FBI: Most Wanted: Julian McMahon to Exit After 3 Seasons, His Final Episode Set — Read His Farewell Statement
Another FBI: Most Wanted cast member is handing in his gun and badge.
Julian McMahon, who has starred on the CBS procedural for all three seasons, has announced that he is leaving the series to pursue “additional creative pursuits,” our sister site Deadline reports.
“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 said in a statement. “These ongoing conversations have given us an opportunity to orchestrate a seamless and productive way for me to leave the show.”
McMahon has starred as team leader Jess LaCroix since Most Wanted debuted as a spinoff of FBI in January 2020. The actor reportedly approached the producers about his desire to leave the series earlier this season.
“I would like to express the gratitude and admiration I have had working with Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski,” he added. “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.”
McMahon’s final episode is scheduled to shoot next week and is set to air on Tuesday, March 8. The episode is expected to introduce a new team leader to fill the void left by LaCroix’s departure.
“We are saddened to see Julian leave,” producer Dick 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.”
McMahon is the second major cast member to exit FBI: Most Wanted this season. Kellan Lutz, who played Special Agent Kenny Crosby, left the show after the Season 3 premiere, which saw Crosby suffer a gunshot wound and return home to Oklahoma.
Will you miss Jess LaCroix on FBI: Most Wanted? Share your reaction in the comments.
Oh well. This cast is a mess right now anyways.
Same only the third season this many changes no show I’m aware of lost this many of their original cast in such a short time. Barnes and Hanna are the only OGs left. Producers may be happy since new girl agent miami mary sue and their obsession with such a bland one one note character will be new new boss.
I feel like the filming of this show is particularly onerous, with a lot of location shoots outside and a lot of traveling to said shoots.
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Most English speaking working actors in North America want to be near one of the major hubs in North America: LA, NYC, Vancouver, Atlanta. In a pinch Miami isn’t bad, and folks who’ve been sporadically employed are fine with Chicago until they hit 100 eps.
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Shows that shoot in other locations, or that travel, are hard. And most performers didn’t sign up for “hard.” They have jobs based on their looks and charm, and they want simple lives. Ones that are primarily located in Socal (or NYC) near their friends/family/social lives. Fairly easy jobs where they show up, nap during hair and makeup, then perform a few dozen pages of dialog for a few days, then 1-2 days on some action pieces, then call it a week (generally 4-6 days).
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I think Julian in this case was also further off put by the heavy presence h had in this show. As the big time star, he had to be in most scenes. It was the most work he’s had to do on a project. He’s always been in ensembles, even ones where he was the nominal lead, but there were lots of scenes and even whole episodes where he had relatively little to do. Not so in this one.
Despite the pay, I would never call a 42 minute show “easy” when your one of the main characters. Shooting days of 12-16 hours for five days a week, if your’re on a sci-fi show maybe even hours of make-up before and after.
Don’t get me wrong, these people are well-payed, but it wouldn’t be the life for me even if I could act.
Oh I agree. That is my point. This particular job was very hard. There are a lot of procedurals that aren’t nearly so hard. Take the OG FBI. They have 2 teams of “field agents” out on the street running down leads, making arrests, etc. Each of the two teams largely films 3/4 of their scene that week by “itself” aka those two actors and whatever gueststars/extras are in that scene. The other two field agents likewise film alone.
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Then there are the office workers/analysts back at HQ. They film with only themselves. Each of these 3 groups of actors/characters does about 1/4 to 1/3 of the filming, by themselves. It varies ep to ep, as one group does more one ep, and less in another ep. Typically 2 of the groups are together at some point, and all 3 for a few scenes at some point.
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So, no group of actors every does more than about 40% of any one ep, save for a very few special event eps (and that/those actor(s) won’t be in another ep save for a token appearance. So it evens out.
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Take a show like FBI Most Wanted. Julian was in like 60-70% of most eps. Relative to the average ensemble procedural, he was in many more scenes than the typical lead.
