What role does Annie Ilonzeh play in S.W.A.T. Season 8? Character explored in depth

Annie Ilonzeh joined CBS’ S.W.A.T. in its eighth season and has already been able to create a special place in the audience’s hearts. The actress plays Devin Gamble in the police procedural drama.

Devin is a Police Officer III, who has been recruited to the Los Angeles Police Department for the second time. She had to leave the department the last time and transfer to Oakland after her father was convicted of murder.

Before joining the CBS series, Annie Ilonzeh played Emily Foster in NBC’s Chicago Fire and its spin-off shows. She has also been seen in the shows Drop Dead Diva, Person of Interest, and Empire.

The actress made an entry into S.W.A.T. season 8 as a recurring cast member but was promoted to series regular ahead of the mid-season finale in December 2024.

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Annie Ilonzeh plays Officer Devin Gamble in S.W.A.T. Season 8

Annie Ilonzeh first appears in S.W.A.T. in the premiere episode of season 8. Devin Gamble is introduced as a new recruit with a dark past as she comes from a family of criminals. Hence, she has to work twice as hard to prove her worth.

Meanwhile, some team members, like Commander Hicks, are not sure if she can be trusted owing to her family history. During her very first mission in the team, Devin rescues hostages and saves their lives. She then has a heartfelt talk with Hondo, who reminds her that her work speaks louder than her family’s reputation.

Devin eventually starts to find her place in the team, but Commander Hicks continues to doubt her. She comes to the forefront in the fourth episode of the season, when a heatwave leads to blackouts and an assassination attempt is made on Mayor Castro.

Hondo and Devin are assigned to protect the mayor, but bombs go off in the city which brings the whole team into action. Devin holds her ground while protecting the Mayor’s life and once again opens up to Hondo about her struggles.

Devin later works on a case involving a spree killer who is targeting people connected to abortion clinics. She clashes with Deacon, whose beliefs are against abortion. Yet the two find a way to work together, making them realize that they can still have each other’s backs despite having different opinions.

Devin’s personal life is explored in S.W.A.T. season 8 episode 7, when her twin brother Leon helps fix her damaged car. Like his father, Leon too has a criminal past. He asks Devin to join their mom for dinner as repayment, and the officer struggles to balance her complicated family ties with her job responsibilities.

Annie Ilonzeh was made a series regular in the mid-season finale. In the episode, she visits her father in prison, who tells her someone has placed a bounty on one of her team member’s heads. Devin is shocked with the information and now must race against time to protect her team.

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Annie Ilonzeh reveals how she prepared for her role in S.W.A.T.

Annie Ilonzeh opened up about how she prepared to play Devin Gamble in an interview with TV Insider. As playing an officer requires physical strength and training, the actress said her previous experience in procedural dramas helped her. At the same time, she is also trained in martial arts and weapons. She said:

“Coming off Chicago Fire, and having done Peppermint and working with Jennifer Garner, I was like, I got it. I’ve done weapons training and martial arts training. I train on my treadmill and I’m a gym rat. The moment I got on the set, and they said 'action,' I was in a whole other land!”

S.W.A.T. season 8 returns with new episodes on CBS on January 31, 2025.