‘Station 19’ Star Jaina Lee Ortiz Joins New ABC Drama ‘RJ Decker’

Jaina Lee Ortiz is setting her sights on a new ABC drama.

Deadline reports that the Station 19 star is returning to the Disney-owned network as a series regular on the new series RJ Decker.

Headlined by Scott Speedman, the show is based on the 1987 novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen. RJ Decker “centers on the eponymous RJ Decker (Speedman), a disgraced newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida.”

The series follows the titular character tackling cases that “range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife, and a shadowy new benefactor, a woman from his past who could be his greatest ally… or his one-way ticket back to prison.”

Ortiz will be playing Emi Ochoa, the “shrewd-if-unpredictable daughter of a very powerful, very corrupt state senator with ties to RJ’s past.” In addition to Speedman, Ortiz also joins Kevin Rankin, Adelaide Clemens, and Bevin Bru in the series regular cast. Weruche Opia was also set to star in EJ Decker, but after the pilot was tested, her role of Shay Bennett will be recast.

RJ Decker comes from 20^th Television and Elementary creator Rob Doherty. He serves as an executive producer alongside Hiaaseen, Carl Beverly, and Sarah Timberman. Paul McGuigan directs and executive produces. On top of starring in the series, Speedman is a producer.

Jaina Lee Ortiz is best known for her role as Andrea “Andy” Herrera on the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19, which aired on ABC for seven seasons from 2018 to 2024. Her breakout role was as Detective Annalise Villa on the Fox police drama Rosewood from 2015 to 2017. Additional credits include The Long Game, Scream Queens, Shooter, and Righteous Thieves. Up next, she’ll be starring in the film The Vortex, which is in post-production.

Other details surrounding RJ Decker have nto been released, but Station 19 fans will be happy to know that Ortiz will be returning to ABC in the near future. The show is set to premiere sometime during the 2025-26 season, so additional information will likely be shared in the coming months. For now, people can watch all seven seasons of Station 19 on Hulu to prepare for Ortiz’s ABC comeback.