Julian McMahon is closing the case on FBI: Most Wanted. The actor, who has played Supervisory Special Agent Jess LaCroix of the Fugitive Task Force for nearly three seasons, will exit the crime drama in an episode set to air March 8 on CBS. According to Deadline, the ongoing third season of the FBI spinoff will introduce a new character later in the season to “fill the void” left by the departure of McMahon’s Agent LaCroix, fugitive squad supervisor of the elite unit tasked with tracking and capturing the notorious criminals on the Bureau’s Most Wanted list.
“Over the past few months, the producers of FBI: Most Wanted and I have had discussions about my departure from the show in favor of additional creative pursuits and the transition of my character Jess LaCroix,” McMahon told Deadline in a statement. “These ongoing conversations have given us an opportunity to orchestrate a seamless and productive way for me to leave the show.”
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Expressing “gratitude and admiration” towards executive producers Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski, McMahon said of the René Balcer-created series, “I’m extremely proud of the work we have done together and put the development of this show, and my character Jess, at the top of my professional experience list. I wish the show, and its cast & crew, the greatest success in the future. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to play Jess; he is a good man.”
Details about LaCroix’s forthcoming exit from the series have not been disclosed. McMahon will film his final episode before the end of January.
“We are saddened to see Julian leave,” Wolf said in a statement. “His portrayal of agent Jess LaCroix has been a key factor in the success of FBI: Most Wanted. We will miss him and we wish him the best in his next chapter.”
An expert tracker and profiler with a complicated past, McMahon’s LaCroix first appeared in “Most Wanted,” a backdoor pilot episode of the first season of FBI. McMahon reprised the role in a two-episode crossover with FBI: International and has since starred in 40 episodes of Most Wanted.
McMahon leads a cast that includes Roxy Sternberg as Sheryll Barnes, Keisha Castle-Hughes as Hana Gibson, Miguel Gomez as Ivan Ortiz, and Alexa Davalos as Kristin Gaines. Episodes of FBI: Most Wanted air Tuesdays at 10/9c on CBS and are streaming on Paramount+.
