Why Tracy Spiridakos Left Chicago P.D. After Season 11

For 11 electrifying seasons, Sergeant Hank Voight and the decided members of his elite Intelligence Unit took on violent offenders within the gritty crime drama, Chicago P.D. That includes Jason Beghe because the group’s powerful and fearless chief Voight, the collection chronicled the various harmful circumstances the unit took on, making its thrilling premiere on January 8, 2014. Like its companion reveals Chicago Hearth and Chicago Med, the long-running drama has captivated audiences all the world over with its brave character and gripping storylines, plus a big roster of actors.

In 2017, Tracy Spiridakos joined the mega-hit program because the fierce and compassionate Detective Hailey Upton, rapidly turning into a fan-favorite and an integral a part of the group. After portraying the character for over seven years from 2017 to 2024, Spiridakos departed the favored franchise after the season 11 finale, receiving a bittersweet send-off that each saddened and warmed the hearts of audiences. Let’s try why Tracy Spiridakos determined to depart Chicago P.D. after season 11.

Chicago P.D.

District 21 of the Chicago Police Division is made up of two distinctly totally different teams: The uniformed cops who patrol the beat and take care of avenue crimes, and the intelligence unit, the group that combats the town’s main offenses, akin to organized crime, drug trafficking and high-profile murders. Main the intelligence group is Sgt. Hank Voight, a person not towards skirting the legislation within the pursuit of justice. Demanding and difficult, solely those that can take the warmth survive beneath Voight’s coMMAnd. Take Det. Antonio Dawson for instance. Regardless of a troubled historical past together with his boss, Dawson has ambitions of operating the unit. If which means going through off towards Voight day-after-day, he’ll persevere. From the road cops with goals of shifting as much as the elite crew who’re already in, “life on the job” is a each day problem.

Launch Date

January 8, 2014

Solid

Jason Beghe , Marina Squerciati , Patrick John Flueger , LaRoyce Hawkins , Amy Morton , Jesse Lee Soffer , Tracy Spiridakos , Jon Seda

Seasons

11

Community

NBC

Who Is Tracy Spiridakos?

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba as Panagiota Spiridakos, future tv performer Tracy Spiridakos took to performing at a younger age and studied the craft on the Actors Coaching Centre of Manitoba. Inside a month of shifting to Vancouver in 2007, Spiridakos was solid in her first official position on tv. She portrayed a nurse in an episode of Supernatural, and that very same yr she landed small elements in Bionic Girl and Aliens in America earlier than nabbing the lead character within the Canadian teen dramedy Majority Guidelines! in 2009.

Humble Beginnings in Hollywood

Spiridakos starred as teenager-turned-mayor Becky Richards within the youth-oriented Majority Guidelines! for 26 episodes, and subsequently stored busy with episodic appearances in quite a lot of reveals like Psych and Hellcats. But it surely wasn’t till 2012 that Spiridakos would lead her first big-budget collection, NBC’s post-apocalyptic drama Revolution.

Spiridakos performed Charlotte “Charlie” Matheson alongside Billy Burke and Giancarlo Esposito in Revolution, which was made by Eric Kripke (Supernatural, The Boys); she was nominated for a Saturn Award for it. Her closing memorable half earlier than becoming a member of the Chicago universe in 2017 was as undercover CIA operative Nikki Carpenter in MacGyver, a reboot of the ’80s action-adventure collection that featured Lucas Until within the titular position.

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Detective Hailey Upton in Chicago P.D.

Starting in 2017, Spiridakos joined the fan-favorite police drama Chicago P.D. within the final episodes of its fourth season. Her character, Theft-Murder Detective Hailey Upton, joined the tough-as-nails Sergeant Hank Voight’s elite intelligence unit. The actress’ arrival coincided with the departure of her transient co-star Sophia Bush, who was fed up with the collection and left after allegedly experiencing on-set harassment and irritating filming circumstances. Spiridakos swiftly stuffed the void that Bush’s character Erin Lindsay left behind within the Chicago universe, and Upton rapidly emerged as one among Voight’s fiercest and most decided detectives.

Chicago’s Crime Preventing Tremendous-Couple

All through her time on the gripping present as Detective Upton, Spiridakos helped catch a slew of violent offenders, together with harmful killers, intercourse traffickers, and corrupt officers, whereas rescuing harmless lives week-after-week. Followers had been thrilled when Upton started a relationship along with her accomplice Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), with their gradual romantic emotions for each other unfolding earlier than viewers’ eyes every episode. Whereas the sturdy characters finally get married, they face their justifiable share of trauma and hurdles, and the departure of Soffer was an enormous shock for audiences.

