Of the dozens of cast exits “Blue Bloods” fans have witnessed over its 13-season run, few have remained quite as mysterious as that of DA Investigator Alex McBride. Portrayed by James Lesure, McBride made his series debut during Season 5 of “Blue Bloods,” and quickly became a key player in helping Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) break cases for the district attorney’s office. But after appearing in a total of seven episodes between Seasons 5 and 6, McBride disappeared, and he hasn’t been seen in the Reagan orbit since.
That absence is all the more glaring as McBride appeared to be stepping up as a major secondary character on “Blue Bloods.” The utter lack of resolution surrounding McBride’s exit continues to baffle fans, as does the general radio silence that accompanied it. In fact, entire Reddit threads have been dedicated to the conversation. Misinformation abounds on those threads, however, with some fans mistakenly even arguing McBride was killed off-camera in a Season 6 episode — it wasn’t McBride who was killed, but rather another investigator named Robert McQueen. Truth is, nobody really knows what happened to McBride. But we do know that Lesure followed his supporting gig on “Blue Bloods” with a second lead role on the ABC sitcom “Uncle Buck.”
To be crystal clear, there’s never been any official word from CBS or Lesure about his “Blue Bloods” departure. But such career moves are pretty common by actors in Hollywood — particularly super-talented ones who seem to be relegated to “recurring” status as Lesure was on “Blue Bloods.”
James Lesure has kept busy since his mysterious Blue Bloods departure
Unfortunately for James Lesure, if his “Blue Bloods” exit came with hopes of “Uncle Buck” becoming a blockbuster hit, those hopes were promptly dashed as the series was canceled after just eight episodes. Despite the series’ failure, those who caught Lesure at work in “Uncle Buck” know he showcased a penchant for comedy rarely glimpsed during his “Blue Bloods” tenure.
The actor bounced back from the cancellation of “Uncle Buck” quickly, following it with a 14-episode run on “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” and a brief stint on CBS’ sci-fi series “Salvation.” In 2018, he began a three-season run as FBI Agent Jim Turner in the tragically short-lived crime drama “Good Girls,” and amid that run, he also worked opposite Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church in the Emmy-nominated “Divorce.” After wrapping that show, Lesure booked another major role on a short-lived series in the Katey Sagal-led “Rebel,” then went on to play NBA legend Julius Erving in HBO’s celebrated basketball drama “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”
Lesure joined Nathan Fillion and Niecy Nash for a lone episode of “The Rookie” in 2023, portraying FBI Agent Carter Hope. Fortunately, that episode was the one that launched Nash’s spinoff “The Rookie: Feds.” And yes, Lesure was fortunate enough to return as a main cast member for “Feds,” appearing in every single episode of the series’ debut season. It’s still uncertain if “Feds” will be back for a second, however. But as Hope is still very much alive and well in the universe of “The Rookie,” there’s hope he may return if the series does.