The Rookie's Shawn Ashmore and Alyssa Diaz Gush Over Their Favorite 'Wopez' Moments

Shawn Ashmore was looking for a new gig. In 2018, the X-Men star realized that, after taking some time off to be with his newborn son, he needed to get back to work to remain eligible for health insurance through his actors' union. In a pinch, he reached out to Alexi Hawley — the writer-producer whom he worked with on The Following — who was in the middle of making the first season of a new police drama called The Rookie.

To Ashmore's surprise, Hawley already had him in mind for a recurring role as Wesley Evers, a sharp-tongued lawyer who, after having his briefcase stolen, quite literally goes toe-to-toe with then-training officer Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) over criminal procedure.

"When I shot the first episode where I interacted with Alyssa, I was very clear, like, 'OK, this is a potential love interest.' But on a long-running network show, those [characters] can last three episodes or, as is evident in this situation, eight seasons," Ashmore tells TV Guide. "Within the first couple episodes of me being on the show, I got the vibe and the tone. So I knew that I could fit in and bring something to Wesley and to the relationship."

Everything you need for spring TV:

• The complete guide to spring TV
• The TV shows of the spring we can't wait to see
• All the new shows coming this spring
• The ultimate guide to what to watch in March

Because the roles of public defenders and police officers are so closely intertwined, Wesley integrated naturally into the world of The Rookie, leading to Ashmore's promotion to series regular in Season 3. Since then, as they have fallen deeper in love, Wesley and Angela have survived everything from physical threats to the intrusive schemes of various criminals in their personal lives. But in Monday's episode of the ABC drama, "Spy Games," a major ghost from Wesley's past comes back to haunt the couple just as they approach the end of his campaign for Los Angeles District Attorney.

Ahead of that big episode, in their first in-depth joint interview, Diaz and Ashmore open up below about the enduring appeal of "Wopez," their favorite moments from their TV marriage — and whether the footage of Angela and Wesley's courthouse wedding will ever see the light of day.

Let's start off with a fun question: Between your characters, who do you think fell first, and who fell harder?

Shawn Ashmore and Alyssa Diaz: Wesley.

Wait, so you both think Wesley fell first and fell harder for Angela?

Ashmore: Yes, 100%.

Diaz: Of course. [Laughs.] Angela would never admit it, let's put it that way.

Ashmore: Similarly to our acting relationship. I always tell this joke, and Alyssa told me this years after we've been working together, that when I came in, she was like, "Oh yeah, I was going to put you through your paces."

Diaz: Because he has such an impressive résumé, I was like, "Is this guy going to have an ego? Am I going to deal with that?" And he's the most loving, kind, talented man.

Ashmore: Thanks, Alyssa.

Diaz: So, yeah, I was like, "OK, let's see what Wesley is about," and he's amazing.

Ashmore: But I have to say, I didn't feel any of that. I think it was maybe Season 3 that she's like, "Oh yeah, I wasn't sure about you. I needed to make sure you were going to be a good fit." So I thought it was really, really funny.

Diaz: Which also plays definitely [into] the dynamic between Angela and Wesley. It's very much in line with that.

Ashmore: Yeah, they love that sort of give and take. The differences in their personalities are what maintains that relationship for an audience, because it's this odd couple, but I also think it's what keeps it interesting for Angela and Wesley. They like that tension. They get off on that fun.

Did you two even do a chemistry read together, or did Alexi just pair you up and hope that you would have chemistry?

Ashmore: We had no prior reading. I'd never met anybody on the show. I just showed up one day, and was like, "OK, here we go." I think the first day of shooting was the day where Wesley's running, and his briefcase is stolen. We shot that on the Warner Bros. lot, which was weird. I was like, "Oh, we're just shooting in a random parking lot in the Warner Bros. lot." They put a food truck, and we shot that sequence where we bump into each other and we start fighting with each other, and then we're tracking the briefcase.

My favorite moment in that whole episode is when you've tackled the suspect that I've asked you to catch, and then I go into full lawyer mode and then we're nose-to-nose arguing with each other. The guy who got tackled was like, "Oh, those two are into each other." It's this really funny thing where we're yelling at each other, and everyone else is looking on being like, "Oh, they dig each other." It's an interesting scenario.

Diaz: I would agree with Shawn — definitely the writing really lent to the blossoming of the potential of the relationship and where it's gone. I would also say being parents too. Shawn, was your son one when we started?

Ashmore: Not even. He was under a year.

Diaz: Yeah. I had my kids shortly thereafter, and I also felt like that lent to the authentic aspect of the storytelling. My life and Angela's life have paralleled one another in a very interesting way, with getting engaged and having kids.

