The series that spawned the “One Chicago” universe, “Chicago Fire,” launched
in 2012 and has been one of the most prosperous prime-time network dramas
of the last decade. Airing for more than 10 years, the show centers on a group
of dedicated firefighters who put their lives on the line every week — running headlong into deadly infernos and life-and-death situations. Never pulling any punches, the series effectively portrays the realities of the profession, and the series has seen a dramatic revolving door of characters, with characters killed and injured, or simply walking away as their lives change and evolve.
In the show’s decade-plus run on NBC, it’s lost (and gained) numerous new cast members, but rarely are any two exits the same. Each actor has a different reason for departing: Some might make the decision themselves, looking to find new acting opportunities, while others are the result of writers looking to swing the axe and give the show a new look. Whatever the case may be, audiences are often left wondering exactly what happened and why, so we’re here to shed some light on what led these actors to leave “Chicago Fire.”
A member of the show’s original cast, Monica Raymund starred in “Chicago Fire” for its first six seasons. As Gabriela Dawson, Raymund played a paramedic before her character moved on to become a firefighter, proving that the profession doesn’t have to be a boys’ club. But she’s also co-owner of Molly’s, the bar that the crew frequents in their off hours, and sister to Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda), a main character on “Chicago P.D.” During her run on the series, she also marries Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) and dates both Peter Mills (Charlie Barnett) and “Chicago P.D.” star Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer).
With such close ties to the core of the “One Chicago” franchise, it was a surprise for fans when Raymund left the series after Season 6, with Dawson departing the Windy City for the sunshine of Puerto Rico. With no regrets, Raymund says that leaving “Chicago Fire” was her decision, prompted by her desire to move back to the West Coast.
“I’m not sure the exact moment when it happened, but I knew that my six-year contract was coming to an end and I felt like I was hungry to explore a different role, a different story,” she said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “I had been in Chicago for five years and just personally where I was in my life, I was ready to create my home and kind of plant some roots in Los Angeles.”
Annie Ilonzeh
During its run, “Chicago Fire” has often replaced outgoing actors with new ones almost immediately. Case in point is Emily Foster, played by Annie Ilonzeh, who entered Firehouse 51 after the loss of Gabriela Dawson. But Ilonzeh didn’t stay with the show for long, only appearing in the seventh and eighth seasons before leaving. It was a far cry from Monica Raymund’s six years on the show before her, leaving many to wonder exactly what happened.
When Annie Ilonzeh walked away it was a double shocker coming so soon after the death of Otis (Yuri Sardarov), which may be why they chose not to kill her character off. Instead, Foster goes back to medical school. It seems it was contractual issues that prompted the move, with a new deal for the actress not materializing after Season 8. Though the show and Ilonzeh have been mum as to which side made the decision, it’s worth noting that shortly after leaving the show, the actor signed with a new talent agency, APA, suggesting that her former reps may have bungled negotiations.
Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer is one of the original main cast members on “Chicago Fire.” He joined the show as firefighter Matthew Casey after playing Dr. Robert Chase on the hit medical drama “House,” and quickly became a key reason for the success of the firefighting series. His character even saw a promotion to firehouse captain in its sixth season.
Unfortunately for fans, Spencer was downgraded after Season 10 to recurring guest star, with his character moving to the Pacific Northwest to help the two sons of fallen comrade Andrew Darden. Casey appeared in just two episodes of the following season, but it seems that the character’s move out of the Windy City was prompted not by the writer’s desire to shake up the status quo, but by the actor’s desire to move on to more personal challenges.
“I got married and had a toddler. So things shifted in my life,” Spencer told USA Today in an interview when he returned to the series for a guest-starring spot. Nevertheless, his appearance in a handful of later episodes is a sign that the actor is more than willing to make a return if he can find the time, and Spencer has said that he still has his Halligan prying bar and firefighter helmet on standby.
Taylor Kinney
The original cast of “Chicago Fire” — the roster of regulars who were there when the series began — will be on life support when the series kicks off its 12th season in 2024. And that’s largely thanks to two big recent exits, including Jesse Spencer, but perhaps more notably, longtime series star Taylor Kinney. The former “Vampire Diaries” actor led the cast of “Chicago Fire” as firefighter Kelly Severide from the very beginning, but in Season 11, disappeared, with Kinney announcing a leave of absence from the series.
Though he is credited all season long as a series regular, Kinney only showed up in a little more than half of the show’s 11th season, gone for the final eight installments. The actor has been tight-lipped about why he had to take the time off, while Variety reported that it involved a “personal matter” that required his attention and would prevent him from taking part in the scheduled filming of the entire season. Kinney has announced that he’ll be back at some point in Season 12, but some fans may be wondering if his leave of absence could be the beginning of the end for Severide on the series.
