In a Christmas Eve Instagram post, S.W.A.T.’s Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds, The Young and the Restless) informed fans that he had recently received positive test result for COVID-19. The actor described his initial symptoms as similar to food poisoning, but let fans know that he’s currently feeling fine and planning to spend the holidays isolated, via Instagram.
Moore recently returned to the role of protagonist Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson for S.W.A.T.’s fourth season, which aired on CBS in November. According to CinemaBlend, the series returned to production in August, after a five-month hiatus from filming due to the onset of COVID-19. The production applied the safety measures that have become standard on TV sets that have returned during COVID-19.
People addressed Moore’s active social media presence surrounding S.W.A.T.’s return, both promoting the series and commending it’s safety precautions. Moore encouraged followers to wear a mask in his COVID-announcement post, which the actor has been promoting on social media since the early days of the pandemic.
While S.W.A.T. resumed filming in August, Deadline reports that the CBS procedural drama has been on holiday hiatus throughout December. Moore has plenty of time to focus on recovery and safety during hiatus. Deadline asserts that, if Moore’s recovery goes well, this diagnosis “likely won’t impact any filming [of the series]”.
Fans and friends have responded to Moore’s Instagram post to express their wishes for speedy recovery. S.W.A.T. co-star Lou Ferrigno Jr. (S.W.A.T., Stargirl) left a string of supportive emojis on the actor’s Instagram. Moore followed up with a Christmas Day Instagram video where he danced away the many woes of 2020, thanking those who reached out with supportive messages regarding his diagnosis in the video’s caption.
COVID-19 has ravaged the entertainment industry in 2020, shutting down productions, instigating cancellations of fan-favorite series and infecting the casts and crew of many shows and movies. Recent cases include the likes of stand-up comedian Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Finding Nemo) and Richard Schiff (The West Wing, The Good Doctor). While productions have been adapting, it’s been difficult to protect everyone from the unprecedented virus. Despite this, Moore closed his initial Instagram post by saying: “I believe in the sun shining through the rain”.
With a vaccine on the horizon, hopefully both Moore and the entertainment industry will begin to recover and thrive in the new year.