Who Played Shay On Chicago Fire And What She's Doing Now

Given the perils inherent to any job that carries the title "first responder," it's hardly a surprise that line-of-duty deaths have been a pretty regular occurrence in the "One Chicago" realm. Of course, that doesn't make it any easier when even a minor character from the small-screen franchise meets their end on the job. And when one of the heavy hitters departs in the line of duty, well, the tears never really dry.

That includes regular "Chicago Fire" player Leslie Shay, who turned up at Firehouse 51 as an EMT during the series' pilot episode. Over the course of the show's first two seasons, Shay would be a major player in virtually every narrative that came and went, with Lauren German providing a lion's share of low-key comic relief in the role, even as she delves deep into the hard-hitting drama that comes with the narrative territory. 

One look at German's IMDb page would show the actor was uniquely qualified for the role, having played often in both comedic and dramatic realms before portraying Shay. And if you've been tracking her career since she left "Chicago Fire," you know she brought the same savvy mix of styles to her role on "Lucifer."   

Based loosely on a character created by Neil Gaiman for "The Sandman," and spun off into the hit comic book saga "Lucifer," that small-screen adaptation debuted on Fox in 2016, airing three seasons of supernatural action on the network before getting the axe. Thankfully, Netflix rescued "Lucifer" from the pits of cancellation hell, bringing the series back for three more seasons of crime-solving insanity. And yes, Lauren German was on hand every step of the way.

"Lucifer" was fronted by Tom Ellis, who won legions of devoted fans in the title role over the series' 93-episode run. So too did German, who portrayed Lucifer Morningstar's LAPD ally Detective Chloe Decker in every episode. Given Lucifer's lineage and Decker's LAPD ties, the onscreen pairing was understandably a bit contentious to start. But with the former ruler of Hell looking to change his ways in the City of Angels, things soon begin to thaw, with the pair eventually becoming legit defenders of not just the greater Los Angeles area, but the mortal realm itself.

Things have been surprisingly quiet for Lauren German lately, with the actor not having booked a gig since the 2021 "Lucifer" series finale. As of this writing, it's unclear when, or even if, the talented actor will resume her screen career. But judging from the state of her Instagram page, German may be taking a little more time to develop her talents as an artist these days.