‘FBI: Most Wanted’: Dylan McDermott Joins the Cast in Episode 17

'FBI: Most Wanted' added Dylan McDermott to the cast following Julian McMahon's exit from the series — learn more about who he's playing.

by Lindsay Kusiak

Published on March 19, 2022

2 min read

Why Julian McMahon’s Jess LaCroix exited the show

After three seasons, Special Agent Jess LaCroix has met his end on FBI: Most Wanted. Played by Julian McMahon (whose net worth was recently disclosed at $16 million), the role saw character Jess LaCroix lead the Fugitive Task Force, bent on capturing the most notorious criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Season 3’s March 8^th episode, “Shattered,” however, brought the character to a dramatic and poetic end when Jess died while defending a woman from her abusive ex-husband.

Showrunner David Hudgins told Variety, “The fact that it happened literally in the heart of New York City was something that I thought was perfect for the character. It’s like he died saving the town he loved.”

McMahon, known for his role as Dr. Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck, is said to have left the show to further pursue his own creative projects, one of which is rumored to be his starring in the upcoming film Justice from writer David Ludlow.

Julian McMahon Leaving ‘FBI: Most Wanted’: “I Am Grateful To Have Had The Opportunity To Play Jess” https://t.co/o5ntDWk9Yk
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 23, 2022

How Will Dylan McDermott’s character appear?

When asked about Dylan McDermott’s entrance onto the show in his interview with Variety, Hudgins said,

“His first appearance is Episode 17, which I think is scheduled to air Wednesday, April 12. We’ll have a couple of episodes where we’ll see the team trying to find their way without a leader. Sort of hanging in the background of those episodes is this idea of “Who’s it gonna be? Who’s it gonna be?”

McDermott is no stranger to the world of Dick Wolf—the mastermind behind the likes of Law & Order, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., FBI, Law & Order: SVU, and many more. McDermott’s character Richard Wheatley is a reoccurring role on Law & Order: Organized Crime and has also made an appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, however, McDermott will be playing a new character on FBI: Most Wanted.

When asked if he thought this would lead to any confusion, Hudgins replied,

“My feeling about it was it was our job as writers to create a character that’s so distinct and different from this other one, that hopefully there wouldn’t be any of that trickle over or whatever it is.”

McDermott’s character is expected to bring a new pace and dynamic to the show, approaching the challenges of the Fugitive Task Force from a different direction and with a very different style than predecessor Jess LaCroix.