Woah! Chicago Fire Lays the Groundwork For a P.D. Crossover Romance *No One* Saw Coming
The CFD and CPD are known for their rivalry in One Chicago, but where there’s tension could breed romance. At least that’s true for Darren Ritter’s new Chicago Fire boyfriend, who could set the stage for a future Fire-P.D. crossover romance.
Chicago Fire is NBC’s drama series following the personal and professional lives of firefighters and paramedics at the Chicago Fire Department’s fictional Firehouse 51 in Chicago, Illinois. The series — which was created by Dick Wolf, the same mind behind the Law & Order and FBI franchises — is the first of NBC’s One Chicago franchise, which also includes Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and the since-cancelled Chicago Justice.
Ritter, played by Daniel Kyri, made his Chicago Fire in Season 7 as a recurring character before Kyri was promoted to a series regular in Season 9. Ritter is the first openly gay firefighter on Chicago Fire and one of the few LGBTQ+ main characters featured throughout the series, along with paramedic Leslie Shay.
Like the rest of One Chicago, Ritter has had his fair share of romances (and drama) throughout his time on Chicago Fire. But could his next fling be with a future Chicago P.D. officer? Read on for what we know about what happens with Ritter on Chicago Fire.
Who is Darren Ritter’s boyfriend on Chicago Fire?
Darren Ritter’s boyfriend, Officer Dwayne Monroe (played by Samuel B. Jackson), was introduced in Chicago Fire Season 12. He’s featured in Episode 11, “Inside Man,” when he’s called to investigate what happened to missing Lieutenant Kelly Severide and his truck. “His name is Officer Dwayne Monroe [Samuel B. Jackson], and he gets embroiled in this mystery when he’s called in to investigate what happened at Firehouse 51 and help the team track down the missing truck and Severide,” Daniel Kyri, who plays Ritter, told TV Insider in May 2024. “It’s a cool moment of worlds colliding for Ritter. It’s common knowledge that among first responders, there’s a bit of sibling rivalry between the CPD and the CFD. [Laughs] By nature of that rivalry, they try to keep their relationship under wraps. There’s a little bit of self-contained and thrilling chaos for Ritter in those moments. There’s some fun to be had.”
Kyri also told TV Insider about why Ritter kept his romance with Monroe a secret, even from his best friend, Violet Mikami. “Ritter and Violet and both experiencing relationships where they’re moving in a more self-protective way. Violet, because she’s been through so much, relationship-wise—she lost her lover Evan Hawkins to a conflagration in Season 11—and Ritter because of that CPD element,” Kyri said, referencing Hawkins’ death in Season 11. “We get to see them try to keep things from each other and they become sleuths in each other’s love lives in a way that’s really indicative of the closeness they have.”
It’s unclear whether Monroe could appear as a character on Chicago Fire‘s police spinoff, Chicago P.D., however, it would be the perfect opportunity for a crossover romance. If Monroe did become a main character on Chicago P.D., Ritter and Monroe wouldn’t be the first Fire-P.D. couple to be featured in the One Chicago universe. Chicago Fire‘s Randall “Mouch” McHolland Chicago P.D.‘s Sergeant Trudy Platt have been married since Chicago Fire Season 4.
Chicago Fire‘s Gabby Dawson and Chicago P.D.‘s Jay Halstead also had a short romance in Chicago Fire Season 2. The season also featured a romance between Chicago Fire‘s Lieutenant Kelly Severide and Chicago P.D.‘s Erin Lindsay. (Severide, for his part, has also dated Chicago Med‘s April Sexton.)
Is Darren Ritter gay from Chicago Fire in real life?
Yes, Darren Ritter from Chicago Fire is gay in real life, and the writers didn’t even know until after the character came out.”They didn’t really know much about me when I first came on. I kept it that way, not intentionally, but mostly because it was one of my first experiences on set,” Daniel Kyri, who plays Ritter, told TV Insider in May 2024 about Ritter’s sexuality. “I was keeping my head down a lot and really focusing on the work, and I was shy. But as they kept me around, I was able to open up a bit more and have conversations with other cast members who were curious about, ‘Who’s this guy? Where’s he from? What’s his deal?’”
Kyri revealed that it wasn’t until a cast party for the three One Chicago shows — Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med — that the producers and writers learned that he and Ritter were more similar than they thought. “I remember the first year I was on the show, there was a big holiday party, and it was all three of the shows—Med, P.D. and Fire,” he said. “That was the event where I really got to meet some writers and producers. I had brought my partner at the time with me, and of course, I said, ‘Yeah, this is me, and this is my boyfriend.’ From there, I think they got to know me and who I am and started to take some cues from me for the character. It was a bit of life imitating art imitating life.”
Kyri also confirmed that Ritter is the first openly gay firefighter to be featured on Chicago Fire. “I’m the first one—definitely the first one to stick around. There was a little bit of history-making involved with the decision to have my character come out,” he said.
Kyi also commended Chicago Fire‘s writers for Ritter’s “non-event” coming out episode. “All those characters are so unique and so special, and I think their capacity for compassion, empathy and tolerance, is really unique and special. The decision for Ritter’s coming out to be a little bit of a non-event was definitely the right one,” he said. “In terms of the kinds of stories we see with LGBTQ characters, I think some of the negative pushback stuff can get to be overdone or overwrought.”
He continued, “To just have this character say, ‘I’m gay,’ and have everyone be like, ‘Cool,’ was its own little revolution. As a queer actor, I actually really appreciated the way that they handled it. I think queer people feel like they have to come out all the time, and this is a way to say, ‘No, you don’t. You can just be who you are.’ They really led by example with that.”
