‘Chicago P.D.’: LaRoyce Hawkins Has the Perfect Role for Atwater at Burgess & Ruzek’s Wedding
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It’s already been a pretty bleak start to Chicago P.D. Season 11 for Intelligence—and there’s more to come—so what these police officers really need is a chance to celebrate and have fun. The upcoming Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) wedding could be just that. And now, when that time comes, whenever it is, we really hope to see what LaRoyce Hawkins (who plays Atwater) pitched to us when we suggested he has to be Ruzek’s best man.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Atwater marries them,” he tells TV Insider. “Every now and then, they take pages out of our personal playbooks for these characters. And LaRoyce Hawkins is an ordained minister. I have been for about three years. I have married a couple before. So it would be dope to see them implement that and just to get everybody involved. Plus, I’ve been there the whole time, the powerful Black third wheel.”
Hawkins has been on P.D. since the beginning (and he has no plans to leave), so what would surprise Season 1 Atwater the most about who he is now? “I think he would be surprised to see all these lines,” laughs the star.
“For real, sometimes we get these big episodes that I’m blessed to carry, and it is night and day compared to the way that my role started on this show. And the growth and development part for me is the most important,” he continues. “It is my favorite thing about it all. I’ve been able to just grow with this cast and become an integral part of the band as we do our best to make this beautiful cop music, and just the way that my instrument is being utilized at this point, I think Atwater would be surprised now and proud.” He is still hoping for his character to get that detective badge, as are we.
Hawkins has been nominated for a NAACP Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work as Atwater on Chicago P.D. (Winners will be announced during the 55th NAACP Image Awards on March 16 on BET and CBS.) “We’re excited about that—especially my grandma. She can’t wait to see how it works out,” he says.
Chicago P.D., Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC
