Dermot Mulroney’s new role on “Chicago Fire” is a full-circle moment for the actor.
The 60-year-old stopped by TODAY’s third hour on Oct. 21 to discuss his new role as a police chief on the hit NBC show, and he took a moment to explain why Chicago holds a special place in his heart.
Mulroney spent a lot of time in Illinois as a student at Northwestern University and returned to Chicago to film the 1997 film “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” Now, he’s back in the city to film “Chicago Fire.”
“Are you doing a memorial tour?” TODAY’s Al Roker asked the star.
While filming “Chicago Fire” in his new role as Police Chief Dom Pascal, Mulroney had the chance to hang out with some familiar faces.
“It’s the coolest thing. So I get to meet the people I work with. But what’s even cooler is that I get to work with their kids now,” he said. “So Marissa, who does my hair, is the daughter of the set painter on ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ for example.”
Mulroney co-starred with Julia Roberts in the ’90s hit.
“Of course, I immediately shot the boat scene going under the bridge and sent it to my friend Julia,” he explained, referring to a famous scene their characters shared in the film.
Mulroney went on to explain that Rick LeFevour, who was a stunt coordinator on “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and doubled for Mulroney in several scenes in the film, has also come back into his life.
“I’m now being doubled by his son, Rick Jr., so I guess that means I’ll never age in Chicago. No, they keep me young, especially from the back, right?” he said.
“Chicago Fire” is in its 13th season, and Mulroney said he’s lucky to be on such a “well-run show.”
“It’s great. First of all, it’s great to have a steady job. Thank you NBC for that. What took so long?” he joked. “And to work with (a) great cast who are so close to each other.”
Mulroney noted that he’s learning a lot in his new job and is getting in a lot of exercise while filming the physically demanding scenes.
“It’s a lesson every day on such a well-run show, and it’s great to be on a popular series,” he said.
Mulroney is stepping into the shoes of Eamonn Walker, who played Wallace Boden for 12 seasons. After serving as Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51, his character became Deputy Chief in Season 10. In May, fans learned that Walker would no longer be a regular cast member on the show. At the time, Deadline reported that his character would not be killed off and would likely return in a recurring role.
