Amidst some changes at Firehouse 51 in Chicago Fire Season 14, premiering on Wednesday, October 1, a new firefighter is joining, Salvador “Sal” Vasquez, played by new series regular Brandon Larracuente. But as TV Insider’s exclusive first look reveals, he’s not necessarily going to endear himself to everyone at 51 right away.
Our featurette, which you can watch above, is all about Vasquez. It offers a look at him walking into the firehouse, Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) showing him to his new locker and welcoming him to 51, and him introducing himself to his lieutenant, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo).
“For me, the thing that I’m more excited about is to see how my character, Vasquez, interacts with all the other characters and how that changes the whole dynamic of the firehouse,” says Larracuente.
A clip shows Kidd letting him know that he’s “replacing a hell of a good driver,” but he replies, “Not as good as me.”
According to Mayo, “Kidd is just kind of annoyed by the cockiness that he portrays.” (The lieutenant calls him out on his driving at one point.)
But Larracuente has a different take on his character: “A lot of people confuse the confidence that he has for cockiness, but I think it just stems from a place of him really, really wanting to be the best at who he is and what he does. That can rub some people the wrong way at the firehouse.”
Watch the full video above for more from Mayo, Larracuente, and Jocelyn Hudon about the new character and castmember, plus see Taylor Kinney, Dermot Mulroney, and Hanako Greensmith join him in welcoming him to the One Chicago family.
“The charming Sal Vasquez is the new addition to 51, and, like Severide, this character is rich with family history in the first responder world, much of it buried,” showrunner Andrea Newman previously told us. “But not for long. Vasquez will prove a real challenge to Kidd, his new lieutenant, as well as to Novak as she tries to get to know this seemingly unknowable guy.”
What do you think of Sal Vasquez after this first look? Let us know in the comments section below.
