Dylan McDermott Replaces Julian McMahon As The Lead In Hit Series
Dylan McDermott has some big shoes to fill!
This article is more than 2 years old
FBI: Most Wanted recently made its fans very anxious with the revelation that its main protagonist, Julian McMahon’s Jess LaCroix will be bidding farewell to the series. McMahon will be departing the CBS series long before it wraps its currently airing Season 3. But fans of the show can finally take a calming breath as the show has already found the one to ease away the glaring absence of McMahon. As per a recent report, a beloved actor from another Dick Wolf-directed show has been brought on board to lead the cast — the Law & Order: Organized Crime star, Dylan McDermott.
According to Deadline, Dylan McDermott, who is currently playing the recurring role of the villainous Richard Wheatley in Dick Wolf’s Law & Order: Organized Crime, has been cast as a replacement for Julian McMahon on FBI: Most Wanted. But he will not be seen as Jess LaCroix, the head of the team from the FBI’s Most Wanted Unit, and is instead slated to play a new character. McMahon, who has led the series for almost three seasons, will make his exit in the episode that will air on March 8. After his exit, McDermott will be making his debut as the new character in Episode 17 which is scheduled to release sometime in April.
For fans of the show, the quick casting of Dylan McDermott may seem surprising and sudden as the news of McMahon leaving FBI: Most Wanted is only days old. But the actor had revealed in his statement that he and the producers had been discussing his departure for months. The decision was taken in order to create space for “additional creative pursuits and the transition of my character Jess LaCroix.” It is unclear how McMahon’s character will be leaving the show. Currently, he is going through an emotional crisis as his daughter Tali is leaving for a boarding school in Canada. But the actor has assured that his departure won’t appear out of the blue as the storyline will include a “seamless and productive way” for his character’s farewell.
Dick Wolf has shared that he is saddened by McMahon’s departure as his Jess LaCroix has been one of the driving forces behind FBI: Most Wanted’s rise as a fan-favorite show. But as the lead actor of the show, Dylan McDermott is expected to take it to new levels of success. He has already proved his worth as a significant part of Wolf’s universe with his role as Richard Wheatley, the prime enemy of Detective Elliot Stabler. Originally, he only had a one-year deal with Organized Crime but seeing the popularity of his character, he was brought back for Season 2.
As for Dylan Dermott’s future as Richard Wheatley, Deadline has confirmed that his time on Organized Crime as the criminal maestro will be “winding down” as now he will be leading FBI: Most Wanted with his debut in the upcoming April episode. Only future episodes of the NBC show will reveal how Dermott will be exiting his recurring role as Wheatley and joining the CBS series as its leading protagonist.
