Castle Casting Shakeup

LOS ANGELES: Stana Katic, who plays Detective Kate Beckett in ABC’s Castle, will not return to the show, and neither will co-star Tamala Jones.

Ahead of the season eight finale, ABC confirmed that Katic will not be returning for a potential ninth season. “Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past eight years,” the network said in a statement. “We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle.”

Katic commented: “Rather than distract from what was an amazing experience I would just like to say that I’m very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans.”

Jones, who had also been with the series since the beginning, played medical examiner Lanie Parish, who was Beckett’s best friend. “I’ve had so much fun playing the wonderful and unfiltered Lanie over the past eight seasons,” Jones said. “I will greatly miss the cast and crew—it’s been a privilege getting to work with this incredibly hard-working group of people. Thank you to ABC for this opportunity and to the fans for their unwavering support. It’s been an incredible journey and I can’t wait for what lies ahead!”