Lauren German
NBC
Headlining “Chicago Fire” alongside Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney when the series debuted was actor Lauren German, in the role of paramedic Leslie Shay. And while for many she was a stalwart presence and one of the biggest reasons to watch early on, German was also one of the series’ first major losses. Shay — in one of the most shocking moments of the series to this day — was killed off dramatically in the Season 2 finale. Her death was the result of a devasting building fire that left her in critical condition, with Severide and Dawson unable to save her life.
Sadly, Shay’s death wasn’t the actor’s choice, but the result of the show’s writers trying to find a way to create some major drama for the end of the show’s second season. The show’s executive producer Matt Olmstead wanted someone to meet their end in the episode, and German drew the short straw. “We went down, one by one …” Olmstead revealed to TV Line. “You’re having to weigh the pros and cons of each one … we gave everybody a day in court. We came back to Shay because it affected the most people.”
Ultimately, Shay’s death probably wasn’t something German was happy to see happen in the script when her time came, but Olmstead says she took the news well, praising her professionalism. “This is what happens sometimes. You mourn it and move on.”
Alberto Rosende
Albert Rosende didn’t join “Chicago Fire” until Season 8, but quickly became a fan-favorite playing eager firefighter Blake Gallo. More than a mere supporting player, Gallo was at the center of the series and wound up romantically linked to several other major characters, including Christine (Heidi Grace Engerman), the daughter of veteran firefighter Christopher Hermann. But in December 2023, just a month before the planned premiere of Season 12, Rosende announced that he was leaving the show midway through production of the new season. As for why, it was Rosende who chose to end his run on “Chicago Fire,” and it wasn’t a decision he took lightly.
“When I decided to end my time with ‘Chicago [Fire],’ it wasn’t easy,” Rosende said in an Instagram story (via US Weekly). “The people I’ve met were truly special, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime and [the] story I got to tell was one that made me proud.” According to Deadline, there was no drama behind the scenes that led Rosende to hang up the helmet, meaning it was simply a personal decision to step away from the series. And while Rosende may be gone, he’s excited to see where the show goes next, telling fans he “can’t wait to see what else is in store and I wish everyone the best in shooting the rest of the season!”
Yuri Sardarov
Yuri Sardarov began “Chicago Fire” as a recurring character, playing firefighter Brian Zvonecek, better known as Otis. After being bumped up to series regular in Season 2, Sardarov’s friendly, well-meaning Otis became the heart and soul of the show for many fans. But no matter how one views him, Sardarov’s heartbreaking exit from the series was one of the show’s saddest moments, as they didn’t give him any kind of fond farewell, choosing instead to kill him off in a tearjerking season premiere.
Once again, though, Sardarov was the unfortunate victim of the show’s desire to up the stakes for audiences. Feeling that the series had lost its edge thanks to cliffhangers that resolved too neatly — with a decidedly less-than-lethal conclusion — writers wanted to push the envelope and stun viewers with an unexpected death. “We gotta put some teeth back into the show, and we gotta show that the dangers are real,” said series creator Derek Haas in a chat with TV Line.
So after a dramatic Season 7 finale that saw a mattress factory engulfed in flames, the show kicked off Season 8 by having the blaze claim Otis’ life. As Haas describes it, they chose Otis to die because his death would affect the rest of the characters more deeply than most. “He lives with Cruz and Brett, and he’s on Casey’s truck, and he’s in Boden’s house, and he’s best friends with Mouch, and owns a bar with Herrmann.”
Dora Madison
“Chicago Fire” has seen its share of new cast members over the years, and Dora Madison was one of them, joining the show in Season 3. It’s probably no coincidence that Madison was added in the role of paramedic Jessica “Chilli” Chilton just two episodes after German’s last appearance as Shay. When Chilton first showed up at Firehouse 51, she didn’t get the warmest of welcomes, in part because the crew was still reeling from Shay’s death. Madison starred as Chilton for much of Season 4 until she too was given the old heave-ho by producers after a dramatic character arc.
Regrettably, it was that character arc that forced the show’s hand. “It’s hard,” showrunner Matt Olmstead told The Hollywood Reporter. “We liked the actress a lot and she did a great job.” As he told the outlet, the character of Chilton was added to infuse the series with more drama and conflict among the core characters, with the paramedic in the middle of a downward spiral after the death of her sister. Her firing at the hand of Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) was timed at mid-season to shake up the expected formula and keep viewers guessing. “You can’t just save up the big moments and departures and entrances for characters [in season premieres and finales],” Olmstead said.
Charlie Barnett
The first series regular to leave “Chicago Fire” was Teri Reeves after Season 1, but nobody has ever been able to pin down exactly why the actor left. That’s not quite the case, though, with actor Charlie Barnett, who was just the third main cast member to be written out of the series following the death of Leslie Shay. But Mills isn’t killed off, with the firefighter choosing to move back to North Carolina to be with his family. Still, leaving the series wasn’t Barnett’s idea, with producers feeling the show simply needed some fresh blood.
