‘R.J. Decker’ Season 2 adds ‘The Millers’ star as private investigator's estranged father
With the upcoming ‘R.J. Decker’ Season 2 set to premiere on September 15, 2026, fans are eagerly waiting for their favorite characters to return. In the upcoming season of the ABC series, viewers will also see a mysterious figure join the cast. According to TV Line’s report, Beau Bridges will join the show as R.J.’s estranged father, Reggie Decker. He is described as “garrulous, charming, and perennially optimistic.” He is a self-proclaimed entrepreneur who has a “fondness for empty promises and unreliable behavior,” the publication notes.
Showrunner Rob Doherty spoke to the outlet about the new addition, as he said, “We had the tremendous fortune of bringing Beau Bridges aboard (for Season 2).” He added, “He’s someone I’ve been watching on TV and in films my whole life. He’s someone I look up, and someone Scott (Speedman) looks up to. We were really thrilled to get him to play R.J.’s dad. He’ll be with us for a couple of episodes.”
R.J.’s father has been absent from his life for the most part, and their dynamic will be interesting to watch. Doherty revealed that Season 2 will shed more light on the main character's childhood, as he mentioned, “One of the things we wanted to do in the second season was to look more closely at who R.J. is, aside from the fact that he spent 18 months in prison for something he only sort of did.” He added, “We'll learn a little bit more about what R.J.'s childhood was like, and we're explore the path that led him here.” Fans are aware that R.J. had led an unconventional life so far, and the showrunner revealed that “a fair amount of that can be traced back to what it was like growing up with the kind of dad he had.”
As a three-time Emmy Award winner, Bridges has appeared in numerous renowned projects and played many memorable characters. His work on the small screen includes his role as Hank Landy in 'Stargate SG-1', Carl Hickey in 'My Name Is Earl', Howard Markson in 'Matlock', and Tom Miller in 'The Millers', among others. Fans may have also seen him on the big screen in movies such as ‘Norma Rae’ (1979), ‘The Fabulous Baker Boys’ (1989), ‘The Descendants’ (2011), and more. With ‘R.J. Decker’ Season 2 premiering next week, fans will soon witness how things unfold between R.J. and his father.