Content Warning: this article contains references to rape and sexual assault.
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Leverage: RedemptionTimothy Hutton's Leverage character Nathan "Nate" Ford dies before the start of its sequel show Leverage: Redemption. Nate Ford, an insurance investigator turned criminal mastermind, leads a team of thieves that specialize in stealing from the rich and corrupt and giving back to their victims. Leverage: Redemption sees the return of the grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), the hacker Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), the hitter Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), and the thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf). ER's Noah Wyle s the Leverage crew as Harry Wilson, a former lawyer seeking redemption for previously protecting rich, corrupt clients. Given these high-profile returns, Nate Ford's absence requires some explanation.
In the first episode of Leverage: Redemption, it is revealed that Nate Ford died off-screen sometime before the events of the episode. Nate's death was created as a way for the production team to write Timothy Hutton out of Leverage: Redemption. This is due to the fact that shortly before production was due to begin on Leverage: Redemption, Timothy Hutton was accused of rape. As a result of these serious off-screen accusations, the writers needed to come up with an excuse for his absence, ultimately settling on a heavily-implied heart attack.
Why Sophie Thinks Nate Died
During a conversation with Harry Wilson in Leverage: Redemption's first episode "The Too Many Rembrandts Job", Sophie implies that Nate had died of a heart attack a year before the events of the episode. Sophie states that the anger that Nate felt, following the preventable death of his son at the start of Leverage, eventually claimed his life. This off-camera death ties into the fact that the production team no longer wanted to work with Nate Ford's actor, Timothy Hutton, following real-world accusations made against Hutton.
Why Nate Died & Timothy Hutton Did Not Return
In March 2020, before Leverage: Redemption went into production, Timothy Hutton was accused by a Canadian former child model and actress of raping her when she was 14 in 1983. Hutton, who was 22 at the time of the alleged assault, denies the accusation. In 2021, authorities closed their investigation of the case, filing no charges against the actor. Hutton is the only main actor from Leverage not to reprise his role in Leverage: Redemption. Even Aldis Hodge, whose film career has taken off with roles in 2019's The Invisible Man and as superhero Hawkman in 2022's Black Adam, returned in the capacity of a special guest star.
Then in February 2022, before the Leverage: Redemption as Nate Ford, given his Leverage character's death and the ongoing legal battle.