While numerous actors have left the One Chicago universe over the years, the reasons for their departures are varied. Portraying the firefighters, police officers, doctors, and other civic servants central to each series requires a sizable rotating cast. However, over a decade-plus of life-and-death small screen drama, cast changes have inevitably occurred. Whether planned by producers to drive plot, requested by actors to pursue new creative avenues, or resulting from on or off-screen conflict, the exits hold varied reasons. But One Chicago‘s reputation for recurring cast turnover ensures that new characters are consistently introduced, continuing the drama and entertaining storylines.
One Chicago is the umbrella name for a series of interconnected NBC dramas centered around the fictional emergency responders of inner-city Chicago. TV producer Dick Wolf co-created all of the shows in the One Chicago universe, and the franchise started with firehouse-set Chicago Fire in 2012. Police drama Chicago P.D. followed in 2014 along with hospital show Chicago Med in 2015 and short-lived legal drama Chicago Justice in 2017. With complex crossovers linking storylines and characters across Chicago Fire, P.D., and Med, these shows provide some of television’s most ambitious interconnected programming.
21 Nick Gehlfuss As Dr. Will Halstead
Chicago Med
It’s never easy leaving a beloved job, and the same rings true for Nick Gehlfuss, who portrays Dr. Will Halstead on Chicago Med. Portraying the doctor for eight seasons, Gehlfuss came to the realization that he had taken Dr. Halstead as far as he could, prompting the reason for his departure (via Variety). The actor’s departure was kept hidden until the episode aired. The finale was filmed in April, about a month and a half after Gehlfuss let the cast and crew know that it was time for him to move on. While Halstead’s exit hurts more than previously thought, there’s room for new storylines to now unfold.
20 Jesse Lee Soffer As Detective Jay Halstead
Chicago P.D.
For nine seasons, Jesse Lee Soffer, who had a main role in Chicago P.D., announced in August 2022 that season 10 would be his last. To justify his exit, the character was written off by sending Halstead to Bolivia for a job with the Army. While Soffer was “proud” of his time on the show, the reason for his departure was that he “was ready for more,” according to a statement made in Variety. Despite this, he couldn’t quite stay away, as he returned to make his directorial debut in the season 10 episode “Dreadlocked.”
19 Jesse Spencer As Captain Matthew Casey
Chicago Fire
Australian actor Jesse Spencer, who portrayed Captain Matthew Casey, left Chicago Fire in October 2021 after 10 seasons and 200 episodes. The reason behind this decision was that Spencer was ready for a change after doing television for 18 years. He wanted to use the time off to spend more time with his family. “It was a difficult decision…but there’s other things that I would love to do in the future and there’s some family that I need to take care of” (via Us Weekly). Vowing to be back, Spencer returned for two episodes during season 11, reprising the beloved character and adding back charm to the hit show.
18 Yaya DaCosta As April Sexton
Chicago Med
In 2021, model and actress Yaya DaCosta announced her exit from Chicago Med on Instagram. DaCosta’s decision to move on from the hit show, and the arrival of another acting opportunity in Lee Butler’s Our Kind of People happened simultaneously, leading her to finalize her choice to move on. “There was a window opening and a question mark as to whether I should stay or go, and in that window, I fell in love with Our Kind of People and I jumped at the opportunity to work with Lee Daniels again” (via Deadline).
17 Torrey DeVitto As Natalie Manning
Chicago Med
In 2021, another actress that revealed her departure from Chicago Med via Instagram was Torrey DeVitto.”It has been such an honor and pure joy to bring Dr. Natalie Manning to life…but it is now time for her and me to bow out and say goodbye.” In addition to simply wanting to move on, the initial contracts of the original Chicago Med cast were expiring at the end of the sixth season, and the actress solidified her decision to leave once her character’s story had wrapped up (via Deadline). Luckily, the doors weren’t completely closed as Natalie made a reappearance in the season 8 finale.
16 Archie Kao As Sheldon Jin
Chicago P.D.
Detective Sheldon Jin was a tech expert on Chicago P.D. At the end of season one, Jin was revealed as a mole spying on his colleagues for corrupt Internal Affairs handler Stillwell, who threatened to deport Jin’s father. When Stillwell’s operation unraveled, he killed Jin, whose body was discovered in the finale. Because of this writing decision, actor Archie Kao’s job ended, as showrunner Matt Olmstead explained to TV Guide that they needed a cliffhanger with major impact to shake up characters.
