‘S.W.A.T.’ Fans Would Certainly Miss Alex Russell (and His Dimples!)

No one is safe on a show like S.W.A.T., where the stakes are life and death. Don’t forget that one fan-favorite character from the CBS show met a violent demise just last year.

So naturally, fans might be concerned for another beloved cast member, one with “dimples on display and for days,” as one Twitter fan recently raved. So, is Alex Russell leaving S.W.A.T.?

Potential S.W.A.T. spoilers below!

Breathe easy, S.W.A.T. fans. It doesn’t seem like Alex, who plays LAPD transfer Jim Street on the show, is going anywhere soon. And we have Instagram evidence to thank for that reassurance…

CBS is airing S.W.A.T. Season 5, Episode 13, “Short Fuse” tonight, Sunday, March 13, but Street is still alive in Episode 15, March 27’s “Donor,” according to a behind-the-scenes shot of Alex that S.W.A.T. writer Ryan Keleher shared in January.

Plus, Alex celebrated wrapping the show’s 100th episode last month, telling Instagram followers, “So thankful I get to keep making this awesome show with all these beautiful, talented, hilarious, supportive, inspiring people.”

That 100th episode is scheduled to air on April 10, so it seems Street is safe until then. Of course, we wouldn’t put it past Alex and the S.W.A.T. writers to keep a major character’s death or departure under wraps, so don’t be surprised if we’re blindsided by a plot twist, especially in a milestone episode like the 100th hour of the show.

Alex explained the rigors of S.W.A.T. in a cover story for Men’s Health Australia published earlier this year. “We all feel it,” he said. “The physical side of what we do is super taxing. When I started this show, I could get away with not stretching, and I could just run, and then, at a certain point, I was like, ‘Oh, ow. I can’t do that’. And then I’m like, ‘Oh, this is why [co-stars] Shemar [Moore] and Jay [Harrington] are always stretching for 10 minutes before we go and do this stuff.’”

The 34-year-old added that it’s not just the physicality of the role but the wardrobe. “It’s all the gear that we’re wearing,” he said, referring to the onscreen S.W.A.T. team’s attack vests, helmets, drop holsters, and weapons.

“You’ll never see a set with so many massages going on, as we’re all just trying to keep everything loose,” Alex observed. “That coupled with a lack of sleep is the real killer. It’s brutal.”

Even so, the Aussie was looking forward to a possible sixth season of S.W.A.T. “If the show were to get picked up for another season, I’d be thrilled, and if it wasn’t, I’d just be excited for whatever’s next,” he said. “I’m at a point where for me, I’m stoked either way. I’m not trying to control-freak the situation. It’s such a blessing to have even come this far.”

S.W.A.T. airs Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.