Ashmore: Every time you get pregnant in real life, Lopez gets pregnant. It's weird.

Diaz: Yeah. Lopez is done [having kids] — and so is Alyssa. [They both laugh.]

Alyssa, did you know early on that Wesley — and Shawn — was going to be sticking around for the long run?

Diaz: Yes, I did.

Ashmore: [Laughs.] Now you say that.

Diaz: Well, but I did. We did have a very natural chemistry working with each other. But also, Shawn does his homework. We both come and we're playful, but we're serious about the work, and it makes for such an easy work environment. It's weird — sometimes, both actors can be really talented but not click; and then sometimes, it just works. Over the years, as Shawn and I have gotten to know each other, we have a lot of parallels of how we grew up. So I'm like, "Oh, this is maybe why we have good chemistry or have such easy rapport with one another." I don't know. What would you say to that, Shawn?

Ashmore: I agree. I felt a connection with you as an actor, and then as we got to know each other as people, I was like, "I really like Alyssa." So when we got to come in and play these scenes as a couple, it just made sense. I think the writers from the get-go created a relationship and a dynamic that not only worked for us as actors to play, but the audience initially and almost immediately was like, "Oh, I like these two together."

You've both starred in over 100 episodes of this show at this point, and this is the longest both of you have played and grown with a single character. What has intrigued you about the evolution of Angela and Wesley both individually and as a couple?

Diaz: That's a great question.

Ashmore: Yeah. I think what makes it interesting is, the relationship is continually tested to the point where if they weren't perfect for each other, it might fracture. The writers continually push that envelope with them and allow them to have those moments of jealousy [and] distance, but they never get too far away from that — and I think this is true in real life with couples. If you don't do that maintenance, if you're not constantly checking in, the relationship can drift apart, and I think that's what Wesley and Angela do well.

They're tested all the time. The DA race, for example, this season has really pushed Wesley, and Angela has to deal with [opening their lives up to the public] — and that's not something she wants to deal with. That's been talked about on the show. She doesn't like [that he's running for DA], but she's a partner who loves her husband and will go on that journey with him. And almost every season, there's something that tests their relationship. Sometimes it's major like last season, where Wesley was jealous of a potential love interest. A jealous Wesley was super fun to play. It didn't end up being serious, but they had to go through that. Their insecurities are revealed, and then they get to repair. That is what keeps the relationship interesting for me, and for the audience too.

Diaz: There's something real about it. Because they're both passionate about what they do, and they both are very good at what they do, there's a respect there. So going back to what Shawn was saying about Wesley running for DA, Angela's like, "F**k." Excuse my French, sorry. [Laughs.] Basically, that's how she feels about it. But because she knows his talent and his ability, she's not going to hold him back, and I think vice versa with Wesley [supporting Angela]. I think they both met each other as these professionals that really love what they do and are passionate, and it leads to their passion but also the conflict that's been this spine of their relationship throughout the whole eight seasons.

With relationships, you do go through really hard times, and that's how you evolve and grow. I can't remember — what season was it? Was it Season 2 or 3 when [Wesley] got addicted to pain meds?

Ashmore: Season 2, I think.

Diaz: Yeah. I think that's life. We're not perfect as people. Love is about meeting someone where they're at, repairing, and then going on to the next evolution, and you always have to work at it. I think that resonates with a lot of people, and that's why they perhaps are drawn to Wopez. We're not perfect, but we love each other — and that's the light that guides us through.

Ashmore: The other thing that I really like about this relationship is they have conflict, but it's a safe relationship. I don't think anybody is ever really like, "Oh my god [it's over]!" And that's so rare in life. So there's an idealistic part of this relationship where they can go through the most extreme things. I always feel like whenever Wesley and Angela get into it, it's safe, you know what I mean? We're allowed to explore and have these dramatic moments, but it always feels safe with them, which I like too.

Wesley and Angela have always been protective of each other, but this season they seem more outwardly anxious, especially when the other person is in danger.

Diaz: I think they're both protectors. That's the thing about Wesley and Angela in their different fields. I'm thinking about Season 5 when she's pregnant and she's threatening Elijah with a gun and like, "I'll take you out, and I'm pregnant." They both have that fierceness with one another, so maybe that's possibly why it does feel safe because they will go and do whatever they need to to protect their loved ones. Every season with these new scenarios that get written, we get to show different facets of that.

Ashmore: Agreed, totally. I can't add much to that. [Laughs.]

More on Hulu:

• The best TV shows on Hulu
• The best movies on Hulu
• Everything new on Hulu

As you look back at the evolution of your TV marriage, what are each of your favorite "Wopez" moments of all time? Are there any episodes that stand out to you?

