on cases. Juarez got a large amount of screen time in season 5, appearing in 19 episodes, but she was listed as a recurring character and not a member of the main cast.

Lisseth Chavez is now part of The Rookie's main cast

This won't be the case in season 6. Deadline confirmed that Chavez has been promoted to series regular, which means she will feature in nearly every episode of the upcoming season and will share even more screen time with her mentor.

Chavez reposted the Deadline article on Instagram with the caption "LETS GOOOOO!!!!" Nathan Fillion, commented on the post and made it clear he was excited for what's to come in season 6.

""What a fantastic addition to this show. Liz, you are so very good at your job, and a wonderful energy to have around every day. We are all so fortunate to have you.""

Fillion, who also serves as an executive producer on The Rookie, told the Toronto Sun that keeping the audience on their toes was crucial to the show's success, and that casting additions like Chavez were a crucial part of this "change."

Chavez previously played a police officer on Chicago PD

"It’s a police show, so there’s a lot of drama and excitement there," he noted. "But I think there’s something relatable about the redo and the restart. Dropping everything and push into something entirely different. That’s a new reality for a lot of people... We’ve all reprioritized and made changes."

Chavez also got some love from Chicago PD star LaRoyce Hawkins, who commented: "Damn right." Chavez acted alongside Hawkins during her stint on the One Chicago drama, but her character was written off the show after numerous appearances in season 7.

According to the One Chicago Wiki, her character, Vanessa Rojas, was supposed to have a romance with Hawkins' character, Atwater, but the subplot was scrapped due to the 2020 pandemic. She was then written off the show because Chavez accepted a role on the drama Legends of Tomorrow.