David Eigenberg Reveals the Inside Story Behind Jesse Spencer’s Chicago Fire Exit

Jesse Spencer’s game-changing Chicago Fire exit gets emotional new details from one of the show’s stars. It was announced in October 2021 that Spencer was exiting NBC’s One Chicago franchise as Matthew Casey. It was a significant shift for the procedural drama, with Spencer being an original cast member who appeared in the very first episode.

Spencer, who first broke out as Billy Kennedy in the Australian soap Neighbours, has since returned to Chicago Fire as a guest star. But his departure was an important change that the hit procedural continued to deal with and adjust to for a good while. That much was reflected on by David Eigenberg, another original cast member, who plays Christopher Hermann.

In an interview on the One Chicago Podcast, Eigenberg spoke with Brian Luce, a former Chicago police officerwho is also a producer and technical consultant for Chicago P.D. The actor spoke about how, during the first season, the cast would use an empty water bottle as a way of passing the time. The tradition continued when Spencer left the series in season 10:

“We put out arms around each other, like three or four of us, and then we started kicking it and trying to get it through each other’s legs, and we call it water bottle ball or something. It’s stupid. We only play for about 30 seconds or a minute and a half. It goes through a couple times.”

“We were all supposed to go out and give a group hug, and we all walked out there, and we put our arms around each other in a group hug, and then somebody dropped a water bottle in the middle of all of us, and we started kicking it around. We loved it, and it was like little tears and stuff like that. It didn’t belong in the show.”

What This Means For Chicago Fire

Spencer is one of several notable One Chicago exits, with his character moving to Oregon. But the character of Matthew Casey has continued to appear, almost once per season, since his farewell episode. He returns for the season 10 finale, though his official farewell is in episode 5. He is then part of three episodes across seasons 11 and 12.

One of the reasons Spencer returns is to address the gaps within the Chicago Fire cast, which speaks to how close-knit the group is. That is echoed in the podcast remarks by Eigenberg. It is also at least partly the reason why the fire-fighting series has been so vital for NBC. It can serve as a fill-in for the camaraderie of the professions that it spotlights.

One Chicago returns to NBC on Wednesday, October 1, with Chicago Fire season 14 set for 9 PM ET. It’s another season that will have to face monumental exits, particularly with Jake Lockett’s departure as Sam Carver. But as the podcast discussion explains, it’s an aspect that’s built into the show.

Our Take On Spencer’s Departure

“We put out arms around each other, like three or four of us, and then we started kicking it and trying to get it through each other’s legs, and we call it water bottle ball or something. It’s stupid. We only play for about 30 seconds or a minute and a half. It goes through a couple times.”

“We were all supposed to go out and give a group hug, and we all walked out there, and we put our arms around each other in a group hug, and then somebody dropped a water bottle in the middle of all of us, and we started kicking it around. We loved it, and it was like little tears and stuff like that. It didn’t belong in the show.”

What This Means For Chicago Fire

Monica Raymund as Gabby Dawson, Jesse Spencer as Matthew Casey, and Lauren German as Leslie Shay in Chicago Fire

Spencer left the show after 200 episodes.

Our Take On Spencer’s Departure

Jesse Spencer as Matt Casey wearing a tux in Chicago Fire

All told, Spencer gets one of the better opportunities to bow out during all of One Chicago and especially Chicago Fire. He even returns a few times to provide added closure. But the podcast story shifts the focus, demonstrating how the loss of an original cast member impacted the situation behind the camera.

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