BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The lineup of “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Med” continue to fill the NBC Wednesday night lineup. This is the 14 seasons for “Fire” followed by 13 for P.D.” and 11 for “Med.”
There have been cast changes along the way, but one constant has been Laroyce Hawkins who originated the role of Officer Kevin Atwater on “Fire” and continued it on “P.D.” He describes having a long-running role on a TV series as a blessing to an actor and not just on a financial level.
“This role has taught me so much,” Hawkins says of playing the honorable and trustworthy Atwater. “I think it is the consistency. I’ve been able to really pick up what an amazing cast can put down.
“I have been blessed to be directed by some of the best directors in the game. I have been able to learn from one of the best crews in the city. As long as you wake up with the mind set you can learn something new every day, I believe you benefit from that greatly.”
Hawkins has also been able to learn from other sources as he also can be seen in Comedy Central’s “South Side” as well as the FX-produced short film “Thirsty.” Prior to “Chicago P.D.,” Hawkins made appearances in “Ballers,” “Tyler Perry’s House of Pain,” “Underemployed” and “Detroit 1-8-7.”
No matter how many years the actors have been involved with the show, each new season means coming back together to create new episodes. Jessy Schram, who has played Dr. Hannah Asher on “Med” since 2020, describes returning to work as both exciting and scary.
“It’s everything. There is an excitement because you go to the writers’ room, and you hear all of these things that are ahead then there is the pure anxiety of ‘Do I know how to act?’ It is like coming back to do math after a summer abroad,” Schram says.
“It’s both equally exciting and scary but I feel like if you weren’t nervous that would show how much you really care. So, for me, the nerves are a great indicator that it really means a lot to me.”
One reason Schram can deal with the pressure is that the Chicago native came to the series with a long resume of TV and film roles. Her TV credits include “Falling Skies,” “Last Resort, “Nashville,” “Mad Men,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Veronica Mars” and “Medium.”
She is also a familiar face to Hallmark Channel viewers from her many starring roles in “A Royal New Year’s Eve,” “The Birthday Wish,” “Harvest Moon,” “A Smile as Big as the Moon,” “Road to Christmas,” “Mystic Christmas,” “Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas,” “Country at Heart” and “Nashville Christmas Carol.”
All three shows bank heavily on character development and writing. In addition, they also are loaded with fast-moving action sequences. Hanako Greensmith, who portrays Violet Mikami on “Chicago Fire,” is certain the drama and action support each other.
“The action acting is the easiest. It is the acting that I think the least about which usually ends up being better than the acting I think too much about,” Greensmith says.
Greensmith joined the “Fire” cast in season eight and became a series regular two seasons later. Her TV credits include “Bull” and “FBI.” She made her New York theater debut in the off-Broadway production of “Lolita, My Love” and is a graduate of Pace University.
All three actors bring very distinct characters to the three shows. Hawkins suggests that the city of Chicago is really the main character in each one of the productions.
“I think the reason why the shows are so successful is because they honor and respect Chicago as being the main character first and as first responders, naturally our responsibility is to serve the city that we live in,” Hawkins says.
There have been few changes made to the new seasons. Chicago Fire welcomes new cast member Brandon Larracuente who will play firefighter Sal Vasquez on “Chicago Fire” while Arienne Mandi joins “Chicago P.D.” as Eva Imani.
The three series can be seen starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays on KGET-TV. This is a big year for “Chicago Med” as it will cross the milestone 200th episode on October 8.
If three hours of television viewing doesn’t completely satisfy your interest in the “Chicago” programs, the official “One Chicago Podcast” has launched. The first behind-the-scenes look at “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Med” is hosted by Brian Luce – a former Chicago cop turned producer on “Chicago P.D.”
The series takes a deep dive into the making of the shows through exclusive conversations with the writers, crew, and stars. It is available on Apple, Spotify and all podcast platforms. New episodes are available every Thursday.
