Jesse Lee Soffer Reveals Why He Really Left ‘Chicago P.D.’ After 10 Seasons, Details Show Frustrations, Future and More
22.02.2023 - 23:21
/ usmagazine.com
Speaking his truth. Jesse Lee Soffer revealed why he left Chicago P.D. six months after he announced his departure in August 2022 — and teased if he’ll be back.
“I’ve thought so hard about how to answer this question — and there’s no good answer,” Soffer, 38, told Variety in an interview published on Wednesday, February 22, about why he left. “Except I was ready for more. Eventually, you know the character so well, there’s not much that can shift or transform.”
He explained: “I really wanted to grow and expand, and we’ve only got this one trip. If I signed up again, it would have been for another three years. I would have turned 40 on the show. I thought, ‘You know what? It’s time to take a risk.’”
The New York native began playing Detective Jay Halstead in 2014 when the NBC drama first premiered. In August 2022, Soffer surprised viewers when he revealed he would be exiting the series amid the upcoming 10th season.
“To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show,” the Mob Doctor alum said in a statement to Variety at the time. “I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
Once the news broke of his departure, Soffer shared another message with his fans via social media. “This is sad but true. Just want all the fans to know how grateful I am,” he tweeted. “You guys are why we do it! It has been an honor. Love you all ❤️.”
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The Brady Bunch Movie actor signed off as Halstead during the season 10 episode “A Good Man,” which aired in October 2022. “I left it all out there for this one,” Soffer wrote via Instagram ahead of his final bow.
During the episode, Halstead told his wife, Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos),