Jesse Lee Soffer Exiting ‘Chicago P.D.’ After 10 Seasons
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Jesse Lee Soffer is handing in his badge and gun as the Emmy-nominated actor will be leaving Chicago P.D. after the upcoming 10th season.
As first reported by Variety, Soffer is expected to depart the NBC police procedural drama sometime in the fall. Soffer has portrayed Detective Jay Halstead, an Intelligence Unit detective, since the Dick Wolf series debuted in 2014, appearing in all 187 episodes.
“I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew,” he said in a statement (via Variety).
He continued: “To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
Soffer’s exit comes just days after it was revealed that Kelli Giddish would be departing fellow Wolf drama Law & Order: SVU. However, it was reported that Giddish, who played Detective Amanda Rollins in the long-running series, did not choose to leave the show and was instead pushed out by higher-ups.
A former child actor, Soffer made his big screen debut at the age of eight alongside John Goodman and Cathy Moriarty in the comedy Matinee. He went on to appear in TV series such as Two of a Kind and Guiding Light before leaving to focus on his studies. He returned to acting after graduating high school and, in 2004, took over the role of Will Munson on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, which earned him three Daytime Emmy nominations.
He made his debut as Jay Halstead in the Season 2 premiere of Chicago Fire, which led to the Chicago P.D. spin-off.
Chicago P.D., Season 10, Premiere, Wednesday, September 21, 10 pm et, NBC
