Zoom Interview: Chicago Fire’s Daniel Kyri

Daniel

With Pride around the corner, it’s exciting to chat about the importance of representation in media with those who work hardest to make change happen.  Daniel Kyri, who plays Darren Ritter on Chicago Fire/ Chicago PD, is one of those people. 

Daniel Kyri is a Jeff-nominated Chicago-born actor, writer/director, filmmaker, singer, and curator.  A Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree, one of the Chicago Tribune’s Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre, and Chicago Reader’s Best Actor of 2017, he has made a name for himself across stage and film with “magnetic”, “achingly authentic”, “vulnerable, honest, and yet also confounding” performances.


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He works hard to advocate for queer folks, and strives to create a world where being gay doesn’t determine who he is on camera.  During our talk, we discuss his character coming out on the Dick Wolf show, his first experience making content of his own, and his feelings on the upcoming Pride month.

Alongside collaborator Bea Cordelia, he created and starred in the acclaimed web series the T, for which they were named Chicago’s 2018 Filmmakers-in-Residence, they were featured in NewCity’s Film 50 issue, and won a Streamy for Indie Series.  Daniel currently portrays Candidate Darren Ritter, a firefighter, on Season 8 of NBC’s #1 drama Chicago Fire.

He has starred in productions at Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Goodman Theatres, and was most recently seen onstage In the world premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Ms Blakk For President.


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Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays 8 PM CST. It will return sometime in either late 2020 or early 2021.

Katharin Mraz is a contributing writer for Reel Chicago and Reel 360. Email her at katharin@reelchicago.com