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I’d guess this played into his decision. He worked far more on a given ep, and probably had to travel more in the process. It was more than he’d signed up for on this show. As the nominal big star on the show, I’m sure he has a back end deal, but this show is unlikely to have a huge market in syndication. So his hoped for huge cash windfall is unlikely to happen, ergo he wanted out.
He also has a real problem with the cold weather, and he is out in it all the time.
i don’t understand how you could manage to be so condescending and insulting to an entire profession and dress it in mansplaining. are you jealous because you yourself have no job and no charm/good looks?
No, I’m simply trying to offer a possible explanation for a decision that most of the below posters simply cannot fathom. Some folks seem genuinely shocked and personally affronted that this happened.
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Julian is the son of a rich and powerful family in Australia. His dad was the PM of Australia. He went to top tier schools, and never really excelled. He studied law in undergrad, but didn’t graduate, dropping out to model.
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Please note that none of the above mentions rigorous drama education or practice. He had money from his family, good looks, and natural charm. He fell into a ocean of willing sexual partners and a job that was easy money (if you think any acting is hard, try a monotonous office job, service industry job, or manufacturing job) and lots of it. Look at his IMDB page. This is literally the most work he’s ever had to do in his life. Same with some of the other actors on this project who’ve bailed. This was the first time in their careers they’ve every had to do a job that required more than what the rest of us would consider the absolute bare minimum.
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And he didn’t last 4 years. Boo hoo for him. No matter how hard you think acting is or isn’t, it is a walk in the park compared to the rest of our lives. Because, yes, I absolutely lack the looks and charm to make an obscene amount of money for an amount of effort I’d probably deem more hobby than actual job.
Julian’s family is rich but he’s not. His ex-wife Dannii Minogue (Kylie’s sister) revealed that she paid for everything throughout their marriage.
Kellan left because family was more important to him.
As you pointed out, McMahon is from Australia. As you didn’t point out, there’s a pandemic going on and navigating international travel at all has become challenging. Co-star Keisha Castle-Hughes (Hanna) is from New Zealand and it looks like they wrote her character so that she could miss a few episodes at the end of last season and a few at the beginning of this season so that she could have an extended stay in NZ. Supporting characters often aren’t in every episode to begin with, so KCH benefited from her situation. Conversely, Canadian actor Nathanial Arcand, who played Jess’s brother-in-law and teammate Clinton in season one, seemed to have decided that the travel issue wasn’t worth the trouble. (He seems to be busy in Canada.)
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So, taking all that into consideration, the most likely explanation for McMahon’s departure is the combination of the pandemic, the working hours as a lead who’s in practically every scene of the show, and the fact that he’s Australian. Because of pandemic demands, he probably didn’t get enough downtime in the last two summer (for him winter) hiatuses to recharge, and they really can’t write him out for just a few episodes.
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You don’t think it was reasonable for McMahon to have left the show after only three seasons? I think it’s a miracle that he lasted this long and I hope that they continue to write toward Keisha Castle-Hughes’ schedule needs.
Actually Patrick I would think it would be none of your business when I left You’ve just got to make it derogatory and dark Good Lord personally I’m happy for him. If this is what he wants to do he’s a good actor and I’m sure he’ll do well
I for one am going to miss Julian in the show. I love the show and he’s perfect in it. Not sure if I’ll watch it anymore with him gone.
The show is based in NYC metro, so most of the location shoots are around there.
Not all of them are in New York.
I’ve him in Charm and I love him in FBI Most Wanted. So now that his not on the show anymore I’ll just stop watching, it’s not the same without him…
What happens to his girlfriend??
When Julian left, we lost a whole family,
Lol, apparently you don’t know of a little series called Law & Order. 4 main characters in, then out. AND>>>>>>and they did not have to deal with the little thing called Covid in it’s 2nd season. Btw, Gaines will not be the boss, Dylan McDermott will play the new leader.