15 Lisseth Chavez As Vanessa Rojas
Chicago P.D.
Officer Vanessa Rojas joined the 21st District intelligence unit in season seven of Chicago P.D., after excelling as an undercover agent. Sgt. Voight brought Rojas on full-time, and she thrived busting criminals alongside her colleague and love interest Det. Kevin Atwater. Despite her success, both the character Rojas and actor Lisseth Chavez departed after one season. In September 2020, it was reported Chavez would not return for season eight, opting instead to join The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow as alien expert Spooner Cruz (via Deadline). Despite Chavex being a great edition, a better opportunity away from Chicago P.D. awaited on another hit series.
14 Dora Madison As Jessica Chilton
Chicago Fire
Dora Madison portrayed paramedic Jessica “Chili” Chilton, who struggled to earn acceptance from the loyal crew after replacing Peter Mills in season three. Her Chicago Fire tenure detonated when her sister died and a grieving Chili administered the wrong meds to a patient. The near-fatal error sent Chili into an alcoholism spiral that prompted Chief Boden to fire her midway through season four. This decision was simply to keep up the show’s drama with showrunner Matt Olmstead telling The Hollywood Reporter, “You can’t just save up the big moments and departures and entrances for characters at episode one and episode 22.”
13 Brian Geraghty As Sean Roman
Chicago P.D.
The passionate Chicago P.D. patrol cop Officer Sean Roman transferred to the 21st District after an office relationship. Roman suffered serious injuries when shot on duty near the end of season three. He recovered, but opted to resign instead of taking a desk job in San Diego. This exit strategy, however, was planned, as actor Brian Geraghty had negotiated a unique year-to-year contract rather than the standard seven-year deal. While Roman’s sudden exit after cheating death was surprising, it was crafted ahead of time by producers and Gergahty himself to facilitate an unpredictable, but purposeful departure, and allow the actor to work on other projects (via TV Line).
12 Sophia Bush As Erin Lindsay
Chicago P.D.
Sophia Bush’s character Erin Lindsay from Chicago P.D. left the series after four seasons, with her character being written out after moving to New York to take a job with the FBI. While the character arc was simple, the behind the scenes circumstances surrounding Bush’s exit were a bit more complicated. On Dax Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert, Bush stated that she left the show as a result of “a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior” from producers (via USA Today). Initially, production refused to let her out of her contract, but Bush issued an ultimatum threatening to sue the network. Eventually, she was let out of her deal.
11 Monica Raymund As Gabriela Dawson
Chicago Fire
Gabby Dawson, played by original cast member Monica Raymund since season one, abruptly left Chicago Fire in season seven in order to aid the Puerto Rico hurricane relief efforts. Raymund’s exit was a shocker, as her departure wasn’t written for the drama of the show, but because the actress’ contract ended, and she sought new roles beyond the NBC drama, according to an interview the actress gave with the Chicago Tribune. The door remains open for a return, which briefly occurred in season eight. In the show, the character Dawson decided Chicago no longer felt like home. For Raymund, six seasons were enough before pursuing other projects.
10 Colin Donnell As Connor Rhodes
Chicago Med
Chicago Med original cast member Colin Donnell, who played beloved ER surgeon Dr. Connor Rhodes, abruptly departed after season four for unspecific “creative reasons” in 2019. Donnell starred in the medical drama for its first four years, however, the exact cause of his sudden exit remains unclear. According to sources speaking to Deadline, “cast departures stem from creative reasons related to the characters’ story evolution.” Post-Chicago Med, Donnell has starred in Hallmark movies Love on Iceland and To Catch a Spy, as well as the 2022 Peacock miniseries Irreverent.
9 Jon Seda As Antonio Dawson
Chicago P.D.
Originating as Antonio Dawson in Chicago Fire, John Seda became a series regular on the spinoff Chicago P.D. in 2014. Dawson anchored the Dick Wolf universe, also starring in the short-lived Chicago Justice in 2017. But in 2019, after just five years, writers unexpectedly wrote Antonio’s exit from Chicago P.D. The creative team felt Dawson’s storylines had played out, leading to his resignation from the police force midway through season 7. According to Deadline, Seda’s character had run its course. However, he was well liked by the producers, making it possible for him to appear in another Dick Wolf show in the future.
