Actor Shemar Moore on tackling social issues in new series "S.W.A.T."
Actor Shemar Moore got his start on "The Young and the Restless" in 1994 and then starred in the CBS hit series "Criminal Minds" for 11 years. Now, Moore is back on CBS in the new series "S.W.A.T." He plays Sgt. Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson, who is assigned to run a specialized tactical police unit in Los Angeles.
Moore, who is also a producer on "S.W.A.T.," told "CBS This Morning" his new role is his "dream job."
Moore's character is under pressure to bridge the gap between the community and police. He says that while audiences can expect action and thrills, it's also grounded in social issues we face today. In the first episode, Moore's character is promoted for "racial optics" after a black kid is shot by a white cop.
"When you watch the news, you know, everybody's experienced something, witnessed something, seen something, heard of something about injustices. We can talk about Ferguson, we can talk about Baltimore. Our first episode, the pilot, deals with Black Lives Matter," he said.
Moore trained with real tactical officers to get ready for the role.
"We have such good writing and I do believe this show is not just gonna be entertaining, it's gonna matter because it's gonna be based in reality. We're gonna hit topics like Black Lives Matter, human trafficking, cyber-bullying – and we're not gonna preach to you."
"S.W.A.T." premieres Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. / 9 p.m. Central on CBS
