The hum of the city is unmistakable. Outside the windows of a South Side café, Chicago’s streets are alive with the steady rhythm of buses, hurried footsteps, and the occasional wail of a siren fading into the distance. LaRoyce Hawkins sits across the table, his frame relaxed but his eyes carrying the weight of both the man he is and the man he plays on Chicago PD. When he smiles, it’s warm and disarming, but when he talks about Kevin Atwater, there’s a seriousness — almost a reverence — in his voice.
“Carrying the badge means carrying the community,” Hawkins says, the words landing with the weight of lived experience. “For Atwater, the job isn’t just about catching bad guys. It’s about protecting people, building trust, and making sure his neighborhood feels seen and heard.”
From the earliest days of Chicago PD, Atwater stood out — not just for his skill in the field, but for his deep connection to the city beyond the precinct walls. He’s a bridge between the badge and the block, someone who understands that the lines between the two can blur in ways most people never see. “Atwater grew up here,” Hawkins explains. “He knows these streets, these people. He’s not looking at them from the outside — he’s part of it. That changes how you police.”
It’s a balance that the show has leaned into more in recent seasons, using Atwater’s storylines to explore issues of race, trust, and systemic challenges within policing. Hawkins embraces the responsibility of telling those stories. “We get to have conversations through Atwater that might not happen otherwise,” he says. “We get to show that being a good cop isn’t just about making arrests — it’s about relationships. It’s about empathy.”
On set, Hawkins approaches each Atwater scene with the same question: What’s the human truth here? “Sometimes that truth is messy,” he admits. “Maybe Atwater’s frustrated because he sees a system failing people he cares about. Maybe he’s proud because he saved someone in a way that didn’t involve cuffs or a courtroom. Those are victories too.”
Hawkins recalls filming an episode where Atwater was caught between loyalty to his badge and loyalty to his neighborhood. “That was one of the toughest scripts I’ve ever had to sit with,” he says. “Because it’s not just acting — it’s reflecting something real. People in positions like Atwater’s face those choices all the time. And sometimes, there’s no perfect answer.”
Kevin Atwater’s moral compass, much like Sergeant Voight’s, is tested constantly. But where Voight might bulldoze through the gray areas, Atwater often stands still in them, weighing every angle. “He’s thoughtful,” Hawkins says. “He’s not impulsive. He’s seen enough to know that rushing a decision can do more harm than good. That’s part of his strength.”
The weight of playing a character like Atwater isn’t lost on Hawkins. “You can’t fake this role,” he says. “You have to understand the stakes. This isn’t just TV for some people — it’s their reality. If we’re going to tell those stories, we owe it to them to get it right.”
Part of getting it right means spending time in the communities Chicago PD depicts. Hawkins, a native of the Chicago area, takes pride in representing his city authentically. “When you grow up here, you understand the culture, the language, the pride people have in their neighborhoods,” he says. “That’s what I try to bring to Atwater — that authenticity.”
The actor’s connection to his hometown also fuels his off-screen work. Hawkins is active in local outreach programs, mentoring young people and advocating for resources in underfunded communities. “It’s all connected,” he says. “The same way Atwater carries his community on the show, I try to do that in real life.”
On set, Hawkins is known for his collaborative spirit. He credits the show’s cast and crew with creating a space where challenging, emotionally charged scenes can be explored safely. “We trust each other,” he says. “When you’re dealing with heavy themes — race, violence, corruption — you have to have that trust. Otherwise, you can’t go there truthfully.”
Visually, Atwater’s world in Chicago PD is often painted in contrasts: the harsh glare of a streetlamp over a tense arrest, the soft morning light spilling into a kitchen where he shares a quiet moment with family. Hawkins says those contrasts are part of what makes the character compelling. “It’s not just action and drama — it’s those little moments of peace, of normal life, that remind you what he’s fighting for.”
As the show continues, Hawkins sees Atwater’s role evolving. “He’s stepping into more leadership,” he says. “And with that comes more responsibility — not just to his team, but to the people outside the badge. I think we’re going to see him continue to challenge the way things are done, to push for change from within.”
When asked what he hopes viewers take from Atwater’s story, Hawkins doesn’t hesitate. “I hope they see that policing can be about service, not just enforcement,” he says. “That it’s possible to wear the badge and still stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your community.”
He leans back, the sounds of the city filling the pause between us — the hum of a bus engine, the muffled beat of music from a passing car, the distant shout of a street vendor calling to customers. “Chicago is alive,” he says finally. “It’s complicated, it’s beautiful, it’s tough. Playing Atwater is my way of honoring that.”