Ashmore: One of my favorite scenes that we've shot is a larger family moment. It's where we meet Lopez's family [in Season 5, Episode 5], and her brothers come in and they're all suspects. Wesley has to step in and defend them and Angela's upset, and he's like, "This is my only way in. Your brothers hate me!" But there's a scene at the dinner table at the end between Lopez and her mother that I thought was really beautiful. It's the kind of scene that you might see on other shows all the time, but it wasn't a scene that I'd seen on The Rookie, just a big family dinner scene. The family in The Rookie is [usually] our cast. All the characters, the LAPD officers — that's the extended family. But to see the actual family and to have this emotional moment between Lopez and her mom was beautiful. I thought the performances were awesome, but it felt like a different scene for our show. I've always loved that episode.

Diaz: Yeah, that was really lovely, having the family there. I love when we find out Wesley's rich [in Season 2]! We go to your [mom's] mansion, and I'm like, "What is this?! Champagne?" It feels very Pretty Woman to me, but… not hooker. [Laughs.] But I'm just like, "Wow, what's this world?" I love that part and playing with Wesley's trust fund situation and how yet he wants to live normally, and I'm like, "But why? Been there, done that." I think that was really fun and also a part of laying the foundation of their dynamic.

Ashmore: Yeah, that's true. I think another one of my favorite moments — actually, in hindsight, when we were shooting it, I didn't love it because I wasn't sure how to play this scene. But I thought the engagement scene was nice. [Diaz nods in agreement.] One of my favorite scenes, and it was probably one of the hardest scenes I've ever had to shoot on The Rookie, was the first episode of Season 3 where Nolan is being framed [for a crime he didn't commit], and he calls me and I find [Angela's] pregnancy test in the bathroom, and then we have to meet at the judge's house to both argue both sides. Do you remember that scene?

Diaz: Yeah.

Ashmore: That was the most legalese scene ever, and it was cut down significantly, but I really loved that whole episode and storyline. There's another scene later [in that episode] where I confront you and I'm like, "Hey, I've got this pregnancy test." And you're like, "I peed on that." But it's a really nice moment where Wesley reassures Angela that, "This wasn't the plan, but years from now, we'll look back and this will feel like the biggest gift." I thought that was, again, such a reassuring, beautiful moment to cement their relationship and new family. There's so many great moments. [There's] never a dull moment with the Evers-Lopez family.

Diaz: Yeah. One of my favorites was also when she's giving birth the second time at the hospital [in Season 5, Episode 22] and she's trying to work, and [Wesley's] like, "Stop working," and she's trying to solve the riddle. That was really fun to film.

Ashmore: Yeah, definitely.

Diaz: Poor Shawn filming that one. He had to write on the whiteboard. It was a whole thing.

Ashmore: [Laughs.] OK, there's a bigger story! I have the worst writing in the world, and I told [the crew] that. I have to write all these things out on this whiteboard, and I was like, "You can't do this on camera. I have the worst chicken scratch." They're like, "It'll be fine..." Then we did one take and I wrote it, and they're like, "Are you trying?" I was like, "No, I told you!"

Diaz: I didn't realize because I'm nearsighted, so I have to wear glasses. I didn't realize how bad it was until I put my glasses on. I'm like, "Oh, you really can't."

Ashmore: Yeah, it was embarrassing. But I told everybody.

Diaz: You did warn everybody.

Ashmore: They had to get a hand double, basically.

Diaz: Our prop guy, Chris, had to be your hand double for the writing.

Ashmore: Yeah. I'm ashamed. I'm still ashamed.

Diaz: Excellent actor, not great with penmanship.

Ashmore: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Diaz: It's OK!

Angela and Wesley's storybook wedding went up in flames at the end of Season 3, and after just barely surviving, they had a courthouse wedding, which was never shown onscreen.

Ashmore and Diaz [in unison]: Yes!

How much of that wedding did you actually film? What didn't make the final cut?

Diaz: We're all walking down the stairs from the courthouse. I think it was slo-mo. We have the baby — or [to Ashmore] you have the baby strapped to your chest.

Ashmore: Yeah, it was this whole huge scene, and then, as per The Rookie, the funny button on the scene was, this crook that's in the park [next to the courthouse] tries to rob somebody, and they have to arrest him. The picture we take — the selfie — is all of The Rookie family, and then the guy that got arrested in the background. That picture is in evidence in my office and around our house. So the moment is canon in the show, but I don't know why that scene never made it.

