9 ‘Chicago P.D.’ Stars Who Left the Show — And Why
Chicago Fire isn’t the only One Chicago show with cast turnover. Its first spinoff, Chicago P.D., has also had stars come and go over the years — sometimes exiting on their terms, sometimes not, sometimes leaving on good terms, sometimes not. Scroll down to see which P.D. series regulars have taken their leave, why they did so, and how their characters were written out.
Archie Kao (Sheldon Jin)
Jin, a mole in the Intelligence Unit, was killed off in the Season 1 finale, slain by another corrupt cop. Then-showrunner Matt Olmstead told TVGuide.com the writers wanted to have a “cliffhanger and a big impact” of a season finale and to show “the ramifications of that police work and that unit.”
Brian Geraghty (Sean Roman)
Roman (left, with Marina Squerciati’s Kim Burgess) was injured in the line of duty and chose to resign from the force in the Season 3 finale. Olmstead told TVLine Geraghty had other career interests, adding, “It was the most civil, level-headed, mutual fan-fest agreement and departure that I’ve ever been a part of.”
Sophia Bush (Erin Lindsay)
Lindsay left for an FBI job at the end of Season 4, and it seems Bush’s exit from P.D. was contentious. In an Armchair Expert interview, Bush alleged that she was mistreated and abused on set. “When your bosses tell you that if you raise a ruckus, you’ll cost everyone their job, you believe them,” she added.
Elias Koteas (Alvin Olinsky)
Olinsky was killed in prison after being framed for murder in Season 5, and that was a narrative decision, EP Rick Eid told Entertainment Weekly: “From a dramatic point of view, we all thought it was really interesting. From a human [and] business point of view, we all thought it was really difficult and horrible.”
Jon Seda (Antonio Dawson)
Seda said goodbye to Chicago P.D. at the end of Season 6, when Dawson left to address a drug habit. The actor tweeted that it had been an “honor” to play Dawson, and Deadline reported at the time that the writers and producers felt the character’s storyline had played out.
Lisseth Chavez (Vanessa Rojas)
Chavez lasted just one season on P.D. — disappearing at the end of Season 7 as she headed to a Legends of Tomorrow arc — and the eighth season didn’t bring an explanation about Rojas’ absence. “We tried to address it in the premiere, but it felt forced,” Eid told TVLine.
Jesse Lee Soffer (Jay Halstead)
Halstead exited the P.D. canvas midway through Season 10, leaving his Intelligence job and his wife for an Army job combatting drug cartels in Bolivia. And it was Soffer’s decision to leave the show, he told Variety: “I really wanted to grow and expand, and we’ve only got this one trip.”
Tracy Spiridakos (Hailey Upton)
Similarly, Spiridakos chose to leave Chicago P.D., and thus the writers gave Upton a fresh start in some unspecified destination at the end of Season 10. “I was just wanting to switch it up and kind of see what else was out there,” Spiridakos told NBC Insider.
Toya Turner (Kiana Cook)
Fans learned in June that Turner would leave after just one season for unspecified reas; Cook’s exit will likely be explained in Season 13. “This show challenged me, sharpened me, and revealed what I’m made of,” Turner wrote on Instagram. “I’m walking away with depth, clarity, and momentum for whatever comes next.”
Chicago P.D., Season 13 Premiere, Wednesday, October 1, at 10/9c, NBC
From TV Guide Magazine
Chris Hemsworth Says 'Limitless' Forced Him to 'Confront' Himself
‘I don’t mind going outside my comfort zone, but this was another level,’ says Hemsworth of the high-stakes series, which sees him in pursuit of methods for a longer life. Read the story now on TV Insider.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services