# Eric Winter
**Eric Winter** (Eric Barrett Winter, born 1976) is an American actor and former fashion model best known for playing Sergeant Tim Bradford on the ABC police drama *The Rookie* and, earlier, Rex Brady on the NBC soap opera *Days of Our Lives*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/6836/eric-winter) His other television roles include FBI Special Agent Craig O'Laughlin on CBS's *The Mentalist* (2010–2012) and Dash Gardiner on Lifetime's fantasy drama *Witches of East End* (2013–2014).[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/6836/eric-winter)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birthplace | Eric Barrett Winter, born 1976 in La Mirada, California[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) |
| Signature role | Sergeant Tim Bradford on ABC's *The Rookie*, 2018–2026, 144 episodes[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/) |
| Soap opera start | Rex Brady on *Days of Our Lives*, 2002–2005, 413 episodes[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/) |
| Other series roles | Craig O'Laughlin on *The Mentalist* (2010–2012); Dash Gardiner on *Witches of East End* (2013–2014)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/6836/eric-winter) |
| Film work | Colton in *Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay* (2008); Colin in *The Ugly Truth* (2009); *Fire with Fire* (2012)[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/) |
| Education | Psychology degree from UCLA; originally a pre-med student who wanted to be a doctor[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/eric-winter/bio/3000431419/) |
| Marriage | Married actress Roselyn Sánchez on 29 November 2008; two children; previously married to actress Allison Ford, 2001 to 2004[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/) |
| Outside acting | Co-host of the podcast *He Said, Ella Dijo*; founder of the rum brand Palm Republic[6](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/a71591793/the-rookie-cast-eric-winter-wife-podcast-update-instagram/) • [7](https://www.26-magazine.com/eric-winter-on-risks-rewards-rum-the-rookie) |
## Early life and modeling
Winter was born in La Mirada, California.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) He grew up wanting to be a doctor and entered the [University of California, Los Angeles](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-california-los-angeles) as a pre-med student, but graduated with a degree in psychology.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/eric-winter/bio/3000431419/) Before acting, he worked as a model in several high-profile campaigns, including [Tommy Hilfiger](https://www.edgepedia.org/tommy-hilfiger) and a television spot for singer [Britney Spears](https://www.edgepedia.org/britney-spears)' fragrance line "Curious."[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/eric-winter/bio/3000431419/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter)
## Television career
**Soap opera and early guest roles.** After logging guest appearances on episodic series, Winter landed the role of Rex Brady on the long-running daytime soap *Days of Our Lives*, where he was a series regular from 2002 to 2005.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/) Leaving the soap to pursue broader acting opportunities was, by his own account, his biggest professional risk, a decision to "bank on myself" that he says ultimately paid off.[7](https://www.26-magazine.com/eric-winter-on-risks-rewards-rum-the-rookie)
Through the late 2000s he returned to guest roles, with a recurring part as an ill-fated bull rider on the ABC Family series *Wildfire* (2005–2008), a main-cast turn on the short-lived CBS musical series *Viva Laughlin* (2007), and [Matthew Rhys](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-rhys)'s love interest Jason McCallister on ABC's *Brothers & Sisters* (2006–2011).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) • [8](https://www.metacritic.com/person/eric-winter/)
**Primetime regular and recurring work.** In 2010 Winter began a two-year run on CBS's *The Mentalist* as FBI agent Craig O'Laughlin, a character with a hidden agenda.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) He followed with a supporting romantic role as Luke, Kristin Chenoweth's character's brother, on the short-lived ABC soap *GCB* (2011–2012), then series-regular work on Lifetime's supernatural drama *Witches of East End* (2013–2014) as Dash Gardiner, a warlock engaged to [Jenna Dewan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jenna-dewan)-Tatum's witch-in-training and caught in a love triangle with his brother Killian.[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) He also juggled back-to-back recurring roles on ABC's thriller *Secrets & Lies*, Fox's drama *Rosewood*, and ABC's *The Good Doctor*.[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/)
**The Rookie.** Since 2018 Winter has starred as LAPD Sergeant Tim Bradford on ABC's *[The Rookie](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-rookie-tv-series)*, opposite [Nathan Fillion](https://www.edgepedia.org/nathan-fillion).[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/) The role is the longest he has played, running eight seasons and more than 140 episodes through 2026.[9](https://www.tvguide.com/news/the-rookie-season-8-eric-winter-tim-mother/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/) His character's slow-burn romance with Lucy Chen, played by [Melissa O'Neil](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-oneil), known to fans as "Chenford," became one of the show's most discussed storylines, and Winter has credited fan enthusiasm with shaping how the writers developed it.