This Popular Chicago Fire Character Was Only Supposed To Be In Three Episodes
It's safe to say that "Chicago Fire" has a revolving door of talent. Sure, there are the core characters that have been on the show since its inception — Taylor Kinney, Eamonn Walker, and David Eigenberg, to name a few — but, for the most part, the hit series sees cast members come and go often.
Over the course of ten seasons, "Chicago Fire," which airs Wednesday nights on NBC, has lost such beloved stars as Jesse Spencer (Captain Matt Casey), Monica Raymund (paramedic Gabby Dawson), and Charlie Barnett (firefighter Peter Mills). It has also gained plenty of new faces, from Daniel Kyri as firefighter Darren Ritter to Chris Mansa as firefighter Mason. Then, don't forget all the guest stars and one-off appearances that make the "Chicago Fire" world believable. Week after week, the Firehouse 51 crew encounters citizens in peril and other first responders who we may only see once or twice.
During a recent roundtable interview with Looper, executive producers Derek Haas and Andrea Newman revealed one high-profile character that was only supposed to be on the show short-term but wound up becoming a main cast member.
Violet was originally only supposed to appear in three episodes
Hanako Greensmith, who plays paramedic Violet Mikami, was originally supposed to be a passing character on "Chicago Fire," having made her first appearance in Season 8 as a fill-in. Haas, who co-created the series, calls Violet's storyline a "great example" of how the "Chicago Fire" world works.
"She was someone who was going to come in while we had paramedics out and do three episodes, and then we kept calling her, and calling her, and then we made her permanent," says Haas.
Now, in Season 10, Violet has one of the more prominent storylines unfolding outside of the firehouse — her relationship with Chief Hawkins (Jimmy Nicholas), which Newman says developed naturally in the writers' room.
"The cast really drives a bunch of our storylines, and that's what happened with Violet and Hawkins," she says. "They were so great together that we really altered things to see more of them. If something develops chemistry-wise that we want to see more of, we write it."
Season 10 of "Chicago Fire" airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on NBC.