The View has finally completed its new panel with the addition of Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace just a little more than a week before the new season’s premiere date.
There had been a lot of speculation and guessing about who would fill empty chairs on The View after the departures last season of co-hosts Barbara Walters, Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy.
ABC recently confirmed that actress Perez and political commentator Wallace will join returning co-host Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie O’Donnell, who is rejoining the show after a previous stint as a co-host.
According to a press release on ABC’s website, producers are excited about the new group of women and diverse viewpoints they will bring to the show.
“These are powerful and accomplished women from different walks of life who have had amazing personal and professional experiences,” said executive producer Bill Wolff. “This mix of smart, vibrant and energetic women is unlike anything else on daytime television.”
Perez’s name actually wasn’t tossed around much by the rumor mill when fans were speculating who would fill one of those coveted seats on the daytime talk show, but she certainly seems like a natural fit.
The 50-year-old actress has dealt with her share of hard-hitting questions and will likely toss some of her own at the show’s guests.
Perez also boasts a life full of experiences that will help a broader range of viewers to relate to her or be drawn in by her story.
She is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants and grew up in Brooklyn under troubling circumstances.
Her mother, who passed away from AIDS-related complications, was mentally ill and often abused Perez as a child.
In addition to abuse from her mother, her 2014 memoir revealed that she was also sexually assaulted by her half-brother twice and spent a portion of her youth in a group home.
Despite what she has referred to as an “unpredictable life,” Perez has become known for her upbeat personality and loving attitude.
Perez said she is “thrilled, honored and completely surprised” by the offer to join The View.
“Knowing that I’ll be in the company of Whoopi, Rosie and Nicolle, three very smart and engaging women that I have an immense amount of respect for, makes it even more unbelievable,” Perez said, according to ABC’s press release. “The opportunity to connect with our nation’s audience on a daily basis … icing on the cake! Very happy.”
Wallace, 42, who served as communications chief for former President George W. Bush, also shared her excitement and said she has been a longtime viewer of the show.
“I am honored to join the tradition of compelling conversations that has been the signature of The View for the better part of two decades,” Wallace said. “I have watched The View for many years and now to be seated alongside three women that I have admired is both humbling and incredibly exciting.”
Last season, the show bid farewell to Shepherd, who announced her departure after seven years as a co-host.
An emotional episode in May celebrated Walters, the show’s creator, after she announced her retirement.
One season proved to be enough for The View newcomer McCarthy, who allegedly was not received well by the general audience.
The new season will begin with its new panel Sept. 15 on ABC.
