‘S.W.A.T.’ Star David Lim Reacts to ‘Exiles’ Spinoff, Says Original Cast Has Been ‘Brushed Aside’
Not everyone is celebrating the news of an unexpected S.W.A.T. spinoff.
On May 18, Sony Pictures Television announced it was developed a spinoff to the recently canceled CBS show. S.W.A.T. Exiles will follow series star Shemar Moore’s Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson as he leads a team of untested recruits on a new mission.
While the full cast of S.W.A.T. Exiles hasn’t been announced, Moore is the only original cast member attached to the project. That doesn’t sit right with S.W.A.T. star David Lim.
‘S.W.A.T.’ star says he ‘poured my heart into playing Tan’
On May 28, Lim – who played Officer Victor Tan – reacted to the end of S.W.A.T. and the spinoff news in a lengthy and candid Instagram post.
After noting that he’d been “sitting with everything that came out last week,” Lim went on to praise everyone who’d worked on the original show.
“Being a part of S.W.A.T. for the past 8 seasons has been one of the great honors of my life,” he wrote. “I poured my heart into playing Tan—and even more than that, into the team and friendships we built on and off screen.”
“I’m proud of how we fought for a ninth season,” he added. “We believed we still had more to give, more stories to tell. We wanted it for our crew, for each other, and for the newer faces just joining us. It wasn’t in the cards for all of us—and that’s okay.”
Given all that, the sudden announcement of a spinoff came as a shock.
“I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting,” Lim confessed. “It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale—with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one. After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition—for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
Shemar Moore calls himself the Tom Brady of ‘S.W.A.T.’
Lim’s comments came a little over a week after Moore posted a video on his Instagram discussing S.W.A.T. Exiles and the fact that the new show will apparently not involve the other S.W.A.T. squad members.
Moore noted that change was difficult and that it was unusual for shows to last as long as S.W.A.T. did in the current environment. Sometimes, a changed to a team’s starting lineup was necessary to keep things alive, he said.
“I’m not saying I’m Tom Brady. But I’m the Tom Brady of S.W.A.T. That’s not arrogant. That’s not ego. It’s a fact. I’m the quarterback,” the Criminal Minds alum said. “I had a squad. A strong squad. A family. A team … I love you, I respect you, I appreciate you.”
“Just like in sports, people get traded … but the team keeps on pushing with their quarterback and I’m that guy,” he added. “So proud. So grateful. Not going to apologize for nothing … I’m excited for the future. I’m excited that S.W.A.T. gets to keep playing ball.”
While Sony is moving forward with the 10-episode S.W.A.T. spinoff, there’s no word yet on where or when the show might air. The cast is also up in the air, with a Sony exec telling Variety there’s a chance some OG cast members might pop up in Exiles.
“We’re still putting it all together,” Sony Pictures TV president Katherine Pope said. “[B]ut for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way.”
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