Chicago Fire star breaks silence after second shocking exit in days: 'We gave it our all'


The 15th season of the hit procedural Chicago Fire premieres on Wednesday, October 7, without one of its biggest stars


Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide, Tracy Spiridakos as Hailey Upton, Dermot Mulroney as Chief Dom Pascal© Getty Images
Tess Hill
Tess HillNews and Features Writer
1 hour ago
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Chicago Fire won't be the same. The series is experiencing its second major exit in just days, throwing the show into a bit of chaos.

While at the Flashback Weekend Chicago 2026, actor Dermot Mulroney, 62, broke his silence on his exit from Chicago Fire after just two seasons. His news comes after Joe Minoso announced he was leaving the procedural drama.

"This season, sadly, I have one episode," Dermot said, explaining that he was scheduled to film his final scenes. "They write the character off, so we gave it our all for two seasons. They wrote an incredible storyline that put me, as an actor, on a high challenge."

Dermot Mulroney attends the Leary Firefighters Foundation 10th anniversary firefighter challenge at the FDNY Fire Academy on May 01, 2026 in New York City. © Getty Images
Dermot was on Chicago Fire for two seasons

"Sad to see it go," he continued.

Who did Dermot Mulroney play on Chicago Fire?

Dermot, who is best known for My Best Friend's Wedding and New Girl, joined Chicago Fire in Season 13 as Battalion Chief Dom Pascal. His character had a tragic storyline. During his 13th season, his wife Monica, who is played by KaDee Strickland, died in a car accident.

"It starts to feel really heavy," Dermot said, comparing filming Chicago Fire to filming a movie. "They asked that of me and I delivered."

Dermot Mulroney as Dom Pascal in Chicago Fire© Peter Gordon/NBC
The actor made many friends during his time on the show

He continued: "I loved every minute of it, became friends with this incredible crew of people. Some of them had been there 15 years…I had 10 episodes last season, their season 14, so I still got to continue. They gave me incredibly challenging scenes – if some of you saw that season 13 I was in."

When will Chicago Fire return?

Chicago Fire first premiered on October 10, 2012. Its 15th season will premiere on Wednesday, October 7. 

During the season 14 finale, Chief Pascal ordered an immediate evacuation but an explosion left the fates of Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg), and Lieutenant Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) up in the air.

Dermot Mulroney as Chief Dom Pascal, David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann, Katelynn Shennett as Kylie Estevez on Chicago Fire season 13© Getty Images
Season 14 ended on a major cliffhanger

While Dermot will star in one episode before leaving the show for other pursuits, several fan favorites are returning to the firehouse. The series' leads Taylor and Miranda are coming back as Kelly Severide and Stella Kid. David, Christian Stotle, Hanako Greensmith, and Jocelyn Hudon are set to come back too.

As one of the first of the Chicago franchise stars, Taylor understands how meaningful his work is.

Dermot Mulroney as Chief Dom Pascal, David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann, Katelynn Shennett as Kylie Estevez on Chicago Fire season 13© Getty Images
The cast of Chicago Fire has changed over the years

"It's never lost on me how special it is to be a part of something with the longevity this has," he told Us Weekly in a May 2022 interview. "It's a testament to [series creator] Dick Wolf and the team of people he puts together."

The other series within the One Chicago world are returning this fall as well. Season 12 of Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. both premiere on Wednesday, October 7.

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