It’s been a stunning 11 seasons for the polarizing leader, and whose character has come a long way.
Sergeant Henry “Hank” Voight (Jason Beghe) has been a One Chicago icon since the genesis of Chicago P.D. over a decade ago. His harsh but loyal attitude has been a staple of our Wednesday nights, and the officers on his team simply wouldn’t be the same without his leadership.
His character is quite polarizing; Voight’s unconventional methods have resulted in a great deal of frustration for those around him.
Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Officer Jay Halstead, told NBC Insider that Voight might never change his out-of-the-box ways. “Can you teach an old dog new tricks? I don’t know. You know, he is this kind of lone wolf vigilante guy sometimes that does things his way. Can you let people in? Can he rely on people? Can he trust? I don’t know.”
How did Hank Voight get his start on Chicago P.D.?
When audiences first met Voight, he was not exactly the most beloved Chicago character. In Season 1, Episode 3 (“Chin Check”), the Sergeant attempted to convince Chicago Fire‘s Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) to let his son, Justin Voight (Josh Segarra), off the hook for a drunk driving accident that had left the victim paralyzed.
Casey, however, stood up to Voight, explaining the ramifications of Justin’s actions, and the conversation left a mark on Voight’s early reputation.
“If you’re not the kind of man to do a cop a favor, I can take this to the next level real easy,” Voight threatened. Watch their full interaction below.
What happened to Hank Voight’s son Justin Voight, in Season 3?
In the Season 3 finale (“Start Digging”) Voight’s son, Justin, was shot and left in the trunk of a car, leading to his untimely death.
At the beginning of the episode, Voight celebrated his grandson’s birthday with Justin, and the younger Voight updated his father on how well he was doing. “I’m proud of you,” Voight told him … before prying into a vague recent trip Justin had mentioned, showing his well-honed paternal instincts.
Turns out, the trip was worth probing: Justin had been seeing old friends and getting into trouble over in the weeks leading up to the birthday party.
His connection to a string of robberies put him in the crossfire of larger situation, and the mastermind behind the crimes, Kevin Bingham (Joseph Sikora), killed Justin, fearing he might be ratted out.
The death of his son brought out moments of paternal love and grief from Voight, but not before his characteristic revenge mission. Watch him pursue his son’s killer in the episode highlight below.
What was Hank Voight’s relationship with Alvin Olinsky?
Det. Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas) was a beloved member of the Intelligence Unit from Seasons 1 through 5, and incredibly close to Voight. The two shared a tendency to work outside the lines, so they understood each other.
But in the end, their relationship is what led to Olinsky’s tragic death.
In the finale of Season 3, Voight had tracked down Kevin Bingham, his son’s killer, forced him to dig his own grave, and shot him dead. Bingham’s body was discovered in Season 5, Episode 13 (“Chasing Monsters”) and, ultimately, a hair on the body tied Olinsky to the crime. Olinsky was arrested for the murder and then stabbed in prison. He died during surgery in the Season 5 finale (“Homecoming”).
In the premiere of Season 6 (“The New Normal”), Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) visited Voight as he was getting ready to attend Olinsky’s funeral and told him the man’s wife had requested Voight not attend.
Instead, Voight looked on from afar, saluting his teammate in a tender moment.
In the Season 11 finale (“More”), Olinsky appeared to Voight in a vision as he was bleeding from several stab wounds.
