We love settling down on the sofa for Chicago Wednesdays, but with the longest-running show Chicago Fire having been on screens for a decade now (Chicago PD and Chicago Med were launched in 2014 and 2015 respectively), the One Chicago family has lost several cast members over the years.
Have you ever wondered why they left and where they are now? From Taylor Kinney’s recent absence to Colin Donnell’s departure in 2019, find out what the actors who have left are up to now..
Taylor Kinney
In January 2023, Chicago Fire revealed via its official social media channels that lead star Taylor, who plays Lieutenant Kelly Severide, would be away from the show for an undetermined time as the actor took a leave of absence. Scripts for the show had to be hastily rewritten after Taylor departed to deal with his personal matter, but the show managed to continue despite its obvious lack of the popular figure.
Sophia Bush
One of the original stars of Chicago PD, Sophia Bush left after four seasons. Her character Detective Erin Lindsey was written out as having moved to New York City to take a job with the FBI. Since leaving the show, Sophia has starred in several successful films such as The Incredibles 2 and the Netflix feature Hard Luck Love Song, and has also had TV roles on shows including Love, Victor, Jane the Virgin, and Good Sam – the latter of which she leads and produces.
The circumstances around Sophia’s exit behind the scenes are a little bit more complicated. Speaking to fellow actor Dax Shepard during an appearance on his Armchair Expert podcast, she revealed that she stepped away from the show for personal reasons as a result of “a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior” from show bosses.
EXPLORE: Inside Chicago PD star Sophia Bush’s feud with former co-star
Yaya DaCosta
Yaya DaCosta’s April Sexton left Chicago Med after it was revealed in June 2021 that she would be relocating to a different show. Speaking to Deadline not long after the news broke, the actress revealed that her exit came about after falling in love with another show – the new FOX drama Our Kind of People.
She said: “My exit from Chicago Med and the arrival of this show happened really simultaneously. There isn’t much to say about it. There was a window opening and a question mark as to whether I should stay or go.” Sadly, Our Kind of People was cancelled after one season, but thankfully for fans, this news did mean that Yaya was able to return to Chicago Med in a recurring role in season eight.
Colin Donnell
Chicago Med fans were crushed when it was announced that Colin Donnell would be leaving the show due to “creative reasons” in 2019. The actor starred as fan favorite Dr Connor Rhodes in the medical drama’s first four seasons and it’s never been revealed what exactly caused his exit.
Since his time on the show, Colin has made a return to theatre and has had leading roles in the Hallmark movies Love on Iceland and To Catch a Spy. He also had a lead role in the Peacock miniseries Irreverent in 2022.
Jesse Spencer
© NBCChicago Fire bid farewell to original star Jesse Spencer in 2022, leaving fans devastated. His character Captain Matt Casey decide to leave the Windy City for three years, with him and girlfriend Sylvie Brett attempting to try long distance.
“He agreed we should at least get Casey to the 200th episode. It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved the show from the start but there are other things I’d like to do in the future. There’s family I need to take care of, and 18 years is a long time.”
Thankfully for fans, Jesse made a return to Chicago Fire as a guest cast member in season 11, so Casey has not disappeared from screens for good. Away from the show, the actor joined the Disney+ series Last Days of the Space Age in 2023.
Lauren German
Lauren German starred as paramedic Leslie Shay in Chicago Fire for the first two seasons but was sadly killed off in the season three premiere. The much-loved medic met her fate after walking into a trap set by a serial arsonist. Opening up about why the show killed off Lauren’s character, executive producer Matt Olmstead revealed to TV Line that he chose her “because it affected the most people”. Explaining, he said: “Going into it, we knew if we were going to do it, it had to be someone who was going to give us a big impact, as opposed to going for a lesser-known character.”
