Rizzoli and Isles is finally saying goodbye to Lee Thompson Young, who played Detective Barry Frost on the TNT crime drama.
Nearly a year ago, the 29-year-old, former Disney Channel actor was found dead in his North Hollywood home from an apparent suicide.
Fans of the show have been wondering how Young would be written off the show, and they finally got their answer during the new episode that aired this week. Barry’s colleagues learned that he had been in a car accident, and in the episode schedule to air next week, they will find out that he has died.
Sasha Alexander, who plays medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles, said that the episodes were very difficult to shoot, but she hopes that they will give their fans some closure. “I hope that people who knew him and adored him and loved him on the show will enjoy it and be able to move through it with us,” Alexander said.
“I really do think it was very brave of TNT and Warner Bros. and Jan Nash to embark on handling it head-on,” Alexander added. “They might have been like, ‘I can’t deal with this. I don’t know how to handle this,’ but they didn’t. They went for it and everyone just embraced it and I think that was really just to show our love for him.”
Alexander also revealed that it has been very difficult on the entire cast for Young not to be on set. She explained that they have not replaced his character, and do not think the producers will do so anytime soon.
“They have not replaced him and don’t intend to do so anytime soon,” she said. “So his seat remains empty and it’s something that we have had to look at and struggle with from day one of shooting.”
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