Missy Peregrym: Why Maggie Left FBI and Her Life Now

Few TV characters feel as steady as FBI‘s Special Agent Maggie Bell — which is why fans noticed immediately when she vanished from the screen in season 6. The reason wasn’t a plot twist: Missy Peregrym, the Canadian actress who plays her, stepped away to welcome her second child.

Born: June 16, 1982 · Known for: FBI, Rookie Blue, Stick It · Children: 2 · Height: 5’9″ (1.75 m) · Spouse: Tom Oakley · Years active: 2004–present

Ten key facts that define Missy Peregrym’s career and life, one pattern: nearly every chapter — from competitive gymnastics training to prime-time crime drama — involves a physical, demanding role that she prepared for with unusual intensity.

The pattern: Peregrym’s public profile is built on a small number of long-running, high-visibility roles — not a scatter of short gigs — which makes each departure or return a noticeable event for her audience.

Why is Maggie off of FBI?

During FBI season 6, viewers noticed that Special Agent Maggie Bell — played by Missy Peregrym — was absent from several episodes. The show’s writers explained the gap by sending Maggie off on medical leave after an injury on the job, a storyline that gave Peregrym real-life time away from the set (IMDb News).

Why did they write Maggie out of FBI?

Behind the scenes, Peregrym had given birth to her second child, daughter Mela Joséphine Oakley, on June 6, 2022 (Wikipédia). She described the period as a chance to “rest, heal, and mother” her children (Hollywood Life). The timing was different from her first maternity leave, which had unfolded during the pandemic. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she noted that the second leave required her family to “navigate a whole new rhythm.”

Who is replacing Maggie on FBI?

No permanent replacement was cast. During Peregrym’s leave, a temporary character filled in to cover the duties of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Once she returned — about five months after giving birth — Maggie Bell resumed her role as the show’s lead female agent (TVLine).

The implication: FBI chose to keep the character alive rather than recast, signaling that Peregrym is considered essential to the show’s identity.

How many children does Missy Peregrym have?

Missy Peregrym and her husband, Tom Oakley, have two children. Their first, a son named Otis Paradis Oakley, was born on March 21, 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. Their second, a daughter named Mela Joséphine Oakley, arrived on June 6, 2022 (Wikipédia).

Who is Missy Peregrym’s husband?

Tom Oakley is a Canadian actor and stuntman. He and Peregrym met on the set of the TV series Rookie Blue, where he worked as a stunt performer. They married in 2018 (Entertainment Tonight). During her second maternity leave, Peregrym said Oakley “stepped up” to allow her to rest and be present with the children (Primetimer).

What is Missy Peregrym’s family life like?

The family resides in Los Angeles. Peregrym has described juggling motherhood with a demanding network-TV schedule as exhausting but fulfilling. She admitted to Yahoo Entertainment that she “did not keep up with the show” during her leave because she was too tired, and focused entirely on her children.

The trade-off: Peregrym chose to prioritize family over keeping up with the show’s momentum — a decision that worked because FBI producers left the door open.

What is Missy Peregrym doing now?

As of the 2024–2025 television season, Peregrym continues to star as Special Agent Maggie Bell in FBI, now in its eighth season (CBS). She is active on social media, regularly sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos with her co-stars.

What is Missy Peregrym’s current role?

Maggie Bell is a senior special agent on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York. The character is known for her sharp instincts, moral compass, and close partnership with Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, played by Zeeko Zaki. Peregrym has played the role since the show’s pilot in 2018 (Paramount Press Express).

What are her upcoming projects?

No official announcements of new film or TV projects outside FBI have been made. Peregrym has not indicated any plans to leave the series, and her character remains a central part of the show’s ensemble.

What this means: for now, Peregrym is committed to FBI — a stable, long-running role that provides both professional consistency and the flexibility to raise a young family.

Was Missy Peregrym a real gymnast?

No — but she trained intensely to look like one. For her breakthrough role as Haley Graham in the 2006 film Stick It, Peregrym underwent months of gymnastics training and performed many of her own stunts (Rotten Tomatoes).

What is Missy Peregrym’s background in gymnastics?

Before the film, Peregrym had no competitive gymnastics background. She was a model and had taken some dance classes, but the rigorous routine for Stick It was built from scratch. She trained daily with coaches to master the floor routines, vaults, and beam work that the role required.

How did she prepare for her role in Stick It?

Peregrym spent several weeks at a gymnastics camp in California, working with former competitive gymnasts and stunt coordinators. The film’s director, Jessica Bendinger, wanted authenticity, so Peregrym learned to execute routines that could be filmed in long takes without cutting to a double. She later said the experience gave her a deep respect for the sport.

The catch: many viewers still assume Peregrym was a former gymnast because her performance was that convincing. The reality shows preparation, not prior athletic history.

Do Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki get along?

By all accounts, yes. Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki, who plays her on-screen partner OA, have a warm and professional relationship that translates into their on-screen chemistry.

What is the relationship between Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki?

Both actors frequently post photos and videos together on social media, often showing them laughing between takes. Zaki told TVLine that Peregrym is “incredibly professional and fun to work with.” Peregrym has returned the compliment, describing Zaki as a dedicated scene partner who makes her better.

How do they work together on FBI?

Their characters, Maggie Bell and OA, are partners who rely on trust and mutual respect — a dynamic that mirrors the actors’ real-life rapport. The showrunners have leaned into that chemistry, giving the duo more screen time together in later seasons.

Why this matters: for a procedural drama that depends on a central partnership, the off-screen friendship between Peregrym and Zaki is a genuine asset — and it shows in every scene.

Peregrym’s career arc — from modeling to gymnastics film to a decade-long TV lead — shows a performer who picks roles that require grit and stays with them. For the millions who watch FBI each week, her return after maternity leave was a quiet confirmation that the show’s heart, Maggie Bell, was never really gone. For Peregrym, the choice to step away and come back on her own terms is a rare luxury in network television. The implication for working parents in Hollywood: a show that values an actor enough to write around their life, rather than replace them, is still the exception, not the rule.

Fans have long speculated about the reasons behind Maggie Bell’s departure, and a detailed breakdown of reasons behind Maggie Bells departure reveals the real-life circumstances that prompted Peregrym to step away from the role twice.

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