Chicago PD. is one of those great crime dramas that thrills people with high-stakes investigations and dynamic characters. It is led by a cast of hard-boiled yet seasoned professionals like Sergeant Hank Voight and the crack intelligence unit. Since it first aired in 2014, it has become one of television's most popular staples, with compelling storylines featuring a diverse cast.
Among the standout performers in Chicago PD was Tracy Spiridakos, who impressed fans as Detective Hailey Upton, a character introduced in 2017. However, after seven years, Spiridakos announced her departure from the show following the season 11 finale.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Spiridakos explained that her decision to leave Chicago PD was her own, driven by a desire to pursue new projects and challenges. She said:
"It was a hard decision — very, very hard," she said. "I love everybody on the show — cast, crew, producers, writers, everybody. It’s such an incredible team. I was just curious about what was out there for me and wanted to switch it up, and that was it”.
Tracy Spiridakos's character journey in Chicago PD
Tracey Spiridakos was added to the cast of Chicago P.D. as Upton midway through season 4 in 2017; she later became a series regular starting in season 5, replacing Erin Lindsay's character, who left at the end of season 4.
Spiridakos has been in Chicago PD. for over seven seasons, although her on-screen husband, played by Jesse Lee Soffer, left the show after season 10 in late 2023. NBC later announced that Spiridakos would leave the show at the end of season 11.
The difference is that when an actor or actress leaves a TV series, his or her character is normally killed off. But, this was not the case with Upton in the season 11 finale. Upton manages to stay alive and kicking right after the wrap. There are a lot of characters who were shockingly killed off in the first 11 seasons of Chicago PD, but not Upton.
Upton resigned from the Intelligence Unit and moved out of Chicago. In the season 11 finale, Upton sat down with Hank Voight and told him that she did not want to leave the Intelligence Unit or its members. But, Voight knew that sometimes change was necessary and told Upton to do what was best for her.
Only after her on-screen partner left her, did Voight tell Upton to go beyond what she had to give and follow her dreams. By pushing Upton, Voight gave her the strength she needed.
What happens to Upton in her final episode in Chicago PD?
Hailey’s last appearance was in season 11, episode 13, "More". Her last act in the CPD Intelligence Unit was to save Voight from the killer Frank Matson, and both of them were badly injured. Despite this, Upton was still able to call her team and arrange for her phone's location to be tracked to an unknown address.
Although Upton and Voight survived, Hailey decided to leave the team and the Chicago Police Department as she began looking for work with the FBI, FEMA, and the DEA. She then packed up her apartment and hailed a taxi to Chicago O'Hare Airport.
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Fans of Chicago PD can stream the show available on NBC.
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