Who Did Carl Weathers Play On Dick Wolf's One Chicago Shows?

NBC's One Chicago is full of notable actors from across the industry, but few can match the star power of one particular cast member: the late Carl Weathers. While the "Rocky" star has been recognized for standout roles on properties like "The Mandalorian," he also had a sizable role in Dick Wolf's Chicago-based procedural franchise. Weathers' One Chicago character pops up across three different series, with him starring in one for its entire duration.

Throughout One Chicago, Weathers portrays Mark Jefferies, the lead attorney for Cook County State and a man devoted to carrying out swift justice through the court system. His first appearance comes in "Chicago P.D." Season 3, Episode 21 — "Justice," which fittingly serves as a backdoor pilot to the then-upcoming sister series "Chicago Justice." Jefferies is one of the main characters throughout the abbreviated run of "Chicago Justice," while also becoming a recurring force on "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Fire."

One Chicago courting Carl Weathers was quite an accomplishment for the franchise, though the actor said he was enthusiastic about signing on. In an interview with HeyUGuys, Weathers noted that the initial script for "Chicago Justice" and the foundation of Mark Jefferies as a character drew him in, but he was also aware of the franchise's pre-existing popularity. "At the end of the day, it's Dick Wolf, and that's a pretty strong brand. Generally, his shows are on the air for a while. If you're going to commit to someone's project, you want that someone to be a winner."

Unfortunately, despite Weather's hopes for his show's longevity, "Chicago Justice" was canceled after one season. The series finale marks the actor's final onscreen appearance as Jefferies, though that wasn't the end of his involvement with the franchise. He returned in a different capacity, directing two episodes of "Chicago Med" — Season 6, Episode 12 and Season 8, Episode 12.

In an interview with One Chicago Center, Weathers expressed appreciation for his role on "Chicago Justice" and noted that the experience helped him when he hopped into the director's chair for "Chicago Med." "When I watched those episodes, I was really looking at styles and looking at what the directors who directed those episodes did, how it translated," he said. "I was able to pick up a lot."