After 11 seasons, Tracy Spiridakos is saying farewell to Chicago P.D.
Variety reports that Tracy Spiridakos, who has become a familiar face to viewers thanks to her portrayal of Detective Hailey Upton on Chicago P.D., is bidding farewell to the enduring NBC procedural following its eleventh season.
This development comes as a disappointment to dedicated Chi-Hards, who just witnessed another integral member of the original squad—Upton’s husband, Senior Detective Jay Halstead (portrayed by Jesse Lee Soffer)—embark on a new chapter with the Army.
Spiridakos, 35, has been on the show since its fourth season that aired in 2016. She began as a recurring character before becoming a series regular from Season five and so on.
It has not been clarified if Spiridakos will play much of a role in her final season nor has it been addressed how her storyline will be brought to a close on the show.
As Variety mentioned, it’s possible that Soffer will return for a Season 11 cameo to help close out Upton’s arc.
“Never say never,” Soffer previously said when Variety asked if he’d ever make a return to the show. “I feel so bad for the fans that are like, ‘Is he going to come back?’ ‘What’s he going to do?’ ‘What’s going on with him and Hailey?’ I like to think—and I hope the fans think this too—that he’s just in another country right now, doing what he does best and making the world a safer place.”
Chicago P.D.’s highly anticipated 11th season, originally slated for a fall return, faced a setback, much like numerous scripted network TV shows, due to the strikes led by WGA and SAG-AFTRA. While the writers’ strike has concluded, the actors’ strike persists, leaving the premiere date for the forthcoming season of Chicago P.D. dependent on the resolution of this ongoing labor dispute.
Tracy Spiridakos will be missed, but we’re confident that her exceptional talents will open up a world of amazing opportunities for her.