The Transformation Of Jesse Spencer From Childhood To Chicago Fire

Jesse Spencer is one of the most recognizable firefighters on "Chicago Fire," where he plays the character known as Captain Matthew Casey. "Chicago Fire" is part of the "One Chicago" franchise, and as such, Captain Casey has appeared on multiple shows, which are "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Med" (via IMDb). Each show tackles a different aspect of emergency services in the greater Chicago area, and besides the trials and tribulations of their jobs, there is also the interpersonal relationships and interactions at play between members on each team. Sometimes there's drama between multiple teams, with Casey coming to blows with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) from "Chicago P.D.," or when Casey dates fellow firefighter Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer).

Captain Casey is part of Truck 81 on "Chicago Fire," which means that the he is specialized in the operation of hydraulic ladders, and also acts as a freelance construction worker on his off-hours because he enjoys carpentry. Besides being a cornerstone of the hit show, fans may wonder how Jesse Spencer came to appear on "Chicago Fire," and it may come as a surprise to some to discover the actor's path to the dangerous world of fictional firefighting.

Hailing from the 'land down under," Jesse Spencer was born in 1979 in Melbourne, Australia (via Amazon Prime Studios), and got his first big acting break on the long-running soap opera series "Neighbours" (via IMDb). This particular Australian show originally started back in 1985, and it follows several families in the fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria known as Erinsborough. "Neighbours" focuses primarily on the residents of Ramsay Street, and has featured several different families that come and go as the story and plot require.

Spencer played the role of Billy Kennedy from 1994 to 1999, but made a cameo as the character in 2005, and appeared in a truly staggering 461 episodes (via IMDb). The Kennedy family acted as a grounded facet on the show, and Billy was romantically involved with several girls in the neighborhood. According to Hello Magazine, when Spencer announced he was quitting his role on "Neighbours" in 1999, he said, "When I said I was leaving, I hoped they would make Bill's departure interesting – but he just moves away from Erinsborough, there's no drama to it. It's disappointing and typical of the last two years of storylines." 

However, "Neighbours" acted as potent springboard for the young actor, and he went on to star in movies and another popular dramatic television show.

Jesse Spencer's next big role was in the 2003 movie "Uptown Girls" (via IMDb). The movie's primary protagonist is Molly Gunn (Brittany Murphy), who is a spoiled and petulant young adult who finds out that the trust fund left to her from her late hard-rocking father has been emptied by a corrupt accountant, which leaves her destitute and living with friends. Forced to look for employment and actually make something of her life, Molly takes a position as a nanny for Lorraine Schleine (Dakota Fanning), and this causes them both to get outside of their comfort zone.

Spencer plays the role of Neal in "Uptown Girl," who himself is also a hard-rocker who has a tryst with Molly. However, Neal is a true rocker, body and soul, and his free-spirit feels tethered by Molly's affections, which causes him to break off their relationship. Molly pines over her lost lover, and treasures his left behind jacket. Eventually, Molly sees Neal perform a song that he wrote by being inspired by her, much to her anger and frustration.

When asked about his character in "Uptown Girls," Spencer told PopArtsPlace, "Neal Fox is a struggling musician living in New York and originally from London. He's at the point where he can't backtrack anymore. He knows what he wants and he doesn't want anyone to stop him from getting it. That's where Molly comes in – she represents everything he just doesn't want at that point in time, especially when his career's taking off."

Perhaps Jesse Spencer's biggest part before "Chicago Fire" was that of his role on "House," where he plays Dr. Robert Chase. Appearing in 171 episodes, "House" is a medical drama that stars Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Omar Epps, and Olivia Wilde (via IMDb). Each episode is generally its own self-contained story that involves a patient who comes in with a mysterious ailment, requiring Dr. House (Laurie) and his team to uncover the cause — which normally takes the duration of the episode. 

Dr. Chase is known for his absolute dedication to his job, and often supports decisions that Dr. House makes. His father is a well-known rheumatologist, which is a doctor that specializes in the treatment of diseases that affect the bones, tendons, and joints (via the American College of Rheumatology).

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Spencer spoke about the end of the show, and said, "The final episode, I hope the fans enjoy and are satisfied by it. I think it's an appropriate ending, and a satisfying ending. [It's] still bittersweet, but I think they really wrap it up very nicely, and they've done a fantastic job on that show."

It seems that Spencer definitely has a wheel-house when it comes to acting, and that is appearing in drama-heavy shows and movies.