Chicago PD fans are no stranger to drama. Each episode is full of twists and turns (or heart) but the real reason that leaves the viewers every time on the edge of their chairs is that the city of the wind is a really dangerous place to work. Let’s take a closer look at the real reason why some of the characters in the series left Chicago PD!
Archie Kao
Sheldon Jin’s death left not only the fans speechless but also the actors themselves. However, the authors knew what they needed to do, establishing the tone of the rest of the series – and the death of that character was not something to be revealed, his story went in that direction from the beginning.
Stella Maeve
Within 18 episodes, Nadia Decotis passed from being a drugged prostitute to being a criminology student and Intelligence assistant. And her narrative arc was precisely why the fans loved her so much and why her exit from the stage hurt so much. No one could have predicted how she would die from the hands of a serial killer. However, there is no real reason why Nadia was killed and the authors themselves reiterated this.
Sophia Bush
For the first three seasons of Chicago PD, the series does not see much drama behind the scenes of the series. However, this changes when Sophia Bush decides to leave the series. The working environment on the set was very hostile and problematic, as the actress says several times publicly.
“I left the series because my body couldn’t take it anymore, it was unraveling, because I was really really unhappy.”
Sophia Bush
Jon Seda
When Antonio Dawson left the series at the end of the sixth season of Chicago PD, fans had not realized that it would be forever, thinking that after rehab the character would return. And instead…. Jon Seda never came back to play the character, as he began a new project: La Brea.
Lisseth Chavez
Vanessa Rojas was a fan-favorite character, yet she was not spared by the planned exit for her after just one season. In fact, actress Lisseth Chavez had signed a one-year contract, even as the actress was scheduled to star in Legends Of Tomorrow, and her character was written for only one season.
“Honestly, longevity is really just part of it,” Fire showrunner Andrea Newman tells TVLine.
The firefighter drama just kicked off its 12th season, while P.D. and Med are airing Seasons 11 and 9, respectively. With runs that long, which have become something of a relic in today’s TV environment, shaking things up is a necessity.
“[In] storytelling and in terms of real life, 12 years is a long time and things need to change, just dynamic-wise. You want new characters and you want new dynamics,” Newman explains.
The same goes for the stars, who are sometimes playing the same character for over a decade. “Actor-wise, 12 years is a long [time]. Nobody expects in TV [that] they’re going to be anywhere for 12 years, I can say that for sure, from all sides,” Newman shares with a laugh.
And even as people come and go, the Firehouse 51 family “still feels very intact to me,” Newman continues. “There’s still Boden at the helm and Severide and Kidd. It still feels very strong, and it still feels, because we’ll see Matt Casey [played by former series regular Jesse Spencer], like most people who’ve been part of it are still part of it in lots of ways. So that’s lucky for us, too.”
Med co-showrunner Andrew Schneider echoes Newman’s sentiment about keeping the creative juices flowing by changing up the ensembles.
“That’s really what the Wolf [Entertainment] company likes to do is have characters leave and bring in new characters in an effort to keep the shows fresh or find new dimensions to the show and new dynamics,” Schneider says. (Wolf’s other two franchises, FBI and Law & Order, are also undergoing some cast changes this season.)
For more fun facts on the real reason why some other characters left Chicago PD, check out the video below!
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