A lot of fans have been asking, "Where's the 'Wopez' wedding?" But there's now a subset of them that want to see Wesley and Angela renew their vows. Maybe that could be a creative way for Alexi to blend some of those old clips of the courthouse wedding with some new footage.

Diaz: Max, that sounds great. Let's put that out into the universe.

Ashmore: Season 9, renewing vows.

Diaz: Renewing vows in a very tropical, beautiful place.

Ashmore: Let's do that. If we get picked up, let's go somewhere warm.

Warmer than Los Angeles?

Ashmore: Oh yeah. More beachy, more holiday vibes.

Diaz: More exotic!

In the last few years, I've realized that, for some reason, we barely get a glimpse of Angela and Wesley's children.

Diaz: I don't know why either.

What do you think your characters are like as parents, especially considering their very different upbringings?

Ashmore: If the kids want candy, they come to dad, because he's probably the pushover.

Diaz: Yes! We had a scene like that too, right? When you got him ice cream or something.

Ashmore: Yeah. Very capable father, but probably the pushover. That's how I always see it. Maybe mom's a little more strict.

Diaz: I think so.

Ashmore: Yeah. But you're right — we don't see the family elements a lot. And when we do, it's usually chaos. I remember there's an episode [last season, where there's a wildfire]. He's trying to do a Zoom call with a judge, and he's got Harper's kid and he's got his kids, and they're throwing up, and the babysitter can't make it, and it's just pure chaos. So, again, I think when we do see the family elements, it's never like, "Oh, lovely organized picnic somewhere." It's like, no, everything's blown up, and we're trying to figure everything out.

Diaz: We've seen Jack, but have we seen Emmy? I think one time.

Ashmore: Once as a baby. They're just talked about a lot and not seen onscreen a ton.

Are we going to see Jack and Emmy onscreen again this season?

Ashmore: I don't know. [Long pause.] That's so sad to say. [Laughs.] I'm going through the episodes and thinking…

Diaz: They're with their grandma a lot. They're busy!

Ashmore: Yes, running for DA. I don't know that we do, to be honest, but I have been known to be wrong.

Diaz: But we reference them a lot, our children.

Do you think Angela has been teaching their kids Spanish? Has Wesley picked up any Spanish words in the time that he has been with Angela?

Diaz: I'm sure there's some little slangs and sayings that she's been teaching them. I have it with my kids, so I'm sure. I'm sure their grandma's been teaching them as well.

Shawn, how's your Spanish?

Ashmore: Hola! [Waves and laughs.] I grew up in Canada. You know what's crazy? As a Canadian, I speak French, and I moved down here, so my son is learning Spanish in school and he's already better than I am. So I'm like, "I think I need to catch up."

Diaz: I want to [learn to] speak French.

Ashmore: Maybe next year you can learn how to speak French, and I'll learn to speak Spanish.

Diaz: There we go.

Looking ahead, do either of you have any future hopes for your characters? Nearly a decade in, do you still have any questions about your characters that you would like to get answered?

Diaz: I would love more undercover work, personally. I loved when I got to play with it. I think in my fantasy scenario — because it was Episode 1 or 2 [of this season] where I'm pretending I'm a corporate shark and we're having our little fantasy play — I would love an actual undercover scenario, and Wesley is somehow a part of the sting.

Ashmore: Oh, interesting. Nolan and Bailey get to do that a lot, so maybe Wesley could tag along in some way. Well, there was that thing in the first episode of Season 8 where I'm on the stakeout with you.

Diaz: Yes!

Ashmore: I'm just hanging out, tagging along. So maybe more of that.

Diaz: More crossover stuff like that would be really fun.

Ashmore: Yeah. What's interesting and what's fun as an actor on a long-running show is that there is that unknown element of, "Who knows what's going to happen? What's the arc that our writers are going to break?" I think why the show continues to be successful is [because] it doesn't feel recycled yet. Sometimes after eight seasons, I watch shows and I feel like, "We've done this." I feel like every season — and not just for these characters, but for every character — there is always growth. We're always moving forward. We're always discovering a new element, and I'm always surprised by that.

So is there something that I would like to specifically know or explore more with Wesley? Yes, of course. Maybe seeing Wesley in dad mode would be interesting, especially because I'm a dad, so I have some experience. It's been the most incredible journey of my life, so I have some ammo in my real life to bring to that. As far as the relationship with Angela and Wesley, I'm happy to be surprised. Knock on wood, [I hope] we get a Season 9 and get to explore where this relationship goes. I've never been disappointed, season by season, by the kind of work that we get to do together, the stuff that the writers create for us. So I'm happy to go on that ride into the unknown and not control what we might get to do or what's going to happen next.

The Rookie airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.