Eric Winter on redefining himself through new experiences

This virtue charges Bradford’s relationships, for better or for worse, with characters like Lucy Chen — a fellow LAPD officer played by actress Melissa O’Neil with whom he later pursues a romance. “One of the biggest shifts we saw was when Lucy got kidnapped and put in a barrel,” Winter says, in reference to the season two episode Day of Death. “[That] was a massive moment and a character shift for Tim, where we really saw how much he cared and how loyal he was and how much at fault he felt in that situation and how hard he took it.”

“Chenford,” as fans have affectionately dubbed the pairing between Chen and Bradford, is arguably one of the most beloved couples on the show (yes, he’s seen the fanpages and edits on TikTok). Winter works closely with O’Neil to solidify their dynamic, especially in the wake of the couple’s unexpected break-up in season six. Given Bradford’s spiraling decision to split with Chen in episode six, Winter explains that he is inclined to improvising and reacting honestly as he would in the moment. “Everything starts to flow, then you’re bouncing off the other actor and the emotion starts to come out.” 

O’Neil’s approach is more intentional, opting to instead communicate any ideas she has about the scene before starting to film. The final product is a careful combination of the two techniques, and a fictional relationship with realistic highs and lows. “When we get very important scenes, we talk through some of the dialogue if it doesn’t roll off the tongue the right way, or feels like we need to have more to get to a place. That kind of happened with the breakup. The dialogue was great, [but] we also improvised a bit, and we added things and we tried to pull from some real thoughts about how we would feel in that situation.”

The consideration Winter invests into his character is encouraged by The Rookie’s director and showrunner Alexi Hawley, who generously extended support and freedom for the cast to do whatever feels right. Winter is able to drive his character forward without sacrificing any depth, and this momentum is part of what makes Bradford such an engaging character for fans — who Winter declares are “the best.” “I think he’s one of the most well-crafted characters on the show,” Winter says. “He’s really been consistently somebody put into a character evolution like I’ve never gotten to play. It’s been fun for me to see how much his journey and his arc has changed and flows over the seasons.”

Another lesson Winter shares from his personal experiences as an actor is that the craft often hinges on public perception. He’s learned that success in the industry is often dictated by someone else, which may be discouraging even to those who have reached elusive “superstar status,” as even the most talented artists may never be appreciated. “Any time you’re in something creative where your opinion or your hard work isn’t the final say on the product — because you’re basing it on consumers and other people’s opinions — it’s very tough to rely on.”

Regardless, Winter offers sincere words of wisdom he would have wanted to hear starting out over two decades ago. “Stay persistent, stay in it,” he says. “There are so many phenomenal actors out there that are unemployed, and there are so many horrible actors out there that are considered movie stars. It’s just the way it is, there’s no rhyme or reason because it’s everybody’s opinion. Some people might think this person is a great actor, somebody might not, and your whole future depends on that.”