Chicago Fire star Eamonn Walker is leaving the series after 12 seasons
One of the OGs of Chicago Fire is slowly fading into the past.
Eamonn Walker, 61, who played Deputy Chief Wallace Boden, is leaving the series – at least as a regular character.
Executives on the long-running drama assure Deadline that the Boden character and storyline are alive and well, and more details will be revealed in the season 12 finale, Never Say Goodbye, on May 22. The decision to cut his work on the show was his own, and although Walker’s character took a leave of absence from the fire department, he will return in the season finale.
Boden took a leave of absence from the fire department to help his son James deal with the mess he made when his mother went to prison in episode nine.
Walker’s character has also appeared on other One Chicago shows, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D.
Boden began as the Battalion Chief of Battalion 25 and was promoted to Deputy District Chief in Season 10. In Season 12, he was in the running to become Deputy Fire Commissioner against Chief Robinson (Laura Allen).
The official logline for the season finale reads: ‘Boden makes a decision that affects the race for Deputy Commissioner.’
Walker is one of five remaining series regulars from Chicago Fire’s first season in 2012. The others are Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, Christian Stolte, and Joe Minoso.
Walker is a talented actor who has spent more than four decades creating characters for stage, film, and television.
In addition to his 12 seasons on Chicago Fire, Walker also played Kareem Saïd in the HBO series Oz, for which he won a CableAce Award.
He also played Dr. Stephen Dakarai in E.R. and abolitionist Frederick Douglass in the BBC series Copper.
He was the first black actor to bring Othello to London’s Globe Theatre and to television.
Walker’s film credits include Lord of War, The Messenger, Unbreakable, Tears of the Sun and The Company Men.
He also played blues legend Howlin’ Wolf in the 2008 film Cadillac Records.
