Dermot ‘Chief’ Mulroney Reveals Why the Epic ‘One Chicago’ Crossover Event Will Be Unforgettable

Like many celebrated film actors working today, Dermot Mulroney (Anyone But You) has forayed into television, most recently with a standout role in NBC’s hit series Chicago Fire (the release schedule for Season 13 recently dropped, by the way). As the new fire chief, Mulroney has settled in nicely to his significant character — who will be featured prominently in the network’s highly anticipated three-part crossover that will premiere Wednesday, January 29, beginning at 8/7c. Yes, by “crossover,” that means the Fire ensemble will link up with the casts of Chicago Med and Chicago PD, and MovieWeb recently caught up with Mulroney while he was promoting his latest film Laws of Man to learn more about NBC’s upcoming small-screen event as well.

“I’m so excited about that particular episode because of what they’ve done and how they put this together. It’s bigger set pieces and action scenes than really almost anything I’ve ever done,” Mulroney told MovieWeb. “I’m on this incredible show that’s a well-oiled machine… They give it their all, and it’s a tall order. And all of those actors rise to the occasion every time. I’m so impressed and inspired, and having a great time in Chicago playing Chief Pascal. So stay tuned, especially for that crossover.” Mulroney continued about the crossover:

“That’ll play like a three-hour movie, the same incident. So usually, I think Fire plays second on the Wednesday night lineup. So in this one, we start it because… it starts with Fire, then goes to Med, and then finally, they screw all the bolts down at the end with Chicago PD. But we all play in each other’s shows. So that’s what’s so fun, that I got to act across it with the other actors from the other shows… It’s really fun for me.”

On Being Called “Chief” in Real Life

Mulroney has clearly made an impact on the Chicago franchise, despite having joined the long-running show not too long ago. He spoke about how it’s bled into his real life in funny and interesting ways. “People, like in an airport or something, call me ‘Chief’ now, calling me the name of the character. So we must be doing something right!” said Mulroney enthusiastically. “I’m so, so proud to join them.” Mulroney noted how joining a TV series has become a great move for actors these days:

“Harrison Ford spoke to it, you know, he’s never been on a regular series, I think, until… Shrinking. And he was basically saying, ‘Folks, this is way different because people see you each week.’ And he’s being approached a different way, after all those years of being in cinema, film. Yeah, I really understood when he was speaking about, how it’s different, how people come to him. And he was speaking as gratefully as I feel.”

Mulroney also shared his thoughts about the future of his character and weighed in on whether he’d like to continue with the series. “I have no idea the story, what’s happening next. I’m only about an episode ahead of what’s being shown on TV,” he said. “Like, the time is compressed, but it’s such a wonderful job, of course. So I’d say yes — the answer is, I hope [to continue], but I do not have any inside line on that.”

In the meantime, you can also catch Mulroney in Saban Films’ Laws of Man, which is now available in select theaters, on digital and on demand.