CHICAGO Fire has been entertaining fans since it first aired on NBC in 2012.
The star of the show since its debut, Jesse Spencer is leaving fans heartbroken when he decided to quit the show.
Why did Jesse Spencer leave Chicago Fire?
Rumors have been swirling for several days as NBC viewers speculated that the actor would leave his role as Matthew “Matt” Casey.
Chicago Fire OG has been the subject of rumors of leaving the group in the past – during season 9, we all thought he was on the way out after Casey suffered a severe recurrence of his head injury.
Jesse has finally confirmed reports that he will be leaving the show to pursue a new work opportunity after nearly a decade.
After some contemplation, Jesse reached out to Chicago Fire host Derek Haas to break the news.
Matt Casey has reportedly left town to become guardian of late firefighter Andy Darden’s children, Griffin and Ben Darden, in Oregon.
His role as caregiver is long-standing, as he took care of the brothers after Andy’s widow, Heather, was jailed following a DUI and vehicular homicide charge.
Heather moved to Oregon with her two children but Griffin was seen in season 10 as he began looking for closure in Chicago.
He later confessed to Matt that his family life was still difficult when his mother went to jail after her fourth DUI.
Matt eventually left Chicago Fire to move to Oregon, saying he would stay there at least until Ben, the youngest child in the Darden family, turned 18.
But his departure makes his relationship with Sylvie Brett (played by Kara Killmer) more complicated.
The couple decided to try their hand at a long-distance relationship.
Derek Haas has confirmed that Matt and Sylvie will remain a couple but they will face obstacles.
The executive producer has yet to reveal who will take his position at Firehouse 51.
What did Jesse Spencer say?
While he was happy to take on new challenges in his acting career, Jesse expressed a bit of sadness about leaving the show.
He clarified that his departure “was a difficult decision” as he had been a familiar face on Chicago Fire for nearly a decade.
“I realized I had been doing television for a long time,” he told TV Line.
“I added it up and I think this year is my 18th year in network television.”
“I said I thought it was time to leave the show, and he agreed that we should at least give Casey 200 episodes.”
“It was a difficult decision because I loved the show from the beginning, but there are other things I want to do in the future and have some family to take care of.”
But his departure may not be permanent.
Speaking to Deadline on October 20, 2021, Jesse vaguely hinted that he wouldn’t rule out his character’s return.
“I think it’s quite natural for him to leave and he’ll be gone for three years but will he? We don’t know,” he said.
People magazine has speculated that Matt may return to Chicago for Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd’s (Miranda Rae Mayo) wedding.
Jesse also pointed out that he still lives in Chicago with his wife, research scientist Kali Woodruff Carr.
“I’m not going to run away to Los Angeles or anything, although I might escape for a while in the winter. There’s a chance I’ll come back.”
Meanwhile, fans will have to hold their breath waiting for the return.
What other starring roles does Jesse Spencer play?
Some Chicago Fire fans may be surprised to learn that Jesse is actually Australian.
The 42-year-old was born on February 12, 1979 in Melbourne.
Like Australian stars Margot Robbie and Liam Hemsworth, Jesse began his career in the soap opera Neighbors as Billy Kennedy.
He then left the soap and headed to Hollywood, where he did very well for himself.
Jesse had various teen film roles, before landing the plum role in the critically acclaimed film, House.
He then landed the Chicago Fire gig and the rest is history.
