Chicago P.D.’s Patrick John Flueger and LaRoyce Hawkins believe that Jesse Lee Soffer’s upcoming role as director is a natural fit for their former co-star.
After appearing in 10 seasons of Chicago P.D., Soffer made an abrupt exit from the series on October 5, 2022. In his final episode, A Good Man, Soffer’s character Jay Halstead, announced he could no longer be a part of the corruption he had seen, explaining to his wife and partner Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) that he needs to see very clear boundaries between good and bad and black and white. Halstead does the honorable thing by running off to Bolivia to hunt Cartel members (allegedly for “just 8 months”) shocking One Chicago fans who have already been shaken with the departure of several key characters on all three series in the last year.
Even though we lost Halstead, Soffer isn’t too quick to leave the series altogether. With much support from his former co-stars, he has signed on to direct Episode 16.
“He’s got incredible ideas,” Flueger, who plays Adam Ruzek, told NBC Insider. “He’s able to offer them to actors and to the writers and to camera people in a way that displays diplomacy that I think you have to have when you’re directing TV, that maybe you don’t have to have when you’re directing movies. I just think he’s got that in spades. He’s just got a way of getting what he wants, when he really wants it, and when he knows it’s right. But also offering those suggestions and those opinions in such a way that it doesn’t put people off.”
Flueger then went on to explain that he was a bit nervous about working with Soffer because their friendship runs so deeply. “When you work this closely and you become that close with somebody after a decade, they know you pretty well. So I’m excited for him to direct, but I’m also a little nervous for him to direct,” Flueger jokes. “‘Cause I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to get through things without laughing. Because I’m embarrassed that Jesse can see right through me like I’m a transparent ghost.”
LaRoyce Hawkins, who plays Kevin Atwater, has also shared his excitement for Soffer to direct and told Entertainment Weekly how seriously Soffer is taking the role as director. Hawkins explained that in preparation for directing later on in the season, Soffer shadowed the director for the recent Atwater-focused episode, Sympathetic Reflex which aired November 2, 2022.
“I’m very excited for that. Because Jesse, he’s been doing this since he was six years old. Over 30 years of experience in the business and he’s learned so much and he has so much to offer. He’s one of my favorite storytellers that I’ve been able to work with over the years because of his approach,” Hawkins said, praising Soffer’s intelligence. “So the directing pivot for me, it feels appropriate. And he’s been great.”
Hawkins then went on to share a bit of advice Soffer gave him that will stick with him for the rest of his career. “To have him on the sidelines coaching me up, that’s a dynamic we’ve always had. He gave me something in this episode that I think I’m going to keep with me for the rest of my career and that’s how you know you’re a good director,” Hawkins noted. “There was a moment in the episode where it almost seems like, yeah, we’re about to do this scene, but to be honest this may be a scene that might be cut. Then he told me something interesting. He was like, ‘It might get cut, but make them need it.’ And that was the challenge. Maybe we don’t need the scene. No problem. I know exactly what to do. So now that’s my approach for scenes that seem frivolous. It’s like, I’m going to make them need this scene. Whether they could or not, I want them to have a hard time getting rid of this moment.”
It seems that not only are fans excited to see what Jesse Lee Soffer can do behind the scenes, but his friends and former co-stars are as well!
ALSO READ: More ONE CHICAGO News
Chicago P.D. produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment. Filmed at Cinespace Chicago Film Studio.
In addition to Dick Wolf, executive producers include Rick Eid, Peter Jankowski, Arthur W. Forney, Derek Haas and Eriq La Salle.
#onechicago, #chicagopd, #dickwolf
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