Alyssa Diaz reveals The Rookie scene that needed a hand double
Alyssa Diaz revealed that a Season 5 birth scene on The Rookie needed a hand double after co-star Shawn Ashmore’s whiteboard handwriting proved unreadable. Speaking to PEOPLE at San Diego Comic-Con, Diaz said his “chicken scratch” looked like “hieroglyphics,” so production swapped in a double.
The celebrity breaking news moment came as Diaz and Ashmore — who play Angela Lopez and Wesley Evers — looked back on nearly eight years together on the ABC drama. Their exclusive chat with PEOPLE at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25 included the surprising behind-the-scenes fix.
Key Takeaways
- Alyssa Diaz said a Season 5 labor scene needed a hand double because Shawn Ashmore’s handwriting was too messy to read on camera.
- Ashmore wrote the first line of a case-solving riddle on a whiteboard before editors cut to a double’s writing.
- Diaz, who is nearsighted, joked that his script looked like “hieroglyphics.”
- The Rookie has been renewed for Season 9 and is currently in production, with all eight seasons streaming on Hulu.
Which Rookie scene needed a hand double?
Diaz pointed to a Season 5 episode in which Angela gives birth to the couple’s second child. While she is in labor, Angela and Wesley work through a riddle that helps crack a case — and Wesley has to jot it on a whiteboard.
Ashmore warned the crew first. “Shawn did give us a warning because he had to write the riddle on a whiteboard,” Diaz recalled. “He was like, ‘Listen, guys, my writing is like chicken scratch.’”
“I have a lot of talents, but handwriting is not one of them,” Ashmore added.
Why couldn’t Alyssa Diaz read the whiteboard?
Diaz explained that she is nearsighted and could not make out Ashmore’s writing clearly. “I looked at it and said, ‘Oh my God, your writing is horrible. It’s hieroglyphics,’” she told PEOPLE.
The fix was simple Hollywood sleight of hand. “We had to get a double to do the writing,” Ashmore said. “If you watch the episode, the first line is actually me writing. Then it cuts away. When it comes back, everything is written—and it’s someone else’s handwriting.”
“Again, the magic of editing,” Diaz said with a laugh.
How have Alyssa Diaz and Shawn Ashmore’s characters grown?
Diaz and Ashmore have starred as Angela and Wesley since The Rookie debuted in October 2018. Romance sparked in Season 2; they married in Season 3 and welcomed their first child in Season 4.
“It’s really lovely just having the time to develop,” Diaz said of their on-screen bond. “To have almost nine years is such a gift. It’s like a real relationship. When he comes in, I’m like, ‘Hello, TV husband.’”
She added that the proposal, marriage, kids, and even kidnappings mirror ups and downs they have faced in real life with their own families. Ashmore said Angela remains Wesley’s anchor, and some of his favorite scenes are the quiet debriefs after cases.
What’s next for The Rookie after Season 8?
The series was renewed for Season 9 and is currently in production. Melissa O’Neil, who plays Lucy Chen, told PEOPLE at Comic-Con that fans helped push the show this far and keep new viewers joining. “Hopefully, we’ll get to tell the story for even longer,” she said.
All eight seasons of The Rookie are available to stream on Hulu.