Given how much they’ve been propping up the sour pout brunette I would not be surprised if she did be come the head agent.
Oh I hope not. She does nothing for the show. She is so blah
McDermott is LESS than bland!
Looking forward to new leader.
I enjoy the plots but haven’t loved the cast.
Yes I believe he’s a good character and I will miss him on the show. I look forward to seeing who is going to take his place.
Finally someone I agree with.
I enjoyed the show love all dick wolf shows
Jess was the main reason I watched, along with his family & crew. He could have left another way. No returning from this. Sad to see him go.
Jess will be miss. Man 😢
I wish Thomas Gibson would join the cast of FBI Most Wanted.
No way, I didn’t like him in his last show and he just isn’t the right fit.
Amen. 👍
Great idea!!
He would make me watch.
I’d love that.
You and me both, Thomas Gibson would be a dream catch, sadly only for the fans, he has burned a lot of bridges.
I could get behind Thomas Gibson joining the cast as the head of the team.
I just said I was done with the show, but if Gibson would replace him I would watch! I doubt if cbs will welcome him back.
I joke jor
Tom Welling????
I doubt Tom is ever going to do a 22-episode-season as a lead actor ever again. Too much work, too little life to spend your money on.
Bring in Adam Beach!
Adam Beach would be great!
There’s a name from the past and he has a connection with Dick Wolfe so it’s possible
Yes, I will miss him very much. He was the reason I watched I only hope his replacement is as good. I love these FBI shows…..keep them coming.
Yes!
I think its time for me to bow out from this show. These procedurals don’t offer anything special cases wise, we watch for the characters and their chemistry. When we lost Clint I was disappointed (especially since there wasn’t much of an explanation). Then we lost Crosby ( which made perfect sense given the actor’s situation) and now we’re losing Jess??? And lets not forget Barnes is going on maternity leave (all the best to her). Its like a whole new show now.
It won’t be the same without Julian, his daughter went off to school which changed the show. I will probably watch one or two shows without him and then if it’s changed without him, I’ll be out.
I will be done. The only reason I still watched after they changed so much, was for Julian. I’m glad I own the ones he has been in. After he leaves I will no longer watch.
I’m sure Jess will move to Canada to be near her. That was probably the set up. The only other logical place is to put him in charge on FBI since they killed off the current (annoying) character.
It won’t be the same without Julian and will probably be canceled as a result.
My thoughts the same, but probably not till next year They will give it a shot. Dylan McDermott bad choice
I will watch up to March 08, and maybe one without Julian then stop watching . Julian McMahon was the only reason I started watching FBIMOSTWANTED and now too many changes have happened, But I will continue to WATCHING with Jeremy Sisto.
I agree
Clint went undercover. Undercover can mean anything from a day to years. The actor had movies he had signed on to already & because of Covid-made for scheduling conflicts.
I Have felt that way all season. Now with Julian gone, Yaya gone, all the Skye Family, the show changed its original direction. I miss the interplay with the In-Laws and his daughter and Clinton. I also think he missed it, from comments he has made over the last year, The hours he worked were killer hours. Almost as much as when he worked Nip/Tuck. He has spoken of liking the production end of the business. I wish him well!
My thoughts exactly .
As long as it’s not the new agent.
10 seconds of listening to her and I’m ready to hit the mute button.
She is a horrible character and actor..she needs to be gone…
What a huge disappointment. Maybe they can get Alden Parker to become the new agent in charge and kill off a second series.
Show is toast!!
Amen!
It’s not toast… Wolf knows how to keep shows running a long time with actors moving in and out..
The only reason I started watching this FBI spin-off was to see Julian McMahon. I’ve always been a fan of his acting and his character interpretations. I will be very disappointed when he leaves the show. I hope there is another show in the works that he will be starring in.
Agreed
Agree
Ditto! He’s the main reason I started watching the show. I’ll see how the new character goes before I make a decision on whether to continue watching.
