Chicago Fire’s Darren Ritter and Christopher Herrmann are the “odd couple” we didn’t know we needed — and the actors who play them are just as quirky and hilarious.
“It’s a very controlled kind of chaos,” Daniel Kyri, who plays Ritter, told Us Weekly exclusively on Monday, October 7, about working with David Eigenberg, who plays Herrmann, on the NBC show. “I have a lot of respect and admiration for David Eigenberg.”
Kyri, 29, calls Eigenberg, 60, and Christian Stolte, who plays Randall McHolland, “great friends” who have guided him throughout his time on Fire.
Since joining the show in 2018, Kyri’s Ritter has formed a close bond with Eigenberg’s Herrmann while working under him on Engine 51. (Herrmann was a lieutenant in Engine, while Ritter was his right-hand firefighter.) A number of Chicago stars have confirmed that they will—or won’t—be back: Jon Seda, Monica Raymund, and more. Thanks to that relationship, Kyri has had the “honor” of working with Eigenberg on nearly every episode—and he’s learned a lot along the way.
“It can be like acting opposite a tethered tornado, when I work with him,” Kyri says with a laugh. “But there’s so much specificity, skill, and just sheer magic to working opposite him that if you’re lucky, observant, patient, and focused enough, I believe you can take notes from [him].”
The actor praised Eigenberg as “one of my greatest teachers in this process,” adding that while he “kept me on my toes,” he “really enjoyed” working with him.
Kyri revealed that the “quirks” fans see in Herrmann are “born out of the creative process of this family,” sharing that it’s “a real look into these little gems of his psyche.”
When it comes to how their dynamic will evolve in season 13, Kyri told Us that “there’s always antics” at Firehouse 51, and Ritter and Herrmann are often a part of it. “There are a few weird couples on the show, but ours is one of my favorites,” he confessed.
The Dating History of a Chicago Cast Member: Who Stars Have Dated in Real Life However, Kyri explained that the Wednesday, October 9 episode will take on a more serious tone after Ritter was injured on a call.
“He’s going to be out for a while and we’re going to see, I think, some changes as a ripple effect of that,” Kyri teased. “It’s not all doom and gloom, but change is there—there’s some bitterness that comes with it.”
He noted that in the wake of Ritter’s accident, viewers will see a “very human” side to all of his firefighters.
“What Ritter brings to the fire department, his value there, how people view him, how they relate to him, and his value as a firefighter. All of that is highlighted in this episode,” Kyri told Us. “You see how I think people really care about him and how seeing one of their own is affecting them.”
While fans are holding their breath to see what happens on Wednesday’s episode, Kyri is gearing up for another big moment. He’ll release his second single, “Maybe,” on Friday, Oct. 11. “I’m an actor and I love my job, and I’m also an artist and I have a voice that exists alongside the work that I do on the show and also outside of the work that I do on the show,” Kyri told Us of her foray into music. “It’s really important to me to be well-rounded in my career and the impact that I want to make.”
Earlier this year, Kyri released her debut single, “Dreamland Ave,” a fun and upbeat summer anthem. “Maybe” is a much more “personal” track that explores “the pitfalls of being in a relationship,” according to the star. “I affectionately call it my ‘cry in the club’ song,” Kyri shared with Us. “Because you can actually dance to that song. You can do some moves there and then when you [stop and] listen to the lyrics, I think you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’” He called the track “cathartic” and “freezing” after going through a bad relationship that left him “feeling small.” The song is Kyri’s way of “re-opening the story” and reminding himself that it’s okay to “make mistakes” in love and life.
