NewBeauty Facebook Pinterest Instagram Youtube find a doctor Face Adult Acne Antioxidants Anti-Aging Celebrity Chronic Skin Conditions Eye Hydration Hyperpigmentation Makeup View All Eyebrows Eye Color Foundation Fragrance Lip Color Makeovers Male Skin Care Peels Pre-Event Prep Sensitive Skin Skin Care Skin Health Smile Sun Care Treatments Fillers Microneedling Post-Procedure Skin Care Neurotoxins Regenerative Aesthetics Skin Lifting Body Body Sculpting Breasts Butts Cellulite Hair Removal Hands + Nails Legs Pregnancy Find a Doctor Hair Bond Repair Celebrity Dry Hair Frizzy Hair Gray Hair Hair Color Hair Growth Hair Repair Scalp Health Styling + Tips Awards NB100 Awards 15th Annual Beauty Awards 2025 NewBeauty Readers’ Choice Awards Shopping Gift Guides Product Reviews NewBeauty Storefront Wellness Fitness GLP-1s Health Menopause About Us TESTTUBE Search for: Search HomeCelebrities Exclusive: Melissa O’Neil Talks K- Beauty, Glow-Boosting Serums and Season 8 of ‘The Rookie’ She’s subtly redefined what a “cop show” heroine can look like. Liz Ritter Published: Jan 8, 2026 We may earn commission from links on this page. Each product featured has been vetted and chosen by our editors. Photograpgy: Juliet Grace Melissa O’Neil is stepping into her eighth season on ABC’s The Rookie, and she’s never been more compelling. As the hit series returns this January, O’Neil continues to anchor one of network TV’s most enduring dramas with a performance that’s as nuanced as it is powerful. You may remember her as the youngest (and first female) winner of Canadian Idol, but O’Neil’s career since then tells a far more interesting story. It’s one of reinvention and quiet perseverance: a journey from pop stardom to musical theatre, and ultimately to becoming the emotional center of The Rookie opposite Nathan Fillion. Along the way, she’s subtly redefined what a “cop show” heroine can look like. On screen, she plays Sergeant Lucy Chen, a character who has…

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