Bring in Jethro Gibbs😎
WHY IS JESS LEAVING? WHO WILL REPLACE HIM? SAD!!
Michael Weatherly and Bull have nothing to do with the story of him leaving FBI, but you had to tag your hit piece to this too. You really are low.
Telling the truth about weatherly is not a hit piece, that’s called reporting what he did.
Yes because I assume that his daughter, Father, mother in law and his girlfriend will probably be gone also.
I totally agree….with Jess leaving we will lose seeing other people. Hopefully they don’t kill him off.
I agree. I liked Jess. He was a good man. Hope he is okay. Maybe he could be replaced by Matthew Gray Gubler? Dr. Reed from Criminal Minds. Or even Rossi, from Criminal Minds.
His daughter left for boarding school, the in-laws were MIA at the start if the season… the girlfriend is the only character left in his circle outside the FBI. Perhaps they marry and he simply retires to work with horses.
Forgot his father so quickly?
Looks that way
This is so sad!! Jess is the best! Gonna mis him!!
What will they do with the TV characters that play his wife and daughter?
His character is widowed and the daughter has already been shipped off to a boarding school in Canada, near her grandparents. Unless you were thinking of his girlfriend?
His girl friend plays another role on Yellowstone.
Oh so sorry to see him leave, he’s the only reason I watch
Hope he comes back soon in new series!!
I am so disappointed to find out Julian is leaving. I have always been a fan since Charmed and Nip/Tuck. I never miss an opportunity to see him on FBI Most Wanted I will miss him and hope they get someone likable to take over, because he can’t be replaced. Thank you, Julian
Me too😓
This really stinks because he is the lead and good at it, and a little selfish, sorry. Now you have all the actors who play his family members and his girlfriend out of a job. Now we know why his daughter is already gone.
As others mentioned first Clint who was also very good, then his in laws, his sister. It’s just sad when a lead leaves such a good show after only three seasons. Why would you sign on in the first place?
His in-laws have been gone since season 2, Clinton has been gone since third episode season 2, Yaya left in December to film her own TV series in California, Crosby left 1st episode season 3, Hana has been off on maternity leave and Barnes is leaving for Maternity leave in March. Jen Landon has been made a regular on Yellowstone for the new season. Julian is the only original left. He isn’t selfish. Show all different.
He was the only reason I watched. It’s the only FBI show on my viewing list.
I will miss him. Hope we get to see him again in another show. Best wishes.
He is the only reason I watch the show.😔
WOW I can’t believe this. Sorry to see him go and he was my favorite character. He will really be missed!
I started watching this show because of Julian McMahon and now he’s gone! I have followed him for years and am truly sad he is leaving the show. Let’s see how you are going to keep me with the new recruit to fill his shoes!
Knew this was coming every single one of my favorite characters have slowly but surely left. I’m not surprised first he lost his brother in law Clinton, then his protege Crosby, I knew it was a matter of time before Lacroix left himself. I wonder what will happen now will Barnes be the new head honcho as she is second in command or will Agent Mary Sue be granted the position or will they bring in someone new.
I always wondered why Jess had such terrible posture. It always bothered me for some reason. I wonder if he has back problems maybe? So, that being said I will not miss that part of him, however I did like he character but will not miss that part of him.
I never did read why the actress who was boss of reg FBI show got killed off… no publicity around her death.
She wasn’t a key role…and a distraction to the team…sorry that Jubal lost his girl..but that relationship didn’t fit in the show…same with Maggie’s guy..he didn’t deserve Maggie
He’s pretty tall, maybe he’s been slouching for years to avoid towering over short costars?
I noticed that as well.
Watching the last episode my hubby even commented something is wrong-look how he is standing…I hope it’s only possibly a back problem and nothing more serious–
I wondered the same thing and read where he had back surgery in the past.
McMahon is the only reason I watch this FBI program. Though I watch almost all of Wolf’s series. The kicker is I’ve never cared for McMahon when he was younger and better looking. You can’t go wrong with Wolf programming.