The Big Picture

• The Rookie is inspired by the true story of an LAPD officer who joined the force in his 40s, similar to the show's main character.
• The real-life officer, William Norcross, appeared as himself in one episode of The Rookie and serves as an executive producer on the show.
• While The Rookie is inspired by Norcross' story, it has taken creative liberties and created a different storyline for John Nolan, including his personal life and former profession.

Since the advent of television, crime shows of some form or another have always been the rage. Be they Westerns or contemporary dramas, crime shows have reigned supreme on television for decades, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down. Among the best in recent years is the Nathan Fillion-led series The Rookie, which follows an unorthodox Los Angeles Police Department "rookie" officer in his first few years on the force. But did you know that The Rookie is actually inspired by the true story of an LAPD officer who first joined the force in his forties?

What is ABC's 'The Rookie' About?

Immediately following the finalization of his divorce, a Pennsylvanian man named John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) finds himself in a life-or-death situation where he stops an attempted bank robbery. Inspired by his new act of heroism, Nolan leaves his job in construction to head to Los Angeles, one of the few departments in the country where they'll accept a rookie officer over the age of 37. There, Nolan is immediately tested and forced to prove himself as a valued member of the LAPD, much to the chagrin of Sgt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones), who is initially skeptical of Nolan's ability.

Throughout the series, Nolan––based in the Mid-Wilshire Division––progresses into a mentor role (of sorts), eventually getting a rookie of his own to look after. Then, after receiving a "Golden Ticket" for his commendable service, Nolan decides to become a training officer with the intent of fostering positive change within the department, taking The Rookie Season 5 in a slightly different direction (which ran concurrently with the short-lived spin-off The Rookie: Feds).

The series has become known partially for its abrupt departures, many of which occurred as early as the first season. But, although The Rookie can sometimes get bogged down by the hardships of police work, it features a plethora of notable guest stars, like Joel McHale, which makes things a bit easier to swallow. The Rookie has also reunited Fillion with former castmates from his most popular television excursions, such as Molly Quinn from Castle, Felicia Day from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Alan Tudyk from Firefly, among plenty of others.

Nathan Fillion's John Nolan Is Based on the Real-Life Story of an LAPD Officer

To get anything made in Hollywood nowadays, there has to be some sort of real-life inspiration or intellectual property to pull from. Strangely, this is now true with cop procedurals. The Rookie is no exception, taking its basic premise from the story of real-life LAPD Officer William "Bill" Norcross. In 2015, Norcross left behind a career in his family's printing business to become a cop, leaving Pennsylvania for Southern California. This likely wasn't an easy choice, but Norcross was determined.

"[Law enforcement] was something I had always thought about in the back of my mind … then, all of the sudden, I wake up and I’m 40-something years old and I figured if I was ever going to make a change, that now was the time to do it," Norcross told the New York Post in 2019. "I looked around; I always thought about LA — the LAPD has no age limit, as long as you can pass the requirements — and I saw they had expedited testing where you can cram a couple of months of testing into one week, and that’s how it started." And the rest is history. Norcross has been with the LAPD ever since and was promoted to Sergeant in 2023.

When Norcross moved out west, he knew hardly anyone. Except Producer Jon Steinberg, who happened to be a friend of his from college whom he'd meet with regularly to discuss the process of becoming a police officer. "Jon is a great storyteller and started distilling [these stories] and curating them," Norcross reflected. "He’d been in the entertainment business and thought this was a unique entry into a police show. He talked to some of the people he knew and that’s the genesis of how this happened."

William Norcross Appeared on 'The Rookie' and Serves as an Executive Producer

Though William Norcross has no aspirations of becoming an actor, he did appear as himself in uniform during one episode of The Rookie: "The Checklist" (Season 1, Episode 19). In addition to being the inspiration for the series, and appearing in a cameo, Norcross also serves as an executive producer on The Rookie. "When I have days off of patrol, I’ll stop by the set and talk with Nathan [Fillion] and the other actors and stop by the writers’ room and I’m always available with a phone call," Norcross explained in the same interview.

Of course, Norcross is a cop at heart. Despite his associations with Hollywood, he has no desire to change careers again. "I’m happy with my day job," he emphasized. "I came out here to be a police officer and that’s what I’m here for. Anything else that’s happened to me … I’ve been incredibly fortunate — but I’m here to be a police officer." And, though Norcross hasn't appeared again on camera since the first season, his mark is still felt on The Rookie, which still takes plenty of liberties with his story.

Nathan Fillion Emphasizes That 'The Rookie' Is Only Inspired By Norcross

Although William Norcross serves as the basis for Nathan Fillion's John Nolan in The Rookie, inspiration is as far as it goes. Unlike the character in the show, Norcross was unmarried and had no children to account for when he decided to venture westward to follow his dream of becoming a police officer. Thus, his story differs drastically from Nolan's, who left an ex-wife (played by Bones star Emily Deschanel) and a college-age son (Zayne Emory) when he packed up for Los Angeles. Additionally, Nolan was a construction worker while Norcross was in the digital printing game, leaving behind two completely different professions.

"People enjoy cop shows...and the idea of the 'do-over' is prevalent in our culture," Fillion explained in an interview around when The Rookie premiered. "We are borrowing that idea [of Norcross' life] and then taking it and making a TV show out of it." While Fillion explains that there's a "kernel of truth" in the basis of the show, they've taken The Rookie in a vastly different direction than Norcross' actual life. Given that Norcross has largely stayed out of the limelight concerning the show, The Rookie tends to honor that, making up a brand-new story for John Nolan with the heart of Norcross' story behind it.

The Rookie is available to stream on Hulu.

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