Miranda Rae Mayo Reveals What It’s Like Being A Part Of The One Chicago Shared TV Universe
Shared universes have been all the rage ever since Samuel L. Jackson dropped the A-bomb (that would be “Avengers”) at the end of 2008’s “Iron Man.” Most of these universes, since then, have occupied some corner or other of the sci-fi space, whether it’s been the expansion of the “Star Wars” cinematic universe or the bridging of various comic book properties in the CW’s Arrowverse.
There is, however, one shared universe that staunchly resides in a more realistic world, and it’s arguably one of the most successful. We’re talking, of course, about One Chicago, the bridging of several Dick Wolf-produced NBC dramas featuring first responders in the titular midwestern metropolis. It launched with “Chicago Fire” in 2012, and has since grown to encompass “Chicago Med,” as well as “Chicago P.D.,” and the ill-fated “Chicago Justice.” Each show has crossed over with at least one of the others, and there have been multiple three-hour events in which several come together for an epic story arc.
What’s it like to be part of such a sprawling fictional TV universe? To find out, we talked to actor Miranda Rae Mayo, who plays firefighter Stella Kidd on “Chicago Fire.”
One Chicago, many vibes
While the One Chicago shows all share a common thread, they can vary in tone due to the difference in atmosphere between, say, a hospital and a firehouse. According to Mayo, that variance extends to the feeling of working on the different properties. “It’s kind of like visiting different cities in the U.S., where it’s all Americans, but New York has a certain pace and Nashville has a certain pace,” she says. “It’s all in the same country, we speak the same language, we’re governed by the same laws for the most part. We’re all in the same world, but each set feels different. The culture is a little bit different.”
Apparently, this feeling can extend even to socialization outside of filming. “I’ve been to a dinner party where most of the people there were from ‘Med,'” Mayo remembers. “They are very cerebral and serene, and the energy feels very similar to their show and their set. Whereas, at a ‘Fire’ party back in the day, it was like, we’re loud and we’re making jokes, and jumping up and throwing things. And it’s a lot rowdier, which makes sense — we’re firefighters, we’re breaking things, we’re very physical, very visceral.”
Miranda Rae Mayo’s ‘SVU’ ambitions
The character of Stella Kidd hasn’t done a ton of crossing over, compared to some of her fellow One Chicago stars, having appeared briefly on “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.,” thus far. However, when Miranda Rae Mayo was asked about what her dream crossover appearance might entail, her answer zigs a bit when you think it might zag, and she proceeded to highlight another Dick Wolf production with which the One Chicago shows have shared story arcs.
“I think the dopest would be if they called and needed some type of an expert opinion on ‘SVU,'” says Mayo. “If there was a case on ‘SVU’ and they needed to speak to an officer who has very specific knowledge. I’ve never thought about it before, but that’s the first thing that comes to mind. I want to go see Mariska.”
“Chicago Fire” airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
