What Charlie Barnett Has Been Up To Since Chicago Fire Many dedicated firefighters have come and gone on Chicago Fire, but Firehouse 51 was forever changed when Charlie Barnett’s Peter Mills left.
With his unflinching heroism and unwavering dedication, Mills was a shining example of what it takes to succeed on Firehouse 51, which is why his eventual departure was such a blow to the Chi-Hards. Luckily, Peter Mills fans have had no shortage of Barnett’s screen time as the former Fire star continues to pioneer the industry. Since leaving Chicago Fire, Barnett has continued to deliver powerful performances in everything he’s been involved in.
RELATED: Why Charlie Barnett Left Chicago Fire After 3 Seasons (But Wasn’t Killed Off) Mills was an unforgettable member of the fire department, which is why we’ve been keeping an eye on Barnett since his incredible tenure on One Chicago.
Barnett left Chicago Fire in 2015 after leading three incredible seasons as the beloved Peter Mills, but that wasn’t the first action project he’d been involved with. Barnett made his television debut on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in Season 12, Episode 9 (“Gray”), followed by a guest appearance on Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2011. That same year, Barnett landed his first major film role in Private Romeo, a military adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. While starring in Chicago Fire, Barnett also appeared in the 2012 films Gayby and Men in Black 3, where he starred alongside Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin.
After leaving the One Chicago universe, Barnett appeared in thriller projects such as the 2020 film The Stand In and the 2024 drama Dreams in Nightmares. Barnett also took the spotlight in several television projects, landing the lead role of Patrick Warner in Season 2 of the mystery anthology Secrets and Lies and a guest appearance in a 2017 episode of Orange Is the New Black.
RELATED: Where to Watch and Stream Chicago Fire Barnett joined the main cast of the military drama Valor in 2017 as Ian Porter, an intelligence officer with the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. In 2019, Barnett scored another exciting role in the short-lived series Tales of the City as Ben Marshall, starring alongside Laura Linney and Elliot Page. Barnett had another successful year in 2019; he scored a recurring role in Season 8 of the action series Arrow as John Diggle Jr. and also joined the cast of Season 2 of the romantic thriller You.
Many may also know Barnett for his role as Alan Zaveri on the mystery series Russian Doll, where he starred alongside Natasha Lyonne from 2019 to 2022. During this time, Barnett also appeared in Special and joined the main cast of Ordinary Joe as Eric Payne. Barnett most recently made a splash with his captivating performance as Yord Fandar in the hit sci-fi series Star Wars: The Acolyte, where he played a Jedi orderly.
Barnett’s Peter Mills was a member of Firehouse 51 when the series began, helping to save civilians in the Windy City during Chicago Fire’s first three seasons. In each of his 66 episodes, Mills truly captured the hearts of viewers with his impeccable charm and fearless dedication, making him a fan favorite of One Chicago. During his time at Firehouse 51, Mills formed some great friendships and even explored 51’s brief romance with fellow 51 paramedic Gabby Dawson (Monica Raymund).
The son of a firefighter, he immediately set out to prove himself in the CFD. In Season 1 of Chicago Fire, Mills was a firefighter candidate with 51, where he demonstrated impressive skills on Truck 81 before eventually being transferred to Rescue Squad 3. Mills did well as a firefighter, but after collapsing on a call in Season 3, Episode 4 (“Just Drive the Truck”), Mills went to the doctor and learned that he was sick and not fit to be a firefighter with his symptoms. Mills was devastated to hear this news, but after learning about a paramedic position opening at Ambulance 61, he happily accepted the job. During his time on the ambulance, Mills became good friends with fellow paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) as they worked calls together. At the end of the season, Mills visited and underwent a grueling medical exam to see if he would be allowed back on the team. Mills was worried that he would pass, but he passed and was later allowed back into Team 3.
