“Just a Bit Sleight of Hand”: ‘On Call’s EP Explains That ‘Chicago Fire’ Cameo

Monica Raymund played Gabriela Dawson for six seasons of NBC’s viewership magnet Chicago Fire. The actress left the show to pursue other opportunities, starring in Hightown on Starz for three seasons before the show ended abruptly. In her next TV project, Raymund appeared on the Dick Wolf-produced streaming procedural On Call. She plays a patrol officer, Officer Delgado, who meets an untimely death, and her death sets the tone for the show as one of the main characters grapples with this sudden loss. For Raymund and Gabriela fans, the actor’s screen time on the Prime Video series was not enough, and executive producer Tim Walsh admitted to TV Insider that it was “just a bit of sleight of hand.” Walsh revealed the inspiration behind the short cameo, saying,

“Hitchcock did it with Psycho, so we thought we’d do it here on On Call. Janet Leigh gets murdered a quarter of the way in. And obviously we don’t spend that much time with Monica, but we did want people to feel like they were going to watch a show about her, and evidently that’s not the case.”

Raymund’s ‘On Call’ Appearance is Bigger Than Its Duration.

Delgado’s death serves as the background music for Officer Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario) when she trains her next rookie. Just like Delgado’s death hit hard when she bled out after getting shot, On Call‘s producers wanted someone who could do the role justice. “It’s such a memorable role too. We really wanted someone who would knock that performance out of the park, which Monica did,” said executive producer Eliott Wolf. Walsh and Raymund had worked together before on Hightown, where he was an executive producer, with Raymund wearing two hats as the star and a producer.

On Call is a half-hour “adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, California. Shot with a mixture of hand-held cameras, bodycam and dash-cam footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.” It stars Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars) and Brandon Larrracuente (The Good Doctor). Other cast members include Lori Loughlin (Fuller House), Rich Ting (Tulsa King), and Eriq La Salle (also EP and multi-episode director). On Call is executive produced by Walsh, La Salle, Dick Wolf, Elliot Wolf, and Peter Jankowski.