On the heels of the death of Stanley Kamel, who played the cranky yet incredibly patient shrink Dr. Charles Kroger on Monk, the Emmy Award-winning police procedural dramedy will be enlisting a new therapist for Tony Shalhoub's obsessive compulsive character.

Joining Monk for season 7, which kicks off on July 18, is none other than Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated Hector Elizondo.  The 71-year-old actor has participated in over 80 movies, including Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, where he played the head of the queen's security service and eventual love interest to Julie Andrews's character.  On TV, he is credited for his roles as Dr. Phillip Watters on Chicago Hope, and most recently as Pancho Duque on Cane.


Meanwhile, Hector Elizondo isn't the only new face to look forward to when Monk returns for a new season.  As reported previously, Brad Garrett, who has become a household name as one of the stars of the long-running sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and his most recent show 'Til Death, will be gracing Monk's premiere episode as a handyman who helps Monk lead star Tony Shalhoub with his home renovations.

Additionally, Monk's seventh season will continue to have other notable guest stars and creative cases, as well as an all-star cast of Traylor Howard, who plays Natalie Teeger, the second assistant to Adrian Monk, Ted Levine, who portrays Captain Leland Stottlemeyer , the SFPD Police captain that specializes in robbery and homicide, Jason Gray-Stanford, who plays Lieutenant Randy Disher, the SFPD Police lieutenant that specializes in robbery and homicide, and Emmy Clarke, who reprises her role as Julie Teeger, the teenage daughter of Natalie Teeger.

For those who have missed an episode of season 6, you can grab a copy of the DVD, which will hit stores today.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: USA Network
(Image courtesy of CBS)