What These Once-Beloved Chicago Fire Stars Are Doing Now

For decades, dating back to the original's 1990 debut, Dick Wolf's myriad "Law & Order" series on NBC have defined the modern procedural drama series on television. By the time the 2010s rolled around, though, Wolf had a new vision for the format. Specifically, he wanted to tell stories that focused just as much on the private lives and struggles of first responders — namely, firefighters serving the people of Chicago — as on their work in the line of duty. Enter "Chicago Fire," which Wolf executive produced and brought to life alongside co-creators Michael Brandt and Derek Haas.

"We're not doing the fire of the week," Wolf told the Los Angeles Times in 2012, explaining how "Chicago Fire" would differ from other seemingly similar series of the time. "Those shows all look alike. The non-fire sequences will have the same adrenaline as the fire scenes." That credo has served "Chicago Fire" well, as the series continues to air today. And, like "Law & Order," it spawned an entire interconnected world of shows, dubbed the "One Chicago" universe. As of this writing in 2026, though, "Chicago Fire" has undergone significant changes over the years, including the departure of multiple high-profile cast members.

From the star who portrayed the series' original lead character to those who brought some of the most beloved firefighters and paramedics of the second wave to life, here's an update on the comings and goings of "Chicago Fire's" once-beloved stars who moved on from the show.

Jesse Spencer joined the original cast of "Chicago Fire" hot on the heels of his years-long run on Fox's "House, M.D." And as Matt Casey, a lieutenant and eventual captain at Firehouse 51, he was one of the show's cornerstones for its first several seasons. Casey moves to Oregon in Season 10 but has returned in subsequent seasons. Leaving the show was reportedly Spencer's choice, as he sought to break out of his small-screen niche.

"I realized I've been doing TV for a long time. I added it up, and I think this year is my 18th year of network television," Spencer said during a Zoom press conference before his "Chicago Fire" departure (via TheWrap). "It was a difficult decision because I've loved the show from the start, but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there's some family that I need to take care of, and 18 years is a long time."

Since ending his run as a regular cast member, Spencer has kept a lower profile professionally. The most recent credit on his IMDb page is the podcast series "True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak," in which he played Elliot Ness. He also starred in the 2024 Disney+ series "Last Days of the Space Age."

Paramedic Gabriela Dawson was played by Monica Raymund for six seasons on "Chicago Fire," and her will-they-or-won't-they romance with Jesse Spencer's Matt Casey was an important recurring story during the show's early seasons. The two finally marry during Season 5, but Dawson ultimately relocates for a first-responder job in Puerto Rico, and the union ultimately doesn't last. However, Raymund and her character were important to the show's formative seasons.

Like Spencer, Raymund was ready for a new chapter in her life by the time her run on "Chicago Fire" ended. "I wanted to explore a different world," she told the Chicago Tribune in 2018. "I had been in Chicago for five years and just personally where I was in my life, I was ready to create my home and kind of plant some roots in Los Angeles."

Raymund later starred as Jackie Quiñones on the Starz crime drama series "Hightown" from 2020 to 2024. More recently, she appeared in the 2025 pilot episode of the Amazon Prime Video procedural "On Call" and, in 2026, appeared in the Anthony Bourdain biopic "Tony." She's also set to appear in the 2027 horror film "The Revenge of La Llorona."

Another long-running main cast member and an original from Season 1 is Eamonn Walker, who played Wallace Boden — the chief of Firehouse 51's Battalion 25 — for the show's first 12 seasons. Like Jesse Spencer and others who have left the show over the years, Walker has returned to the role in a guest capacity, and even expressed a willingness to return again when needed. "If they write it, I will come," Walker told TV Insider in 2025 about appearing in future episodes.

Although he hasn't logged any new screen credits on his IMDb page since leaving "Chicago Fire," Walker has made waves on the stage. In 2025, he starred in "Liberation," a play written by Ntombizodwa Nyoni and directed by Monique Touko, which chronicled the activists who worked to liberate Africa during the 1945 Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester. "The play explores imperialism and colonialism in the post-WWII world. Men like George Padmore (who he played), Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, C.L.R. James — they used writing and ideology to awaken people," Walker explained to Alt A Review.

Prior to "Chicago Fire," Walker was best-known for his breakout role as Kareem Said on the HBO prison drama series "Oz." His performance on the show netted him a CableACE award for actor in a dramatic series.

Kara Killmer joined "Chicago Fire" for Season 3 as paramedic Sylvie Brett, who arrives as a replacement for Lauren German's Leslie Shay (who was killed in the line of duty). Brett befriends Monica Raymund's Gabriela Dawson and, later, forms a romantic relationship with Jesse Spencer's Matt Casey, and the two eventually marry. For Killmer, who appeared on the show through Season 12, the nuptials made for an ideal conclusion to her character's arc.

