‘S.W.A.T.’ Adds to Cast in Season 8 After Cancellation Reports

After S.W.A.T.‘s Season 8 premiere date was announced following another near cancellation, the CBS procedural is filling up its cast. Deadline reports that Niko Pepaj has been upped to series regular after recurring as 20-Squad hopeful Officer Miguel Alfaro since Season 6. Additionally, Chicago Fire alum Annie Ilonzeh has been tapped to recur as Devin Gamble in the upcoming season.

Gamble has an interesting backstory, having been born into an L.A. family that was “deeply entrenched in crime, leaving her with a fierce determination to break free of her blood legacy.” While she managed to become a standout as an LAPD rookie, her father’s arrest for a heinous crime “cast a shadow Gamble could only escape by leaving LA for the Oakland PD.” A decade has passed, and Hondo recruited Gamble to become 20-Squad’s newest member, “knowing her inner strength, intuition, and street smarts will make her an invaluable part of the team.”

The new cast additions come on the heels of some other major casting changes on S.W.A.T. After being demoted to recurring for Season 7, Alex Russell and Kenny Johnson both bowed out ahead of what would have been the series finale. Meanwhile, Shemar Moore‘s on-screen wife and baby mama Rochelle Aytes is stepping down from series regular to star in CBS’ upcoming series Watson but is still expected to return in a lesser capacity. Since both shows are on the same network, it likely makes it a little bit more easy.

Aside from S.W.A.T., Niko Pepaj can also be seen in The Rookie, On Hiatus with Monty Greer, Daytime Divas, Awkward., Bosch, How to Get Away with Murder, Bunheads, and The Protector. Annie Ilonzeh portrayed paramedic Emily Foster for Seasons 7-8 of Chicago Fire, also appearing in episodes of Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. Other credits include The Stepdaughter, Vicious Affair, Agent Game, Peppermint, Til Death Do Us Part, Person of Interest, Empire, Graceland, Arrow, Drop Dead Diva, and Switched at Birth, among others.

There will be a lot to look forward to when S.W.A.T. Season 8 premieres on Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET, other than the fact that the series is returning when Season 7 was supposed to be the last. While fans have already seen Pepaj in action as Alfaro, it will be exciting to see what Ilonzeh will bring to the team as Gamble because it already sounds like she has quite the backstory.