Jesse Lee Soffer departed Chicago P.D. in Season 10 after playing Detective Jay Halstead since the beginning, and now the actor is set to return to the Dick Wolf Universe by joining FBI: International. His addition comes on the heels of Luke Kleintank’s surprise departure just before Season 3 ended, and while Soffer won’t be reprising his role as Jay, it is still pretty exciting. Many of Soffer’s Chicago P.D. and overall One Chicago pals shared the love.
Details on Soffer’s character on the CBS procedural are still under wraps, but he will be joining as a series regular in a brand new role, which will surely shake things up for the Fly Team. He took to his Instagram to share the news with his followers and his excitement for the role, which will mark his first project as an actor since P.D. And several One Chicago actors couldn’t be happier for him in the comments:
- Tracy Spiradakos (Chicago P.D.): "🥳🥳🥳"
- Nick Wechsler (Chicago P.D.): "Congrats, man!! Rad news."
- Laroyce Hawkins (Chicago P.D.): "😮👀🥸"
- Jen Landon (Chicago Med): "Heeeckkkk yaaaaaaa 😍😍😍😍"
Among the commenters were Soffer’s former on-screen wife and partner Tracy Spiridakos and fellow Intelligence Unit friend and colleague LaRoyce Hawkins. Season 4’s recurring star Nick Wechsler also made sure to congratulate him, as well as one-off Chicago Med guest star Jen Landon, among others. (Landon also joined the FBI universe for Most Wanted Seasons 2-3.) It’s clear that they and surely many others from One Chicago are happy for him.
Of course, plenty of fans were among the many commenters sharing their excitement. Regardless of the fact that he will not be playing P.D.'s Jay Halstead on International, knowing that he’s finally going to be returning to TV on-screen is great news, and many people are looking forward to the endless possibilities that will come with the role:
- neoknitter: "I’m so excited!! Missed seeing your on CPD. You’ll be a great addition to FBI."
- lessonslearned30: "You know I am glued to my couch for this. Your absence on our screens truly left a void. Welcome back!"
- leotxdana: "I love the FBI’s but wasn’t sure how Intl was going to move on from Forester! Now I know!!!"
- lashaundahood: "Welcome back. I can't wait to watch you on television again!❤️"
Even though FBI: International and the other FBI shows are not on NBC with One Chicago and Law & Order, they are set in the same world. Spiridakos’ Hailey Upton appeared in an episode of FBI in Season 2, working alongside the 26 Fed team. This wouldn’t be the first time an actor has appeared on more than one Dick Wolf show as a different character. Most recently, Chicago Med alum Colin Donnell appeared in the Season 3 finale of FBI: International as an NSA liaison.
With FBI: International Season 4 airing later this year on CBS on the 2024 TV schedule, more information on the season and Jesse Lee Soffer’s role will hopefully be revealed soon. It’s likely that he will be the Fly Team’s newest leader, meaning it should be interesting to see how he does with the team. It will take some time to get used to the show without Luke Kleintank, but Soffer will surely be a great addition to International and it’s clear that many people are excited to see what happens.
