“It Was Not Easy”: ’Chicago Fire’s Eamonn Walker Reveals His Complicated Feelings About Returning in Season 13

Wallace Boden became an anchor for Chicago Fire with his deep but soft voice and radio that he always carried. Eamonn Walker played the character for twelve seasons before departing in the final episodes of last season. The actor is set to guest star in a single episode airing on Wednesday, April 16, and according to him, coming back was complicated. “It was not easy,” he told TV Line with a laugh. Being away for so long, the British actor had begun losing some of Boden’s characteristics. Walker literally lost Boden’s voice, and he had to work to get it back. “So the first week out, I had this [thought], ‘How do I get Boden’s voice back?’ So I called up Tanera Marshall, who is my voice coach in Chicago, and I was like, ‘I need three days with you to get Boden’s voice back. I can work on the physicality later, but let’s get his voice back. That’ll be the start of the journey,'” he revealed, adding:

“So seeing her, after working with her on every single episode for all of those episodes, was amazing, in and of itself. And then [I] went into costumes and saw those guys, the whole costume department, and then the journey began. I put the costumes on, and I had his voice, and then Boden was back. It was fantastic to be back with the people I love and who love me back, and the welcoming was amazing. They have a very, very special place in my heart.”

What Brings Boden Back to ‘Chicago Fire?’

Boden’s new position on the CFD as chief deputy commissioner comes with some duties, including reviewing incidents that demand it. He returns on Chicago Fire Season 12, Episode 18, “Post Mortem,” to understand what led to a firefighter getting left behind during a rescue. The episode is told in flashbacks as he pieces together a timeline of the call to understand what went wrong. “In all the episodes I have ever done, we never shot and filmed an episode like this, and it’s as close to a movie as you’re going to get within an episode. The thrill ride is for you trying to figure certain things out,” Walker told the outlet. “While watching the episode, the script is doing that with you. So as smart as you are, you’re going to try and double guess what we’re doing, and we’re aware that you’re doing it, and that’s what this episode is,” he added.

Tune in to NBC this Wednesday, April 16, to watch Boden’s return and see how it affects the firehouse.