*spoiler alert*
"Chicago Fire" star Jesse Spencer has exited the show after appearing in 200 episodes over the span of nearly ten years and in a new interview has explained why he made the tough decision to leave.
"This was a difficult decision because I have loved the show from the start but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there's some family that I need to take care of," Spencer told People. "I was marking off these milestones and looking to the future … and it was time."
On Wednesday's episode of "Chicago Fire," Spencer's character, Captain Matt Casey, left his position to take care of his late best friend Andy Darden's sons. Fans of the show will remember that Darden died in the pilot episode of the show. Commenting on how his character was written out of the storyline, Spencer said it was a believable way for Casey to leave.
"It felt so organic for me and a perfect full circle and a really reasonable way for Casey to organically leave," he said.
Whether or not this is the last time fans will see Casey remains uncertain. In this week's episode, he hinted that he may return in three years, once Darden's sons went off to college, according to a roundup by Entertainment Weekly.
"I never try to predict what's going to happen production-wise, but we're in the camp of whenever Jesse wants to come do an episode with us, we will move mountains and earth to make that happen," said showrunner Derek Haas, who also noted that while Spencer's character had committed to looking after his friend's sons, there was a chance he could return sooner.
"We're going to keep it alive," Haas said. "This is a three-year commitment that Casey's making but hopefully we'll see him before those three years are done."
Spencer, who lives in Chicago with his wife, did not dismiss a possible return to the show.
"I'm not running off to Los Angeles or anything, although I might escape for a little bit of the winter," he said. "There is the potential for me to come back."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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