'Will Trent' Recruits 'The Pitt' Star Alexandra Metz After Cast Exits

Shakeups are shaking up the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. ABC’s hit procedural *Will Trent* is officially filling a major leadership power vacuum after delivering some deeply shocking character exits in its fourth season. Actress Alexandra Metz is officially heading to the network drama for season five in a crucial new regular role. Reports confirm that the 40-year-old screen star will play Birdie Palmer, who takes over as the newly installed Deputy Director of the GBI. Birdie is depicted as an insanely sharp, fiercely ambitious executive who conceals a guarded personal history tied to a life-altering trauma. Her entrance follows the emotional death of longtime character Amanda Wagner, who was portrayed by fan-favorite actress Sonja Sohn until her season four departure.

Metz secures the high-profile procedural gig while juggling a super packed filming calendar. The performer is currently pulling double duty, having spent time since June shooting the third season of Max’s drama *The Pitt*. Meanwhile, production on the new season of *Will Trent* kicked off cameras just two weeks ago, setting up Metz to jump right into the Atlanta-set action. Rooted in the bestselling literary universe created by author Karin Slaughter, *Will Trent* follows special agent Will Trent, played by leading man Ramon Rodríguez. Left at birth to navigate Atlanta’s intensely overwhelmed foster care system, Trent uses his unique emotional scar tissue and distinct perspective to solve cases that stump everyone else. His unorthodox methods have earned him the absolute top case-clearance rate in the entire Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Metz joins a strong core ensemble cast that continues to anchor the series. Beyond Rodríguez, the show stars Iantha Richardson, Erika Christensen, Jake McLaughlin, and Kevin Daniels. With Birdie Palmer stepping into the top office, the GBI dynamic is primed for major friction as the agents learn to work under a guarded new boss.