"Castle" Season 8 Adds "The Neighbors'" Toks Olagundoye as Series Regular
by Matt Webb Mitovich
July 7, 2015


"Castle‘s" first bit of Season 8 casting is truly out of this world.

Toks Olagundoye, who played the extraterrestrial Jackie Joyner-Kersee on ABC’s "The Neighbors", is boarding the network’s Monday-night procedural in the series regular role of Hayley Vargas, TVLine has learned.

To be introduced in the two-part Season 8 premiere (kicking off Sept. 21), Hayley is described as a quick-witted, free-spirited, former Scotland Yard police officer who works as a security specialist and is not afraid to cross lines to get things done.

http://tvline.com/2015/07/07/castle-season-8-toks-olagundoye-series-regular-hayley/

"Castle": Get Your Exclusive First Look at Hayley Shipton
by Natalie Abrams
8/17/15


Get ready to meet the new investigator in Castle’s life!

"Neighbors" alum Toks Olagundoye makes her debut as free-spirited and quick-witted independent investigator Hayley Shipton in the Castle season premiere — and EW has the exclusive first look.



“Toks plays a really dynamic, fun character,” executive producer Alexi Hawley tells EW.

“It’s a voice that the show doesn’t have. What’s great about her is Castle has been investigating cases police-adjacent, so it’s always about doing things the way police would. She doesn’t do things that way, so that fun dynamic of, ‘No, we break in rather than get a warrant,’ is kind of fun.”



Even though she doesn’t follow the rules, Hayley’s not quite the same renegade as Detective Ethan Slaughter (Adam Baldwin) — who will be returning this season.

“She’s a little easier than Adam Baldwin was on him, but there’s definitely an energy about her which is a lot of fun,” Hawley says.







Though Castle will be working with Hayley more now that Beckett (Stana Katic) has become the new captain, the newbie serves another purpose in season 8.

“We like the idea of her as a mentor to Alexis in a way that Beckett has been, but because she’s also Castle’s wife, ultimately Hayley can play a little bit more of an older sister,” Hawley says.

“This season is really about growing Molly up. She’s been playing the child for seven seasons and now she’s 21 years old. She’s a grown up. This year, she’s going to be more sophisticated. That relationship with her father will change because she’s not a little girl anymore.”

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/17/castle-toks-olagundoye-season-8-photo