[10](https://z100.iheart.com/featured/elvis-duran/content/2026-02-17-1014-elvis-duran-and-the-morni-eric-winter-the-rookie-becoming-a-tiktok-ico/) He reprised the role in two 2022 episodes of the spin-off *The Rookie: Feds*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/)
The series has continued to renew. ABC announced in May 2026 that *The Rookie* would return for a ninth season in 2027, and Winter said at [San Diego Comic-Con](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-diego-comic-con) that the cast had filmed an alternate ending to season 8 in case the show was canceled: "We didn't know when we wrapped last season if we would ever come back."[11](https://www.detpress.com/abc/pressrelease/abc-announces-fall-2026-primetime-schedule/) • [12](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/the-rookie-filmed-alternate-season-8-ending/) In the season 8 finale, Bradford proposed to Lucy Chen, who accepted, before the newly engaged couple was kidnapped in the episode's final moments.[12](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/the-rookie-filmed-alternate-season-8-ending/)
## Film and other work
Winter's film roles include Colton, a duplicitous friend of the title characters, in *Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay* (2008), and Colin in the romantic comedy *The Ugly Truth* (2009), opposite [Katherine Heigl](https://www.edgepedia.org/katherine-heigl) and [Gerard Butler](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerard-butler).[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter) He also appeared in the action feature *Fire with Fire* (2012) alongside [Josh Duhamel](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-duhamel), Rosario Dawson, and Bruce Willis.[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/) On television movies, he starred opposite Alyssa Milano in Lifetime's *Sundays at Tiffany's* (2010) and in Hallmark's *Finding Santa* (2017).[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/)
He provided vocals and his likeness to the video game *Beyond: Two Souls*.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/eric-winter/bio/3000431419/) As a producer, his credits include executive producer on the television movie *Death of a Vegas Showgirl* (2016) and producer on the short *Dead End* (2015).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/)
## Podcast and business ventures
Since 2019 Winter has co-hosted the iHeartRadio podcast *He Said, Ella Dijo* with his wife, the Puerto Rican singer and actress [Roselyn Sánchez](https://www.edgepedia.org/roselyn-sanchez).[13](https://phosphormagazine.com/eric-winter) The show went on hiatus in November 2025, and in June 2026 Winter teased its relaunch on Instagram.[6](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/a71591793/the-rookie-cast-eric-winter-wife-podcast-update-instagram/)
He has also moved into entrepreneurship with Palm Republic, a premium rum brand. The idea began with a trip to Puerto Rico and a conversation with his future father-in-law over a glass of aged rum, followed by years of traveling and tasting before he decided to build the brand.[7](https://www.26-magazine.com/eric-winter-on-risks-rewards-rum-the-rookie)
## Personal life
Winter married actress Allison Ford in 2001; the marriage ended in divorce in 2004.[14](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/winter-eric-1976) He has been married to Roselyn Sánchez since 29 November 2008, and they have two children.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/) He is an ambassador for [Operation Smile](https://www.edgepedia.org/operation-smile), an organization that provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children around the world, and resides in Los Angeles with his family.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/eric-winter/bio/3000431419/) • [4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/)
## References
1. [Eric Winter, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/6836/eric-winter)
2. [Eric Winter, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_winter)
3. [Eric Winter, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935721/)
4. [Eric Winter, ABC Press biography](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/eric-winter/)
5. [Eric Winter Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/eric-winter/bio/3000431419/)
6. [Eric Winter Teases a Major Career Move Ahead of 'The Rookie' Season 9, Good Housekeeping](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/a71591793/the-rookie-cast-eric-winter-wife-podcast-update-instagram/)
7. [Actor, Entrepreneur Eric Winter on: Risks, Rewards, Rum + The Rookie!, 26 Magazine](https://www.26-magazine.com/eric-winter-on-risks-rewards-rum-the-rookie)
8. [Eric Winter, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/eric-winter/)
9. [The Rookie's Eric Winter Teases Tim's Mother's Arrival, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/the-rookie-season-8-eric-winter-tim-mother/)
10. [Eric Winter: The Rookie, Becoming a TikTok Icon & Palm Republic Rum, Elvis Duran Show, iHeart](https://z100.iheart.com/featured/elvis-duran/content/2026-02-17-1014-elvis-duran-and-the-morni-eric-winter-the-rookie-becoming-a-tiktok-ico/)
11. [ABC Announces Fall 2026 Primetime Schedule](https://www.detpress.com/abc/pressrelease/abc-announces-fall-2026-primetime-schedule/)
12. ['The Rookie' Filmed Alternate Season 8 Ending, Star Eric Winter Says, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/the-rookie-filmed-alternate-season-8-ending/)
13. [Eric Winter on evolving through new experiences, Phosphor Magazine](https://phosphormagazine.com/eric-winter)
14. [Winter, Eric 1976-, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/winter-eric-1976)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Wh to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license