EXCLUSIVE: Scola may have found his new partner. Emily Alabi (S.W.A.T., Joe Pickett) has been cast in FBI as a recurring on CBS procedural’s current seventh season, sources close to production tell Deadline.
Alabi will portray a new agent and is expected to be paired with Stuart Scola (John Boyd), whose longtime partner Tiffany Wallace (Katherine Renee Kane) left in early October. Although Alabi joins in a recurring role, we understand there’s potential for her to become a series regular in Season 8.
Lisette Olivera was originally cast to succeed Kane in the new Season 7 series regular role of Syd Ortiz, a trained Behavioral Analysis Unit Agent who joined the FBI’s New York field office criminal division and partner to Scola. Olivera departed the show after a handful of episodes. As we reported at the time, this was not a reflection of her work but a creative decision stemming from the character playing too young.
FBI is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with CBS Studios. Executive producers include Dick Wolf, Mike Weiss, Alex Chapple, Amanda Slater and Peter Jankowski.
Alabi is best known for her recurring roles on TV shows such as S.W.A.T., Joe Pickett and Magnum P.I. She started her career as a professional dancer and choreographer on popular TV shows and movies including Chef directed by Jon Favreau, Netflix’s Selena: The Series and the Oscars. Alabi is represented by Ro Diamond at SDB Partners & manager Michelle Zeitlin, More Zap Productions and Management.