Chicago PD's LaRoyce Hawkins Praises Benjamin Levy Aguilar For Filling A Huge Void

Fans of "Chicago PD" are used to seeing members of its core cast leave the show, forcing it to continue without them. The show has been on the air since 2014, and if you've been watching for that long you've seen names like Elias Koteas, Jon Seda, and Sophia Bush come and go despite having once played central parts in "Chicago PD" storylines. Now, fans are coping with the latest departure: Jesse Lee, who has starred in "Chicago PD" since 2014 in the role of Detective Jay Halstead.

But, not to worry, says Lee's now former co-star LaRoyce Hawkins, because the producers of the show have managed to find someone who can fill the enormous void left by Lee: Benjamin Levy Aguilar in the role of Chicago police officer Dante Torres. After first appearing in a guest spot last season, Aguilar has been upgraded to the main cast for Season 10, and according to Hawkins, he brings a welcome amount of energy and fire to the show in the wake of Lee's exit.

The reassuring words come in an interview with LaRoyce Hawkins in Parade magazine. Hawkins starts out by acknowledging the immense void left by Jesse Lee in his exit from "Chicago PD." "It's very different, because our dynamic has been so tight, we've been so locked in with each other for so long, and Jesse was a big part of that," Hawkins admitted.

But Hawkins says that Benjamin Levy Aguilar goes a long way towards stabilizing the energy of the show in the wake of such a significant departure. "I think we're still at the top of our game," the actor says, adding, "I think we can still story tell at a high level, very much so."

And Hawkins says a big portion of his high confidence in the continued storytelling potential of "Chicago PD" has to do with Aguilar's addition to the main cast. "I think the acquisition of a young Dante Torres, played by Benjamin Levy Aguilar, is perfect for the way we can replace energy so to speak. And I know that's almost impossible scientifically, but you know what I mean. When it comes to running and gunning, the fight and the combat, all that kind of stuff, Torres can handle that. And so, we still have that in a young way, so it's cool," Hawkins said.

If fans have their doubts about the future of "Chicago PD" without Jesse Lee in the main cast, they should be assuaged by Hawkins's own confidence in the show's ability to go on. And it sounds like they have plenty more action scenes in the "Chicago PD" tradition to look forward to, with Aguilar at the center of them.