Season 13 of Chicago Fire has brought plenty of intense storylines—and some major cast shake-ups. With the season finale approaching in May, fans are now bracing for another emotional goodbye: two more series regulars will be leaving Firehouse 51. Keep reading to find out who’s leaving Chicago Fire, why, and what one of the actors had to say about it.
Which ‘Chicago Fire’ actors are leaving after Season 13?
Actors Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett, who play firefighters Darren Ritter and Sam Carver, will be leaving the show at the end of Season 13, Deadline confirms. Though Chicago Fire hasn’t officially been renewed for another season, it’s anticipated that Season 14 will still be happening.
Unfortunately for fans, the Firehouse 51 members won’t be back even if the show returns on schedule.
Kyri also confirmed the news of his departure via an Instagram story, according to TVLine.com. “I’ll miss this character, and it’s time to move on… Thank you to the cast, crew, & the awesome fans,” the actor wrote.
Fans will have to wait until the end of the season to see what ending is in store for both Ritter and Carver. Since the series is reportedly still in production for the season, however, there’s still time to give them a proper send-off.
Why Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett are exiting the show
Though Kyri and Lockett haven’t provided any details about their exit from the show, Deadline has shared that it’s due to budget cuts on the long-running drama series. There seems to have been quite a lot of discussion behind the scenes about efforts to trim production costs.
This could also potentially lead to a shorter number of episodes for recurring characters in Season 14, though nothing is set in stone.
Not much is known about the show’s overall budget, but in 2016, an article revealed that Chicago Fire was one of four Chicago-based series that were spending more than $150 million on wages to more than 1,300 cast and crew members. Part of those salaries also went towards paying more than 3,000 extras involved in the four shows.
Darren Ritter’s most memorable storylines
Ritter first appeared on Chicago Fire in the Season 7 episode “Going to War.” He was originally assigned to Engine 37 until he froze up during a call for a high-rise fire. The incident led to him being kicked off by the lieutenant, and Ritter planned to leave the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) altogether.