"This is the natural end for her character; it's kind of a perfect bookend, really," Killmer told Deadline in 2024. "I'm selfishly delighted over the fact that Sylvie shows up in Chicago a jilted bride who was dumped at the altar by her high school sweetheart and then ends up across the aisle in her last episode from Matt Casey, the love of her life." 

Killmer also appeared in several episodes of "Chicago Med" and "Chicago P.D.," as well as an episode of "Chicago Justice," but hasn't returned to regular screen work since leaving "Chicago Fire" in 2024. However, she has completed her work as Lady Julia in the upcoming Aaron Burns-directed James Stewart biopic "Jimmy."

As Gabriela Dawson's partner, EMT Leslie Shay, Lauren German was one of "Chicago Fire's" primary cast members during its first two seasons and a fan favorite. However, her character dies in shocking fashion after being struck in the head by a falling pipe in a boarding school fire during the Season 2 finale and Season 3 premiere.

For her part, German expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play the part and the fans it brought her following that dramatic exit. "It was a great honor to portray Shay. I love her: her spirit, her flaws, her honesty," she wrote on Twitter in 2014 after leaving "Chicago Fire" (via Matt & Jess). "And most of all she brought me the most genuine & meaningful interactions with you all, the fans, & my heart swells with gratitude."

After leaving the series, German went on to star as Detective Chloe Decker on the Fox/Netflix series "Lucifer," from 2016 to 2021. Her IMDb page currently lists two projects in post-production — Craig Kilborn's directorial debut feature, "The Life Golden," and a Nicolas Cage and Justin Long-led action thriller titled "Best Pancakes in the County." Meanwhile, her Instagram page is flush with compelling original artwork.

Yuriy Sardarov's Brian "Otis" Zvonecek — firefighter at Firehouse 51 and the driver of Truck 81 — was a recurring character during "Chicago Fire's" first season. Sardarov became a main cast member beginning in Season 2 and would remain so through the series' eighth season. However, Zvonecek was killed in the line of duty in the Season 7 finale and Season 8 premiere when a pressure valve exploded during a mattress factory fire.

For Sardarov, suddenly not being part of the "Chicago Fire" production machine was a big-time adjustment. "It's difficult when you have purpose as a person. When you're on a network television show and waking up every day at 5 a.m. when it's -20. You're outside with your brothers and sisters, carrying a ladder all day and sweating in your suit," he told TV Insider in 2025. "It has taken me some time if I'm being honest to figure out what's next for me."

Sardarov has appeared in a number of big- and small-screen projects since his 2019 "Chicago Fire" exit. He notably starred in the 2023 sci-fi comedy film "Daddy" and, more recently, decided to return to the stage with the 2026 Laura Lapidus-written, Zoë Adams-directed Off-Broadway play "To Have and To Hold" (with Lapidus also starring).

During the first three seasons of "Chicago Fire," Charlie Barnett portrayed firefighter Peter Mills, who dated Gabriela Dawson for a time and later befriended Kara Killmer's Sylvie Brett. After a winding journey throughout his tenure in the "One Chicago" universe, Mills ultimately decides that being with his family is more important to him than being a firefighter, and he moves with them to North Carolina, where they run a restaurant left to them by his grandfather. 

For Barnett, the exit from "Chicago Fire" was a tough pill to swallow. "[That show] was a behemoth that I never really saw coming. I was thankful to be a part of it," Barnett told Digital Spy. "I really was sad to be let go. It broke me for quite a long time." In the end, though, Barnett felt that the forced transition was a positive. "It was a blessing in disguise, and they all told me that ... You never see the bad moments becoming the good ... it wouldn't be what it was, I think, if you did recognize it for what it is in the moment. So, I'm thankful."

Since "Chicago Fire," Barnett has continued to work steadily. He starred in series like Netflix's "Russian Doll" and "Tales of the City" in the late 2010s/early 2020s before playing Jedi Knight Yord Fandar in the Disney+ "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte" in 2024. More recently, he starred in the 2026 horror film "Imposters."

In a series that has had a handful of shocking character deaths over the years, one of the first to truly leave fans reeling occurred during "Chicago Fire's" first season when Teri Reeves' Dr. Hallie Thomas — a physician and Matt Casey's former fiancée — was murdered by a drug trafficker, Timothy Campbell, who subsequently set her clinic ablaze. Her death was formative for Casey's character moving forward.

After her run on "Chicago Fire" came to an end, Reeves continued to pile up the credits. Over the years, she has guest-starred on series including ABC's "Scandal," "Castle," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Once Upon a Time" (the latter of which saw her fill the iconic role of Dorothy Gale), as well as Hulu's "Battleground" and Netflix's "The Punisher" and "Lucifer," just to name a few.

