One Chicago Characters We've Seen In Multiple Shows
If there's one thing that the "One Chicago" universe has mastered, it's the art of the crossover. From emergencies that require attention from law enforcement, hospital staff, and fire to romance between shows, "One Chicago" doesn't shy away from sending characters into one another's orbits. And while many of the characters pop up in shows other than their own, certain characters cross over more often and leave a larger impact than others. Here are some "One Chicago" characters that you likely have seen in other shows.
Within the connected world of "One Chicago," fans are treated to a variety of characters coming from "Chicago Med," "Chicago P.D.," "Chicago Fire," and occasionally even the loosely connected "Law & Order SVU." All of these hit series come from creator Dick Wolf and it is clear that the universe is a passion project for him. There was also another show in the franchise, "Chicago Justice," but it was cancelled after a single season following poor ratings, per Hollywood Reporter.
The franchise's setup makes it easy for crossovers to happen through connections between characters. In fact, some characters from separate shows are biologically related, per FanSided. For example, Dr. Will Halstead of "Chicago Med" is brother to "Chicago P.D." detective Jay Halstead, and "Chicago Fire"'s Gabriela Dawson's brother Antonio had a major role in "Chicago P.D." What's more, the characters often overlap at Molly's Bar, a location shared by all of the shows and owned by some of the "Chicago Fire" gang.
Hank Voight (Jason Beghe)
There is arguably no character who crosses over more often than "Chicago P.D." star Hank Voight, played by Jason Beghe. He first popped up as a sort of antagonist in "Chicago Fire," where he regularly butted heads with Lieutenant Matthew Casey, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet. His powerful performance landed Beghe a lasting role as the same character in the spinoff "Chicago P.D.," which follows his Intelligence Unit as they solve gruesome crimes in the 21st District. Voight has since returned to the series that gave him his start. Additionally, Voight has popped up in "Law & Order SVU," the short-lived "Chicago Justice," and "Chicago Med" as well.
In all, Beghe has appeared in more of Dick Wolf's shows than any other actor within the "One Chicago" universe. Voight is so deep in the universe that fans even hoped he and longtime Dick Wolf superstar Olivia Benson (played Mariska Hargitay) would get involved with him, per Entertainment Weekly. Unfortunately, the two weren't meant to be. "They're 1,500 miles away," SVU executive producer Warren Leight told EW. "They seem to work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, and she has a new kid at home. I wasn't sure how often they could get together for Passover Seder or something. I didn't understand how it would work logistically, and I think politically there was distance between them. There's enough coupling up on ['Chicago P.D.'] without me loaning one of my few officers."
Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda)
After Hank Voight, the character who makes the most crossovers is "Chicago P.D." star Antonio Dawson, played by Jon Seda. Aside from "Chicago Med," Dawson has appeared in every one of Wolf's shows within the franchise. One of his most emotionally charged crossover episodes comes when he stopped by the fire station in the midst of an emotional family drama with sister Gabriela. He comes to see his sister while their father Ramon is in the hospital, per TV Guide. The familial connections within the universe make for plenty of heartfelt moments.
Dawson also had an exciting crossover romance with "Chicago Justice" character Sylvie Brett as he began the transition to being a main character on "Chicago Justice" before it ended. Speaking with Carter Matt about the romance, Seda shared that at one point he was working on three shows at once, moving through the universe nearly seamlessly.
"Antonio is a guy who likes to do things by the book. He's hard-working and loves being a Chicago cop ... But, there's circumstances that will be shown this season that will connect to why this move happens," he said. "Part of it will also be his family, his status as a single parent will factor in. There's some things going on with 'Fire' that will factor in, some family issues with his sister Gabby. He also has this relationship that's started up with Sylvie Brett, who is played by Kara Killmer."
Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush)
"Chicago P.D."'s Erin Lindsay, played by Sophia Bush, also gets some fun crossover action. In a three-part storyline that brought Lindsay into contact with the "Law & Order SVU" team, the chaos begins with Firehouse 51 tackling a fire that brings a firefighter under suspicion for assaulting a woman, per Outsider. The firefighter in question is eventually cleared, but the team has to work with the investigators behind "SVU" to find the true assailant. When the case matches another one Olivia Benson has worked on years before, she and the "Chicago P.D." precinct work together to rescue Lindsay's protege Nadia from the nefarious grips of Gregory Yates. All told, Lindsay appears in four episodes of "Law & Order SVU" and it is an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.
Along with this bit of crossover, Lindsay is also involved with "Chicago Fire" heartthrob Kelly Severide. Their relationship makes for some steamy moments between the two shows.
Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney)
Speaking of "Chicago P.D."'s Kelly Severide, who is brought to life by Taylor Kinney, he has more than his fair share of crossovers. Much of his movement between shows comes from his various romances. As mentioned earlier, he finds love with Erin Lindsay. Theirs was an early crossover romance, per TV Insider, arguably laying the groundwork for couples to blossom between other shows within the "One Chicago" universe. Eventually, Severide and Lindsay found other partners, but their interactions in future crossover episodes makes for some fun and awkward content.
Along with Lindsay from the police department, Severide dated a couple of characters on "Chicago Med," per TV Guide. He also dated both April Sexton, played by Yaya DaCosta, and Anna Turner, played by Charlotte Sullivan. The two "Med" relationships showed fans different sides of Severide — his adventurous side with Sexton and an unknown tenderness beneath his tough exterior with Turner.
Crossover episodes allow viewers to see some of their favorite characters out of their comfort zones and working with new people. Clearly, some characters call for more crossover content than others, but fans clearly can't get enough.