Why did Titus Makin leave The Rookie? Details of the star's exit, explored

Titus Makin was an integral part of ABC’s The Rookie during the first three seasons. The police procedural drama follows John Nolan who becomes the oldest rookie in LAPD by joining the force in his mid-40s, and Makin plays his fellow officer Jackson West.

Officer West brought depth to the narrative by being the first LGBTQ character on the show. However, he was surprisingly killed in the season 4 premiere as Makin decided to leave the series. At the time, showrunner Alexi Hawley revealed he had to kill off the character as the actor was not willing to return to the show.

While the official reason for his departure was never announced, Makin had earlier stated he was hurt by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and felt he was being complacent by starring in a police procedural drama.

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Why did Titus Makin leave The Rookie?

Though Titus Makin left The Rookie ahead of season 4, he was contemplating his exit even before season 3. At the time, he had an interview with Entertainment Weekly, revealing how he did not want to return for season 3 as the show did not address important themes like racism in the aftermath of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths. He said:

“I woke up one morning and I was watching the news, and I was like, 'I can't do this. I can't go play a cop on a show and not talk about the fact that I'm a Black cop.' My character hadn't addressed any of that.”

Both Floyd and Taylor were African-Americans who became victims of police brutality in 2020, leading to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Makin said when he explained his concerns to Alexi Hawley, he graciously agreed to incorporate the relevant story into season 3.

In The Rookie season 3, Doug Stanton became Jackson West's training officer, replacing Angela Lopez. Stanton is shown as a racist officer who despises Jackson West and makes his life difficult.

However, despite the addition of the storyline, Makin decided to move on from the show after the third season and never announced the actual reason behind his exit. Hawley then addressed Makin’s departure in an interview with TV Line.

The showrunner said he was sad to kill off West, but had no other option as he wanted to honor Makin’s legacy instead of replacing him. However, even he did not reveal the exact reason behind the actor’s exit. Hawley said:

“It’s heartbreaking, but I didn’t really have a choice. He wasn’t coming back, and because of the way we set things up with the finale, there was just no way to tell that story without Jackson.”

“But we lean really hard into honoring how he was the heart of the show, and it was definitely impactful for us to have to deal with that.”

West was written off the story of The Rookie in the season 4 premiere. In season 3's finale, he was kidnapped along with Angela Lopez from the latter’s wedding venue. In season 4, episode 1, the LAPD team watches CCTV footage where West is shot and killed by the kidnappers during an altercation.

Makin then went on to appear in the show NCIS: Hawai'i and the films On the Come Up and Sins of the Bride. He also starred in a couple of short films. Meanwhile, The Rookie has gone on without West.

The show is currently in its season 7 and continues to star Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, and Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers.

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The Rookie Season 7 airs new episodes on Tuesdays.