In addition to her continuing work on the screen, Reeves created the blog "Embrace Your Beauty," which is described on the site as "a safe community space to explore, learn, and grow." However, the blog — which contains interviews with women from varied backgrounds — hasn't been updated since 2021.

Steven R. McQueen joined the cast of "Chicago Fire" for Seasons 4 and 5 as Jimmy Borrelli, a candidate for Truck 81. At first, he did so on a recurring basis before becoming part of the show's main cast. Borrelli's brother, Danny Borrelli (played by Andy Ahrens), is tragically killed in the line of duty, leading to issues between Jimmy and Eamonn Walker's Chief Boden. Later, Jimmy suffers severe burns and lost an eye after ignoring Boden's order to stand down during the department's response to a multi-vehicle crash, effectively ending his career and McQueen's run on the show.

Prior to joining "Chicago Fire," McQueen — the grandson of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen — portrayed Jeremy Gilbert on the CW supernatural teen drama "The Vampire Diaries" (which also featured future "Chicago Fire" star Taylor Kinney). And after his run on the NBC procedural ended, he returned to the "Vampire" universe via guest appearances on the original show, as well as its spinoff "Legacies."

McQueen's IMDb page lists no credits after the 2020 western film "The Warrant," and he's not particularly active on social media, either, keeping a relatively low profile in recent years.

Annie Ilonzeh played paramedic Emily Foster — who replaced Gabriela Dawson — during Seasons 7 and 8 of "Chicago Fire." Foster wasn't long for Firehouse 51, as she ultimately decided her skills as a surgeon would be best utilized in a hospital setting. That career transition has left some to wonder whether Foster might return on "Chicago Med" (which she has appeared on previously). However, that has yet to come to fruition.

Off-camera, the training Ilonzeh received in preparation for her role empowered her to render aid when she witnessed an unhoused person get violently attacked while walking her dogs on Sunset Boulevard. "I immediately put in my headphones and called 911. People were just walking by like nothing had happened. I turned the injured man over gently and said, 'Sir, are you okay?'" she told Authority Magazine in 2025, explaining that she did what she could to stabilize the victim. "Thank God I've got a little training from my time on 'Chicago Fire,' where I played a medic. I wasn't afraid. I was just focused on the human being in front of me who almost lost his life."

Since leaving "Chicago Fire," Ilonzeh has appeared in films like the 2022 conspiracy thriller "Agent Game," and horror/thrillers including 2023's "Fear" and "Soul Mates," to name a few. She also played Devin Gamble during the final season of CBS' "S.W.A.T." from 2024 to 2025. Ilonzeh is also set to star in the titular role in the upcoming thriller "Loving Venus."

As firefighter Blake Gallo, actor Alberto Rosende maintained a regular presence on "Chicago Fire" from Season 8 to Season 12. Described by NBC Insider as one of Truck 81's "most energetic firefighters," Gallo ultimately left Firehouse 51 and moved to Detroit to be with his newly discovered extended family, continuing his career there in the process. Behind the scenes, the call to wrap up his character's arc and move on was apparently made by Rosende.

"When I decided to end my time with Chicago, it wasn't easy," Rosende shared in an Instagram story amid his exit (via TV Insider). "The people I've met were truly special, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime, and the story I got to tell was one that made me proud," before adding that he couldn't wait "to see what else is in store."

Rosende hasn't appeared onscreen since his 2024 departure from the "One Chicago" television universe. However, his IMDb page currently lists one project in post-production — the rom-com "Cheap AF." Before "Chicago Fire," he starred in the Freeform supernatural drama series "Shadowhunters." There, he met actor Tessa Mossey, who recurred on the show; the two were married in 2025.

One of the most recent departures from the show, Daniel Kyri played firefighter Darren Ritter as a main cast member on "Chicago Fire" from Season 7 to Season 13. He wrapped up his time on the series and his character's arc across the opening episodes of Season 14. During his second season on the show, Kyri's Ritter famously came out to his fellow firefighters. It was an important development for Kyri, who's a member of the LGBTQ+ community himself.

Kyri announced his exit from the series in 2025, writing in an emotional Instagram post, "Yesterday, I filmed my last scenes as Ritter & I'm still so amazed that my first-ever TV gig — a role that was originally meant for just three episodes — turned into seven incredible years (SEVEN?!?!! Whatttt???!) and spanned eight seasons of this iconic show!" Added Kyri: "Bringing Darren Ritter to the screen has transformed & healed me in equal measure. He is a man who embodies empathy, humility, compassion, and unwavering bravery to save lives. His heroism is further fortified by the way he navigates the world — a gay Black firefighter who is proud, fierce, loyal, & whole."

Kyri has multiple upcoming projects, including the films "Hot American Rain" and "Phil. The Film," as well as an appearance on at least one episode of Amazon Prime Video's "Barbershop" series.