Anthony “Tony” Ferraris looks more at home firefighting than anyone on the Chicago Fire cast list, and there’s a good reason for that. One of the more accomplished shows in the One Chicago universe, Chicago Fire follows the personal and professional lives of the employees of the fictional Firehouse 5 of the Chicago Fire Department. The best firefighter shows require a certain degree of authenticity to make them work and feel real. Chicago Fire has done this better than most series, combining action and stakes in a way that doesn’t feel false.
The main cast of Chicago Fire includes Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, Christian Stolte, Miranda Rae Mayo, and Joe Minoso, who lead an ensemble of recurring and starring characters. There has been a lot of cast turnover in Chicago Fire since it first premiered in October 2012, with even the series lead, Jesse Spencer, eventually packing up his helmet and firehose. It’s not completely unusual for characters in Dick Wolf shows to come and go, but what is unusual is a recurring character who has stuck around for the entire series.
Yes, Anthony “Tony” Ferraris Is A Real Firefighter — How He Was Cast On Chicago Fire
Ferrairs Was The Only Person On Set Who Could Drive A Squad
Anthony Ferraris is a recurring actor on Chicago Fire who plays a character named Tony Ferraris. He’s effectively playing himself, because Ferraris is an actual firefighter who is the Engineer assigned to Rescue Squad 2 based out of Firehouse 91 in the Avondale area of Chicago (via SoapCentral). A long-time firefighter, Ferraris got hooked up with the show when a friend of his in the firehouse forwarded him an email from their union. The email said Chicago Fire was looking for extras and for those interested to come to set (via WolfEntertainment).
Ferraris went down and was selected to be in a couple of scenes, saying, “…I guess they liked me”. Later, he learned that no one was able to drive “squad”, a special operations unit that has all the equipment for big rescues (via Chicago). He volunteered for the job, which is when the Chicago Fire showrunner, Derek Haas, approached him.
How Tony Went From Chicago Fire Extra To A Named Character
Derek Haas Asked Ferraris To Read For A Part
Anthony Ferraris said,
“I started out as an extra and then Derek Haas (our Chicago Fire showrunner) approached me around episode five or six and asked me to read for him, and then they started writing me in.”
Apparently, Haas liked what he saw and moved Ferraris from an extra up to a recurring character role. It’s not just acting, however. Ferraris also serves as a consultant on the series, giving his input on firefighting scenes and helping the showrunners and producers make the firehouse more authentic with his first-hand knowledge. He said,
“Yeah, I talk with Derek (Haas) and Michael (Brandt). I tell them if we have a crazy call or things we say, but they ask me a lot too. In the beginning, Derek would come to the firehouse and ride with me when we were working… They’ll ask me things like, ‘Hey, if you’re forcing this door open, how would you do it?’ But our job, fighting fires, is stranger than fiction.”
Ferraris doesn’t just bring the authenticity when he’s on-screen, he makes sure that everyone else is behaving like actual firefighters, and it’s those tiny details that help elevate a show like Chicago Fire.
What’s Next For Chicago Fire’s Anthony Ferraris
Ferraris Thinks Acting Is Harder Than Firefighting
At the moment, it is unclear if Chicago Fire will continue for season 14, but as such a popular series, it’s more than likely that it will be renewed soon. What Tony Ferraris’ role in the new season will look like is also unclear. However, since he became a recurring character on the series, his role hasn’t grown very much, and it’s likely he’ll remain only a recurring character in the future.
Ferraris continues to work at the firehouse while he’s on Chicago Fire, though it seems like he’s looking to wind down that portion of his career.
Ferraris continues to work at the firehouse while he’s on Chicago Fire, though it seems like he’s looking to wind down that portion of his career. He said,
“I’m hopefully ready to retire soon from the fire department, so I would have to go with the show for right now. I still love my fire department job though.
Whether that means he wants to continue acting is left unsaid, though when asked about which job is tougher, Ferraris said,
“Acting! It’s tough, man. I work with some incredible people, and to see them turn it on and off is pretty impressive. But I’m learning. I’m getting better and these guys, Eamonn (Walker), Taylor (Kinney), Jesse (Spencer) and Monica (Raymund) helped me immensely.”
It sounds like Tony Ferraris will be with Chicago Fire for the near future, and maybe the real Anthony Ferraris has discovered an unexpected second career to pursue after firefighting.
