Shemar Moore Talks Becoming a Father Alongside Hondo Ahead of 'S.W.A.T.' Season 7 Finale (Exclusive)

The S.W.A.T. star and EP opens up to PopCulture.com about bringing his "softer side" to the screen.

By Anna Rumer

Shemar Moore is looking forward to the future of S.W.A.T. ahead of Season 8. The actor, 54, opened up to PopCulture.com ahead of the Friday, May 17 Season 7 finale of the CBS show, sharing what's next for S.W.A.T. after its initial cancellation was reversed, bringing back 20-Squad for an eighth season. 

Moore, who plays Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson on the action-packed series, told PopCulture "very grateful" to all the fans who rallied behind the show after it was initially announced that Season 7 would be its last. "I'm very excited, very grateful, very humble [and] thankful to all the – I call them the fans, the homies, and the baby girls worldwide," he said. 

Going into Season 8 as "the little train that could," Moore said he couldn't be more proud that the fans "kept watching and kept screaming" about the show to the point where he and the rest of the S.W.A.T. team will be able to bring new stories to their screens for another season. 

Being a part of the S.W.A.T. family for so long, Moore said he's seen himself grow and change alongside Hondo, who recently became a father much like the actor did last year. "Hondo's life has evolved and my own personal life, Shemar's life, has evolved, and we're both daddies now. I've got little baby Frankie in real life – she's my little miracle – and Hondo's got little Vivian," said the Criminal Minds alum, who welcomed his first child with Jesiree Dizon in January 2023. "So Hondo has got his baby girl and I've got my baby girl."

"But what's nice is Hondo is such a tough guy ... it's nice to see layers," he continued. "So even though I get to go out there and be super tough, super macho, and chase down the bad guys, it's nice to see the softer side, it's nice to see backstory, it's nice to see the human being behind the vest and the badge and all the armor." Moore added that it's "nice to go out there and be a super tough guy, but then I get to take bits and pieces of my own life experience and attribute that to Hondo on the screen."

In addition to Hondo's personal growth, Moore said the S.W.A.T. team has plenty of action ahead following the exits of stars Alex Russell and Kenny Johnson.

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"Now, I will say to the fans, with Season 8 and beyond, look, nobody died. So if you don't die in Hollywood, anything's possible – so you may see some comebacks," he teased, adding that the next season is like "a new beginning for the show" and for the team. "So you're going to meet a new family and also watch us continue to do what we do best," Moore said, "which is chase down those bad guys in a very cool way."

The Season 7 finale of S.W.A.T. airs Friday, May 17 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.

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