Some fresh faces are reporting for duty in the Windy City.
As OneChicago fans are surely aware, the teams of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. will look quite different when the NBC series return this fall in the wake of longtime stars LaRoyce Hawkins and Joe Miñoso‘s exits from P.D. and Fire, respectively.
And while viewers were understandably shocked by the recent cast shakeups, the shows’ stars were equally devasted by their friends’ departures.
AsDarren Barnet, a.k.a. Chicago Med‘s Dr. John Frost, confessed to E! News in an exclusive interview, “They will be missed.”
Chicago P.D.‘sArienne Mandiechoed Barnet in lamenting Hawkins’ unexpected exit after 13 seasons playing Officer Kevin Atwater.
“One of our beloved is departing,” Mandi—who portrays cop Eva Imani—reflected. “He’s been very cherished for many years and will continue to be a foundation of the show. We love him a lot.”
But with multiple mainstay actors leaving the OneChicago universe next season, there will be plenty of space on the call sheet for new cast members.
And Barnet is loving his new co-workers.
“All these shows have such a great ability to cast wonderful people to work with,” the Never Have I Ever alum explained to E!. “Everyone that is new that I’ve met, I love and I’m really having an optimistic outlook on how it’s all going to unfold.”
Meanwhile, Fire‘s Jocelyn Hudon—better known as paramedic Lyla Novak—teased, “We on Chicago Fire have a bunch of new probies [probational firefighters], so that is very exciting for us and I know the audience is going to love them.”
Despite the inevitable changes on set, Mandi emphasized what makes the NBC procedural’s so special to be a part of.
“The cast and the crew are one,” she shared. “We’re all family and everyone has known each other for years and some people have really grown in their positions. Everyone feels really familiar to each other and just want to succeed and have fun while we’re doing it.”
And Barnet feels exactly the same about his Med team members.
“It’s uncommon in a room full of actors, but the lack of ego I experience among these people,” he told E!, “there’s never this sense of competition or trying to outdo one another. It really is a team effort.”
OneChicago Wednesdays return Oct. 7 on NBC.
In the meantime, keep reading to look back at more TV stars’ shocking series exits.
—Reporting by Amanda Champagne-Meadows
Peter Gordon/NBC
“It was hard to say goodbye,” Gilford told Us Weekly of his exit. “It definitely was one of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play and partially because what a gift. Every season I got to do a different side of this character. It wasn’t like I was just doing the same thing every year.”
So when the attorney met her end on an April 2026 episode, “I wasn’t surprised,” Regan noted. “I thought, ‘Fair enough.’ She’s had an amazing run, four years on this show. I’m only filled with gratitude.”
The exit isn’t so shocking to fans given that Ganesh’s character has been planning to take on a new residency program at another medical center.
Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.
“The rumors …..Are true,” the former J. Crew Creative Director wrote on Instagram Nov. 21. “I was grateful to be asked to join season 16 of RHONY ‘as a friend of ‘- knowing my personal life was not really available to be filmed, we agreed that made sense.”
The fashion icon—who joined the Bravo series for season 14 in 2022—explained that she later realized being a supporting castmember wasn’t for her.
“And after thinking it through I have made the difficult decision not return to the show,” she continued. “I would be the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show and feel like this is an opportunity for a new dynamic to emerge.”
“I’ve gotten to a place where I don’t need the show financially,” Chrishell announed in November via social media. “I’m lucky to have other forms of employment, because it’s no longer good for my mental health.”
“Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting,” the Bravo star—who is embroiled in a nasty divorce from estranged wife Brittany Cartwright—shared in July 2025. “Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself—especially for our son, Cruz.”
Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.
“It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece,” the actress posted on Instagram July 10. “Thank you to everyone who has watched & supported Season 1 & shared their stories with me.”
Pascal, meanwhile, who also died onscreen in Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, took his game over status in stride. “I get killed a lot,” he joked to Entertainment Weekly. “I like to die.”
“Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this,” Krause wrote in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them.”
Killing off the somewhat tormented, but beloved, firefighter was certainly a hot topic, showrunner Tim Minear acknowledged to Variety, “but after eight years, it just felt like, if we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone’s got to die.”
Paige DeSorbo announced in June 2025 that she was walking away from the Bravo series after seven seasons.
“You’ve seen me grow up over these last 7 summers. I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the community, and the opportunities this wild ride has brought me,” the Giggly Squad podcast cohost shared with fans on Instagram. “But like all good things (and some bad decisions), it’s time for this chapter to close.”
“After an incredible journey, I’ve made the decision to step away from Emily in Paris,” she wrote in an April 23 Instagram post, alongside pictures of her and her former castmates on set. “It has been a truly wonderful experience, one filled with growth, creativity, and unforgettable memories.”
“College Girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people,” she wrote on social media in July 2023. “2 and a half years later—it’s given me y’all and this community.”
The show’s co-creator Mindy Kaling also confirmed Rapp’s exit. “We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray!” Kaling wrote on her Instagram Stories before referencing Rapp’s thriving music career. “We can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”
“I gotta mix it up a little bit,” Pompeo explained on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022, though she has already returned for a May guest appearance and continues narrating the series. “I’m 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs. I gotta do something new. You can’t do The New York Times crossword puzzle every single day.”
But she’s not gone for good. Pompeo still pops in and out of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures,” Cavill wrote on Instagram in October 2022. “Alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4.”
“To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show,” Soffer said in a statement after his final appearance in the NBC procedural’s Oct. 5 episode. “I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
View More Photos From TV’s Most Shocking Exits: Stars Who Left Hit Shows
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Arienne Mandi – Eva Imani on Chicago P.D.
Darren Barnet – Dr. John Frost on Chicago Med
Jocelyn Hudon – Paramedic Lyla Novak on Chicago Fire
