Chicago PD's Tracy Spiridakos & Jesse Lee Soffer Reunite On The Picket Lines

"Chicago P.D." may not be able to film right now, but that's not stopping Upstead from sticking together.

With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes raging on, as studio heads are unwilling to meet their demands for fairer pay and protections against AI, many famous faces have been seen on the picket lines. And "Chicago P.D." fans may be delighted to finally see a picture of Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos, who play Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton Halstead, respectively, together with signs in hand. Soffer captioned the images with, "Team, assemble!!" And the comments are filled with an outpouring of support from people who are glad to see the two sticking together at this time, including one person who humorously wrote, "UPSTEAD STRIKES AGAIN!! Pun intended!!"

Soffer uploaded a few pictures on Instagram of picketing on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, California, likely outside of Paramount Studios. The two cast members are staying cool in the sun, sporting sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats while sporting signs announcing their support of the SAG-AFTRA strike. They're not alone as numerous other picketers can be seen to their sides and across the street, and several other members of the "One Chicago" family have been seen at various picket lines. 

With so much on the line, including making acting a viable career path in the era of streaming, it's no wonder numerous famous faces have been seen on the picket line since the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July. Those who regularly tune in to NBC's "One Chicago" franchise have seen many of their favorites hold signs and march in the heat. Jessy Schram, who plays Dr. Hannah Asher on "Chicago Med," posted pictures from the first day of the strike on Instagram. She also uploaded a lengthy message expressing her support, "I've always felt the protection of my union and feel lucky and proud that it continues to fight to protect me and 159,000+ entertainers, to continue making chasing dreams and making a living- safely, financially and respectfully- in this world we call show business."

Schram's co-star Steven Weber was also seen on the picket line. And on July 24, "Chicago P.D." star Marina Squerciati posted a photo of her co-star, Amy Morton, holding a sign amongst many other picketers. Squerciati also directs people to listen to a Deadline podcast that goes into further detail about the importance of the strike and what's really at stake, including the fact that it's increasingly difficult to make a middle-class living with acting any longer.

Every show in the "One Chicago" franchise depicts the importance of found families and sticking together. So it's great to see the actors continuing to stand tall in the midst of adversity. 

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. To learn more about why writers and actors are currently on strike, click here for an up-to-date explainer from our Looper team.