Jesse Lee Soffer Confirms Upsetting News For Chicago P.D. Fans
Sorry "Chicago P.D." fans, but we have some bad news for you, courtesy of Detective Jay Halstead actor Jesse Lee Soffer. The actor joined the Chicago One series as a main castmember when it first began in 2014, having also appeared in the NBC show's sister shows, "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago Med," and he's made no secret of how much he really loved playing his inquisitive character. As for why he loves the role so much? It's all about the challenge for this actor.
"I'm always trying to find the character and trying to change the character and figure out what he's going through and what he'd be experiencing in a given moment or something like that, but on top of that we're always learning," the actor told DuJour in 2021. He also revealed how much he loved having police and technical advisors on the set, as they hand out tips on how to play their frontline characters as accurately as possible. "So the job is always challenging and there's always a new experience. I think that keeps us on our toes," he added when asked why he kept on playing the role for so long.
But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and Lee Soffer is officially calling time on appearing in the Chicago world. Sorry, guys. We told you it was bad news.
What Jesse Lee Soffer said of his Chicago P.D. exit
Jesse Lee Soffer is officially saying goodbye to "Chicago P.D." after 10 seasons. The star confirmed the news in a statement to Variety, saying, "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 signed off, "To create this hour drama week after week has been a labour of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead." The actor then doubled down on the news on Twitter, writing, "This is sad but true. Just want all the fans to know how grateful I am. You guys are why we do it! It has been an honor. Love you all."
The big news came around eight months after Soffer opened up about his character's growth to Us Weekly as he shared his excitement for new storylines with Jason Beghe's character, Voight, in Season 9. Admitting that how Jay has changed evolved his relationship with Voight, he said, "It lends itself to totally new story lines between those two having a different kind of relationship, a different kind of mutual respect." Sadly, though, it looks like we've now seen all that play out.