8 Lauren German As Leslie Shay
Chicago Fire
Lauren German played the popular paramedic Leslie Shay on Chicago Fire before tragically dying in the season 3 premiere. Similar to shows like Grey’s Anatomy, the One Chicago franchise injures or kills off characters simply for dramatic effect. Therefore, German did not leave due to personal reasons, but because it added to the story. Matt Olmstead explained to TV Line the reasoning behind killing the well-liked Shay. “It had to be someone who was going to give us a big impact.” Of all the cast, Shay’s death “affected the most people.“
7 Elias Koteas As Alvin Olinsky
Chicago P.D.
After five seasons on Chicago P.D., original cast member Elias Koteas saw his character Alvin Olinsky meet a tragic end. Olinsky took the fall for a past murder committed by Detective Hank Voight that finally caught up with him, leading to a fatal prison stabbing. Showrunner Rick Eid explained to TV Line that Voight should face consequences for his actions, and sacrificing his trusted friend Olinsky carried the most weight. Unlike some cast departures, Koteas’ exit was purely a storytelling decision, not the actor’s choice. “From a creative perspective, it was a decision that evolved organically from the ongoing storyline between Voight and Woods.”
6 Charlie Barnett As Peter Mills
Chicago Fire
Rookie firefighter Peter Mills was an audience stand-in on Chicago Fire, offering a relatable view of the thrills and dangers of the job. Actor Charlie Barnett portrayed Mills’ evolution from probationary firefighter to paramedic in the show’s first three seasons. However, Barnett learned his exit was imminent just before filming his departure episode, sharing that producers felt Peter’s arc had peaked, leaving writers stumped for new storylines. The abrupt news shocked Barnett, though the split proved mutually beneficial (via Sarasota Herald-Tribune). While Chicago Fire lost an audience favorite, Barnett continues to land high-profile roles in various streaming hits like Russian Doll and Ordinary Joe.
5 Rachel DiPillo As Sarah Reese
Chicago Med
Chicago Med is known for its intense emergency room at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. This is where medical student Sarah Reese learned the ropes until realizing pathology or psychiatry better suited her talents. Additionally, a rift with mentor Dr. Charles over a disturbing revelation about Reese’s father prompted her to abruptly leave for Texas. Executive Producer Andrew Schneider said in an interview with One Chicago Center that Rachel DiPillo, is “a great actor” and “if we can find a good way to bring her back later, we’ll entertain that.” While the precise motives behind her departure is unclear, DiPillo has the potential to make a return in the future.
4 Yuri Sardarov As Brian ‘Otis’ Zvonecek
Chicago Fire
Actor Yuri Sardarov first joined Chicago Fire in season one as recurring character Brian “Otis” Zvonecek before earning main cast billing by season two. Sardarov remained a fixture on the show for eight years until Otis suffered fatal injuries in the season seven finale, dying in the season eight premiere. Despite the unexpected tragedy being planned by showrunners, the plot twist meant Sardarov’s time on the show reached its end. The meaningful loss allowed the writers to raise the stakes headed into the next season (via TV Insider). For his part, Sardarov smoothly segued to starring roles in The Rookie and FBI: International.
3 Norma Kuhling As Ava Bekker
Chicago Med
Actress Norma Kuhling joined Chicago Med in the season 2 final and became a series regular in season 3 as Ava Bekker as a cardiothoracic surgery fellow. However, in the season 5 premiere, Bekker fatally injures herself, cementing her exit from the series. Kuhling posted to her Instagram that she felt “nothing but gratitude” for her Chicago Med opportunity when Bekker was written off. According to reports by Deadline, the departure resulted from creative motives tied to character development directions rather than any issue with Kuhling.
2 Annie Ilonzeh As Emily Foster
Chicago Fire
Actress Annie Ilonzeh signed on as Emily Foster in season 7, but exited the show in the season 8 finale when her character applied to medical school, writing the character off the show. Ilonzeh spent two seasons in the One Chicago universe, replacing Monica Raymund when Raymund didn’t renew her contract after season 5. The actual reason for Ilonzeh’s departure is unclear, but according to One Chicago Center, she is now represented by Agency for the Performing Arts (APA). In these instances, moving to a new agency could affect an actor’s contract.
