This season, three of our most popular Chicago series have actors stepping into the director’s chair.
Ayo Edebiri of The Bear, Jesse Lee Soffer of Chicago P.D. and Brian Tee of Chicago Med all directed an episode in their shows this season. We will announce the airdates when the information is released.
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
To say that Ayo Edebiri is a shooting star would be an understatement. In 2023, aside from her leading role on The Bear, she captivated audiences with her standout performances in the drama-kid comedy Theater Camp and led the quirky and clever romp Bottoms alongside her NYU classmate Rachel Sennott. Additionally, she lent her voice to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, made guest appearances on Black Mirror and Abbott Elementary, and maintained her role as one of the primary voices in Netflix’s animated series Big Mouth. While it’s true she won’t be joining the cast of Marvel’s superhero extravaganza Thunderbolts, due to scheduling conflicts with The Bear. Nevertheless, she’s slated for other exciting projects in the upcoming year, including Opus, an indie horror film from A24 featuring John Malkovich, Ella McCay, directed by James L. Brooks, and “Omni Loop” alongside Mary-Louise Parker.
In 2024? Well, there’s all those awards. And if that’s not enough, Edebiri surprised everyone by revealing that she will make her directorial debut with an episode for the upcoming Season 3 of the FX series The Bear.
Jesse Lee Soffer – Chicago P.D.
Jesse Lee Soffer shared the news of his directing role on Chicago P.D. through an Instagram post. The story featured a sign displaying his name alongside the title “PREPPING DIRECTOR.”
Soffer is set to direct on Chicago P.D. once again, marking his second time directing for the series since his departure from his role as Det. Jay Halstead. After appearing in 10 seasons, Soffer announced his departure in the middle of the season. He ended his run with Episode 3, appropriately titled, A Good Man, which alludes to both Jesse Lee Soffer and the character he played.
Brian Tee – Chicago Med
Recently, Brian Tee has been seen alongside Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue in the Prime Video limited series Expats and will soon be filming the third season of Reacher, where he is a regular cast member. Tee is also producing the anthology limited series The Scapegoat.
When Tee decided after 8 seasons not to renew his contract in the role of Dr. Ethan Choi in Chicago Med, his farewell Twitter message said, “This is not goodbye, but a see you later… and a sincere thank you to you all.” Holding true to his word, Tee returned to his Chicago Med home for Season 9, not as an actor but as a director.
Tee expressed how much the cast of Chicago Med means to him, “I enjoy the people. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters,” Tee said. “I love the cast, I love the crew. To be able to come back and play with them again would just be a joy to do. The door will always be open.”
This marks Tee’s second time directing on Med, the first was a year ago, on the 17th episode of Season 8 titled Know When to Hold and When to Fold following his official series exit in Episode 9.
Specifics about the plot and premiere date of the episode remain undisclosed.
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