“The hardest part of this job is when you feel it’s the right time to make cast changes,” showrunner Matt Olmstead told TV Guide. “It was solely based on bringing in new people for new stories,” he explained. “So, we wanted to shake things up and bring in a new character and we started discussing the idea … and here we are. It was an extremely tough decision to make, but we feel good about it.”
While Barnett’s exit left his character alive, keeping him around for a possible return wasn’t the reason. According to Olmstead, it felt like the most natural way to end his story: Mills’ father had died in the line of duty himself, and with his family urging him to rejoin them back home, he feels he’s done his job and is ready to move on.
Daisy Betts
Rebecca Jones never did become a full-fledged firefighter, struggling to get through the academy and prove herself as a candidate in Firehouse 51. As the daughter of Chief Lionel Jones, the rest of the crew were uncomfortable around her and her superiors refused to go easy on her — and things got worse when her father secretly ordered Chief Boden to transfer her out of the firehouse. In a truly unexpected twist, though, Jones winds up dying by suicide after sinking into a depression due to the pressure. But that might not have been her fate had it not been for the exit of another character.
Following the departure of Jeff Hephner (more on him later), showrunner Olmstead turned to Betts’ character for a tragic ending to deliver a major bombshell. Speaking to TV Guide, Olmstead explained their decision to send Betts packing. “We looked at the Jones character fresh and that’s when we were like — as we often times do — how can we get the maximum impact of this character leaving the show?”
The solution was a heartrending death, written as a way to emotionally devastate the rest of the firefighters. “What would it be like? What would the emotional ramification be for our main characters if her character was to die? That’s what we started digging in on.”
Steven R. McQueen
Another firefighter candidate in “Chicago Fire” during the show’s fourth season was Jimmy Borrelli, played by actor Steven R. McQueen. He butted heads with Chief Boden, who he blamed for his firefighter brother’s death in a massive blaze. McQueen stuck around for Season 5, but his story came to an end when the year drew to a close, and the actor hasn’t been seen or heard from in the “One Chicago” universe since. But this wasn’t a case of an actor looking for a new gig, or producers seeking to simply add a new cast member. Instead, it was simply time for Borrelli to move on.
At the end of Season 5, Borrelli refuses to follow orders and he pays the price: He’s gravely injured on the job and forced out of his career as a firefighter. In a chat with TV Line, producer Michael Brandt said that the character’s ending felt necessary because they couldn’t reconcile the increasing friction between Borrelli and Boden. “With Jimmy’s character, it just felt like he needed to stand up for what he believed in, but Boden needed to stand up for what he believed in, and those two things couldn’t live together,” Brandt said. “[Borrelli’s exit] was driven by the story and who the characters have evolved into.”
Jeff Hephner
Actor Jeff Hephner played Jeff Clarke, a recurring character who had almost as many appearances on “Chicago Med” as he did on “Chicago Fire.” Clarke is a capable and dedicated firefighter at Firehouse 51 who eventually decides he’d rather be in medical school — hence the “Med” appearances. Clarke made most of his “Fire” appearances in Season 2, but once he became a medical student and moved to the show’s sister series, he only turned up for a few episodes in Season 5.
Unfortunately for “Chicago” fans, it seems Hephner was in too much demand at the time to keep him in the franchise. According to showrunner Matt Olmstead, the only reason that Clarke was written out of the series was because Hephner got an offer for a new series pilot, presumably one with a bigger role than he’d had in “One Chicago.”
Unable to film both shows concurrently, Hephner walked away, and it wasn’t ideal for the show’s writers, who’d planned for the character to have a major romantic arc with Rebecca Jones. When he departed, this forced the show to restructure Jones’ story, ultimately leading to her death. As unfortunate as it was for producers, writers — and Jones actor Daisy Betts — it may have been for naught because Hephner never did land a long-term leading role after leaving “Chicago Fire.”
Kara Killmer
The latest loss for “Chicago Fire,” actor Kara Killmer is the second major departure of the year following Taylor Kinney’s extended leave of absence. But while Kinney is expected to return eventually, Killmer — who has played paramedic Sylvie Brett since way back in the show’s third season — will leave the series midway through Season 12 in 2024.
In the series, Killmer’s character is the longtime girlfriend of firefighter Matthew Casey, and in Season 11, Casey proposes to her, but audiences never find out her answer. With the actor who plays Casey all but gone — relegated to sporadic guest appearances — this may be the natural ending to Brett’s story. Either way, when the actor announced her exit, she seemed wistful and nostalgic rather than bitter, which may hint that the exit was her own decision — or at the very least that she’s ready to move on from the series after a decade in the role.
