Mulroney told NBC Insider that he and his team drove overnight to make sure they arrived in the Windy City in time for the One Chicago action.
Dermot Mulroney is officially clocking in for work at Firehouse 51 on Chicago Fire Season 13.
The beloved Hollywood veteran, known for movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding and About Schmidt, is stepping into the shoes of 51’s longtime chief Wallace Boden (Eammon Walker), who departed as a series regular in Season 12. And his presence is going to shake things up.
As Daniel Kyri (Ritter) told NBC Insider in an interview, “We’ve got some new faces coming in Season 13, and there is some active clashing going on between characters that will leave our audience wondering who’s right and who’s wrong in these situations and interactions…To see how our characters either fall in line or kind of resist is going to provide some exciting heat this season for fans. So stay tuned for that because things get explosive.”
But what, exactly, does this mean? In an interview with NBC Insider, Mulroney opens up about joining Chicago Fire and what fans can expect from his character, Chief Dom Pascal.
Dermot Mulroney feels “blessed” to join Chicago Fire
NBC Insider: What’s been the best part about joining the Chicago Fire cast?
Dermot Mulroney: Well, this entire experience on Chicago Fire is brand new for me. I’m also joining a cast that’s already here. So I’m really the new guy in a brand new experience. I’ve never played a part that will last this long. I’ve never worked on a job for this many months as our filming schedule rolls over into 2025. It’s rare for me to work on a character where I don’t already know the storyline… So, I’m having the most amazing time in a new process. [I’ve been acting] a long time—it’s so nice to have a new way to look at creating a role, originating a role.
Which of the Chicago Fire cast or crew members have you connected with the most?
Oh, that’s impossible. That’s like asking, “Which is your favorite puppy?” I really almost can’t individuate them. They, as a group, as a community, literally as a family, welcomed me with wide open arms. They had to because of who they are, and I guess—I made the joke earlier—they were well-trained by Boden.
But they went above and beyond that. There was a private dinner for the cast that, you know, they’re regrouping, and they’re adding me to that night. [David] Eigenberg had me over to his beautiful home with his wife and family with an event. Three, four, five other [One Chicago] actors show up. I can’t tell you how touched I am at how this show operates and how these guys are already a team.
Sometimes, there might be some icebreaking. You might see some of that in the character with Pascal, kind of breaking [51’s] ice, maybe, or trying to. But for me, in real life, it’s been incredible. There was no transition; they dropped me right into their close-knit group. I’m so touched.
What is the biggest difference between Pascal and 51’s former chief, Boden?
He’s the new guy in the firehouse, and he’s gonna have things done the way he sees fit. That doesn’t really rub everybody the right way, I think. But it’s so fun to see how they’re going to resolve those things or turn them into conflicts; we’ll see.
What happens when Pascal heads home from work?
Well, what we know in these early episodes is that he’s trying to keep his marriage intact… We really don’t know what happened or what’s going to happen. So it’s a really interesting exercise, and I couldn’t ask for a more dedicated partner [in KaDee Strickland as Monica Pascal] because we’re on the hunt for who these characters are.
They’re brand new, fresh to us, to a series that has lots of really beloved and well-known characters. You know everything about these characters already. So give us a minute, we’ll catch up to you guys. The writers are coming up with amazing stuff. Challenging, challenging scenes.
But, already, you’ll see Chief Pascal challenged by situations in these first couple of episodes and has to call into question his own sort of ethical line.
Were there any behind-the-scenes moments that surprised you while filming the premiere?
I was surprised when we were shooting the first episode incident. I was surprised that I wasn’t actually afraid. The roof is blowing up. They have firework-like devices, the butane tanks inside the smoke shop are going off, and shrapnel is going in all directions a mile in a perimeter for this fire scene. So it’s super dangerous.
But in real life, of course, it’s 100% safe. Except it’s kind of loud, and the air moves when it blows by you from these smoke pots and whatever else have you. There have been few scenes in my long career that I would have that much special effects and stunt choreography all going on at once.
It’s really phenomenal to behold. They have it down to a science. There’s no stress on the set. Everybody knows their job through all the departments. [It’s] incredible how they prep the locations so that they can do these fire rigs. The whole process is utterly fascinating.
You’ve called Chicago your “adoptive hometown.” Between Chicago-based projects like Shameless and Crisis and your iconic role in My Best Friend’s Wedding, Chicago Fire is a homecoming for you. How does it feel to be back in the Windy City?
It very much feels like a homecoming… I was so warmly welcomed by the cast. So some of that felt like Chicago, and so many of them are authentically Chicagoans. That, and then really, I’ll be honest with you, anywhere I go in the city, everyone is really kind and really happy to see me back. They get the connection.
I mean, Joe on the street, I had to go to the DMV the other day. You should have seen it. It literally was like a distant cousin coming to the DMV. I was so warmly welcomed and hugs and selfies. You know, I got maybe three or four cards, in case I ever need anything at the DMV in downtown Chicago. So, honestly, that’s the best answer I can give this community. By name… They literally know who I am and what my connection to this incredible city is.