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Dropping a primary character like Soffer is not simple, and Spiridakos’ character was left selecting up the items of her on-screen husband’s departure. Whereas Upton threw herself into case after case in an effort to take care of her absent accomplice, followers had been nonetheless left questioning how the fearless detective’s character arc would unfold in his absence. By the point season 11 rolled round (which might be Spiridakos’ closing outing on the present), Upton and Halstead have divorced. She begins to ponder her future and decides to depart the unit.

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Spiridakos’ Resolution to Stroll Away from the Drama

When information first broke that Spiridakos could be leaving Chicago P.D. on the conclusion of season 11, followers mourned the departure of each the actress and the strong-willed Detective Hailey Upton. Curious minds questioned if one thing had occurred behind-the-scenes that prompted her determination to stroll away from the collection, but that was not the case. Spiridakos opened as much as Selection about her option to say goodbye to Chicago P.D., revealing she spoke to showrunner Gwen Sigan after season 10 to inform them of her determination. The actress expressed:

”
It was a tough determination — very, very laborious. I like everyone on the present
— solid, crew, producers, writers, everyone. It’s such an unimaginable group. I used to be simply curious what was on the market for me and needed to modify it up, and that was it.”

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A Memorable & Significant Efficiency

Spiridakos had nothing however glowing issues to say about her fellow solid and crew members, and it seems that she merely needed to pursue new performing alternatives. After a powerful 140 episode run and over seven-and-a-half years engaged on Chicago P.D., the actress was grateful to have the ability to stroll away on her personal phrases, and he or she was happy over the send-off Upton acquired from the Intelligence Unit. She has additionally not dominated out a possible return to the franchise and raved in regards to the present’s passionate followers, telling Deadline after the finale:

“I might like to reappear, that may be wonderful. I like this entire group of individuals. I believe so far as a parting message I might simply say thanks to the followers.
Thanks to the Chi-hards for welcoming me into this pretty group of individuals
. I cherished operating into folks in Chicago who cease and say hello and say how a lot they love my character and love the work that we’ve finished on the present. I’m grateful to all of you.”

Although the season 11 finale marked the ultimate look of Spiridakos (not less than for now), viewers discovered a silver-lining in her departure: former star Elias Koteas briefly returned as Detective Alvin Olinksy within the nail-biting episode. Voight’s late right-hand-man and finest buddy confirmed up in a imaginative and prescient because the hardened Sergeant battled for his life after being severely wounded, and followers rejoiced when the characters lastly reunited on-screen. Spiridakos’ send-off and Koteas’ return was a bittersweet second that touched each Chi-hards and their former co-stars.

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The Chicago P.D. Household Responds

Recent off the heels of her closing efficiency as Hailey Upton, Tracy Spiridakos acquired an outpouring of affection and appreciation from her fellow Chicago household. Her former on-screen husband Jesse Lee Soffer took to social media to commend the actress on the work she did in her final episode, calling her “improbable,” whereas present stars LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater) and Marina Squerciati (Kim Burgess) additionally each shared tributes to the actress on Instagram following her Chicago exit.

Spiridakos’ Touching Farewell

Showrunner Gwen Sigan additionally praised Spiridakos for sticking round a full closing season, calling her a “class act” after the information of her impending departure first broke in October 2023, shortly after the tip of the WGA writers strike. Sigan instructed CinemaBlend:

”
It was a really elegant and king factor to do to offer us a complete season
. It is so uncommon that you just get that. I imply, it is a uncommon factor on both finish, that you’ve got that a lot time to arrange like that. And so it simply made it such a pleasant season to have the ability to arc it out and to have the ability to discuss along with her and get to do the tales that I nonetheless needed to do along with her. It was very good.”

Watch Upton Say Goodbye and Depart Chicago

Although followers of each the present and Spiridakos will miss her highly effective and admirable potrayal of Hailey Upton, they are going to little doubt be watching intently at what new tasks the proficient actress tackles within the subsequent section of her profession. With over 17 years within the leisure enterprise, Spiridakos has showcased her dynamic vary time and again and has confirmed herself to be fairly the powerhouse presence on-screen. As she seems to be in direction of the long run and says goodbye to Chicago P.D., Spiridakos mirrored on what her expertise with the drama meant to her and what it taught her, telling Yahoo Information:

“This present, this group of individuals, this solid, and our producers, and everyone
have helped me actually discover my confidence as an actor,
to really feel that my voice is being heard when I’ve a thought of one thing, an opinion about one thing […] I’ve actually discovered my voice as an actor with out feeling that I’ll offend anyone, or with out essentially feeling that I’ll step on anybody’s toes.”

She by no means stepped on our toes, however we’ll actually miss the dramatic weight and presence she delivered to Chicago P.D. The season 11 finale of Chicago P.D. aired Could 22, 2024, the identical night time that the season 12 finale of Chicago Hearth noticed Eamonn Walker step away from the present as Wallace Boden. You may stream any episode under.

Watch Chicago Hearth