Who Are the Chicago Fire Cast’s Children? Meet Their Real-Life Families
They may be the brave men and women of Firehouse 51 to One Chicago fans, but to the Chicago Fire cast’s children, they couldn’t be farther from the fan-favorite characters viewers have come to know and love.
Chicago Fire is NBC’s drama series following the personal and professional lives of firefighters and paramedics at the Chicago Fire Department’s fictional Firehouse 51 in Chicago, Illinois. The series — which was created by Dick Wolf, the same mind behind the Law & Order and FBI franchises — is the first of NBC’s One Chicago franchise, which also includes Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med.
Since Chicago Fire’s premiere in 2012, many of the cast members have talked about how the Windy City’s harsh weather conditions have been hard for them and their families.
“When you’re here and you’re trying to do those scenes and the blood in your face freezes and you can’t speak properly, it ain’t no joke,” Eamonn Walker, who plays Chief Wallace Boden, told Yahoo in 2015. “Because you can see the breath and the words form in mid-air as we’re speaking, I’m sure it adds to the drama. But I’m not looking forward to it.” Taylor Kinney, who plays Lieutenant Kelly Severide, added “It’s just fun to b—h about. I’m fine ‘til Christmas. I can tolerate anything until Christmas. And then January and February, it’s something special. It’s not cold, it’s something else. Like 20 degrees below Fahrenheit is just absurd.”
Jason Beghe, who plays Sergeant Hank Voight on Chicago P.D., echoed the same sentiments.
“I’ve always said that the lead character in our show is Chicago. She’s going to determine how the scene goes because she’s the boss… But, yeah, I’m freezing,” he said. “You know, I have said this to wardrobe so many times [about getting a warmer coat], but I guess I look cool in that jacket. I’m working on it.”
Despite Chicago’s harsh winters, the actors of the One Chicago franchise have made the city work for them and their families. Read on for what we know about the Chicago Fire cast’s children including the kids who have starred with their parents.
Jesse Spencer (Captain Matthew Casey)
Jesse Spencer — who played Captain Matt Casey on Chicago Fire from Season 1 to 10 — has one child with his wife, neuroscientist Kali Woodruff Carr. Spencer and Carr started dating in 2014 and married in June 2020. They welcomed their first child in April 2022 — six months before Spencer, who was orn in Australia, became a United States citizen in November 2021, according to NBC.
Spencer’s child was also born seven months after he left Chicago Fire. At a press call at the time of his exit, Spencer hinted that his family was the reason he left Chicago Fire. “I added it up, and this year is my 18th year of network TV, straight — I went straight from House into Chicago Fire,” he said at the time. “Coming up to the 200th, I called [showrunner Derek Haas] and broke him the news that I thought it was time to leave the show. He agreed we should at least get Casey to 200 episodes.”
Spencer continued, “It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved this show from the start, but there’s other things that I would love to do in the future and there’s some family that I need to take care of. 18 years is a long time. That’s a long stretch. It was a difficult decision, and I hate to leave the show because I do love it, but when the time comes, the time comes.”
Spencer also confirmed that he planned to stay in Chicago with his family after he left Chicago Fire. “As a lead, you don’t want to leave a show. But I wanted to leave the show. It was time for me,” Spencer said. “It was OK [saying goodbye] because there is the potential for me to come back. I still am in Chicago right now. I’m not running off to Los Angeles or anything although I might escape for a little bit for the winter. … My home here with my wife is in Chicago, and I’m still going to be here, I’m just stepping back for right now.” He continued, “It’s been an amazing run. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I’ll miss it. I’m stepping away but I’ll be back.”
Spencer also confirmed in an interview with USA Today in May 2023 that he left Chicago Fire to spend more time with his newborn.”I got married and had a toddler. So things shifted in my life,” he said.
Eamonn Walker (Chief Wallace Boden)
Eamonn Walker — who has played Battalion Chief Wallace Boden since Season 1 of Chicago Fire — has three children with his wife, author Sandra Walker. Two of his children, Jahdine and Deke, are twins.
David Eigenberg (Firefighter Christopher Herrmann)
David Eigenberg — who has played Senior Firefighter Christopher Herrmann since Season 1 of Chicago Fire — has two children with his wife, Chrysti Eigenberg, whom he married in 2002. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Louie Steven Eigenberg, was born on January 19, 2009. They welcomed their second child, a daughter named Myrna Belle Eigenberg, was born on January 31, 2014.
Eigenberg, who was raised in Naperville, Illinois, told West Suburban Living in 2015 that he never expected he would move his family back to the Chicago area for Chicago Fire. “Actually no, I never did, although I did a pilot here 15 to 18 years ago with Patrick Dempsey,” he said. “It was about assistant district attorneys in Chicago with director Chris Columbus. It never went obviously. I brought my wife back with me because my folks were here. She got one taste of the winter here and said, ‘I’ll move anywhere with you for your job but don’t make me move back to Chicago.’ And that’s the only thing I’ve ever promised my wife in the 13 years we’ve been married.”
Eisenberg also told TV Meg in 2021 about how his children have become “Chicago kids.” “I’ve always loved this [city]. This is a scrappy city, and it has a lot of grit, and I highly value it,” he said. “There’s weather here; it’s a tough city. I spent 25 years of my life in New York City. My family’s roots are all from New York City, and it’s another tough city, but Chicago has a grit that’s very different than New York even. There’s a beautiful part of their hearts and their souls that you get to be among and with, and my life now is in Chicago. My kids are Chicago kids, and I love being here…”
He continued, “I’ve always loved this [city]. This is a scrappy city, and it has a lot of grit, and I highly value it. There’s weather here; it’s a tough city. I spent 25 years of my life in New York City. My family’s roots are all from New York City, and it’s another tough city, but Chicago has a grit that’s very different than New York even. There’s a beautiful part of their hearts and their souls that you get to be among and with, and my life now is in Chicago. My kids are Chicago kids, and I love being here…”
Christian Stolte (Firefighter Mouch McHolland)
