Jesse Spencer landed his first role after leaving Chicago Fire, and it couldn’t be more different than Matt Casey. Casey was a fixture on Firehouse 51 for the first 11 seasons, where his PTSD-related challenges made him one of Chicago Fire’s best characters. He experienced the deaths of loved ones alongside a tumultuous childhood and had two important but ultimately heartbreaking relationships before he began dating Sylvie Brett, with whom he had a happy ending before the two moved to Oregon together.
After 10 seasons, Spencer decided not to return to One Chicago so he could return to his native Australia, although he did return midway through the following season so Casey could reach his 200-episode milestone. So, in season 12, Casey and Brett got married before moving to Oregon together, where Casey works at another fire station. Spencer’s first role after leaving Chicago Fire was on an Australian show that airs worldwide on Disney+. The role is the opposite of Casey’s in many ways, so it represents the next step in Spencer’s career.
Jesse Spencer as Tony Bissett in Disney+’s Last Days of the Space Age
Spencer’s Tony Bissett is the head of one of three families in 1979 Western Australia who experience the crash of the American Skylab into their city just as it prepares to host the 1979 Miss Universe pageant in Last Days Of The Space Age. During this difficult time, Bissett must keep his family safe, united, and out of trouble. Spencer works alongside other Australian actors, such as Radha Mitchell and Deborah Mailman, as he tries to hold on to his family and the life he knew before the Skylab crash.
However, Last Days Of The Space Age has one thing in common with Chicago Fire — both revolve around crises, including fires. The new eight-episode series is based on real events that took place in Western Australia in 1979 and focuses on how the accident affected families living in the area. It also depicts Australian life before mobile phones, the internet, and social media were invented, presenting different opportunities and challenges than the series set in the present.
How Tony is different from Firehouse 51’s Matt Casey
In Last Days Of The Space Age, Tony lives in Western Australia, which has a different culture than the Midwestern United States, which immediately sets him apart from Casey. Additionally, he is a father who is used to raising children and doing so with a rough attitude. This is completely different from the former Firehouse 51 leader, whose challenges stem from unresolved childhood trauma with an abusive mother in the middle of America and who has dedicated his life to helping others even though his work has led to further trauma.
However, Tony is also going through his own trauma as he struggles to hold on to a rapidly disappearing era while facing a crisis in his home country. However, this is largely due to cultural and social factors such as worker strikes, financial hardship, and the aftermath of the Skylab accident. He is a man who is desperately clinging to the life he once knew as things rapidly change, making him more in common with the iconic Archie Bunker than with Casey, who lives in the present day and is always fighting for a better future instead of dwelling on the past.
Why Last Days of the Space Age is the Perfect Post-Chicago Fire Project for Spencer
Casey is one of the One Chicago alums who could return to create excitement. However, taking on this new role in Last Days Of The Space Age is good news for Spencer. The actor left because he wanted to pursue other opportunities and work through some family issues (per NBC Insider). Taking on a role in an Australian production that will be released worldwide allows Spencer to return to his native Australia without sacrificing future acting opportunities.
Spencer spent ten seasons on Chicago Fire before leaving, returning for a guest appearance the following season so he could hit the 200-episode mark before Casey and Brett left the series for good. He deserves a strong role when he returns to Australia. Playing Tony Bissett would also help audiences separate him from the iconic character he played so he wouldn’t be stuck with just one type of role for the rest of his career.
