Shemar Moore is Open to ‘Young and the Restless’ Return When ‘S.W.A.T’ Ends

As S.W.A.T. comes to an end on CBS on May 17, Shemar Moore is thinking about what’s next, and it could include a return to the long-running daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless.

In an interview with First For Women, Moore revealed he would be open to reprising his character Malcolm Winters on Y&R, the role which earned him a Daytime Emmy in 2000.

“If The Young and the Restless called me today, I would go,” Moore said, adding that he’d do the same for another of his former shows, Criminal Minds. “Because you never forget where you came from. It sounds cliche and maybe cheesy, but it’s also true.”

Moore played Malcolm Winters from 1994 to 2002 and became one of the soap’s most iconic characters. He’s reprised the role several times over the years, including stints in 2004-2005, 2014, 2019, and, most recently, 2023, for the show’s 50th anniversary.

While his recent appearances have been brief, Moore said he might be able to stick around Genoa City a little longer now if he isn’t committed to S.W.A.T. However, he isn’t looking to sign a full-time contract.

Shemar Moore on The Young and the Restless; Sonja Flemming/CBS

“Now… when I’m unemployed, you might get me on Young and the Restless a little longer,” Moore shared. “But will I go back for a contract? No, probably not. Because if this is indeed the end of S.W.A.T., I want to continue to grow and evolve. There’s a lot in me that people don’t know that I’m capable of. I know it’s in me, but I got to dig deep to bring it out.”

Moore currently portrays Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson on S.W.A.T., a role he’s played for all seven seasons of the CBS procedural action drama. In May 2023, the network canceled the series after six seasons, though it reversed its decision a few years later and renewed it for a seventh and final season.

It’s not yet known if another network or streamer will pick up S.W.A.T. or if CBS will once again reverse its decision.

Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson on ‘S.W.A.T.’ Photo: Pepe Molina/Sony Pictures Television/CBS. All Rights Reserved.

Speaking to TV Insider back in February, Moore remained optimistic about the show’s chances, especially due to its popularity on Netflix.

“I’m an optimistic person that maybe it’s the final season, maybe it’s not. That’s just me talking because this game is all about numbers. It’s money, budget, and numbers,” he stated.

“We’re top 15 on Netflix. We’ve been in the top 10. We were number one for a minute. We’ve been steady in the top 15. And I think if the numbers are good, I mean maybe the powers to be at Sony, at CBS, the people that make the decisions, maybe they have something to rethink,” he continued.

Moore added, “And if that happens, I’d be more than proud to continue this show. If it’s goodbye, then I say thank you, and I’m grateful for the years. And then that door closes, and then I go kick down the next door.”

He shared similar sentiments in his recent interview with First For Women, saying, “We’re all approaching this season like, ‘If this is the end, let’s embrace it, and let’s give them all we got.’ The show deserves to have a proper send-off. But I’m just saying, maybe it is the end…and maybe not.”