The One Chicago family has been put through the wringer in 2023 due to an onslaught of casting changes — and Us Weekly is helping viewers keep track of them all.
Us confirmed in January that Chicago Fire would look a little different for the remainder of season 11 after Taylor Kinney took a temporary “leave of absence.” The actor, who has played Lieutenant Kelly Severide since the show’s 2012 premiere, was reportedly dealing with a personal matter.
Three months later, NBC announced that Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. were all renewed for another season, which was a bright spot in the calendar year for fans.
Chicago Med faced its own shakeup in May when Nick Gehlfuss walked away from the series after eight seasons. Chicago P.D. didn’t lose any cast members for the 2023 season, but Tracy Spiridakos announced in October that the upcoming season 11, which premieres in January 2024, will be her last.
Taylor Kinney Takes ‘Chicago Fire’ Leave of Absence
Us confirmed in January that Kinney would be temporarily off the show for the remainder of season 11. Throughout the season, Kinney’s character was mentioned on several occasions, hinting at his future return. Us confirmed in October that the actor will be back for the start of season 12, but how often he’ll be featured has not been determined.
Jesse Spencer Makes ‘Chicago Fire’ Comeback
Amid Kinney’s absence, Spencer reprised his role as Captain Matt Casey for an April episode. He returned for a second time during the season 11 finale in May. Spencer previously exited the drama in October 2021 after 10 seasons.
Jesse Lee Soffer Returns to ‘Chicago P.D.’ as Director
Following his departure from the procedural crime drama in fall 2022, Soffer returned to the Chicago P.D. set in March. He didn’t reprise his role as Detective Jay Halstead, however, but instead made his directorial debut with the “Deadlocked” episode.
“It was great. It was pretty seamless. Working with everybody for 10 seasons together, we all direct each other here and there. We’re all figuring out ways to make scenes come to life and bring what’s on the page to the camera,” Soffer exclusively told Us ahead of the episode’s debut. “And so we’ve been doing it all along. It was an easy transition.”