Chicago Fire Star Charlie Barnett Opens Up About Being Written Off Show

screenrant.com:

Charlie Barnett has opened up about being written out of Chicago Fire. Playing firefighter and paramedic Peter Mills, the 34-year-old featured in the NBC series for three seasons. The long-running show is currently airing its season 10, with plenty of anticipation surrounding the Chicago Fire finale and the possible return of Jesse Spencer as Matt Casey.

Departing the series in 2015 after his character left Chicago in order to care for relatives in North Carolina, Barnett’s exit was credited as a purely creative decision by the writers. Only five castmates from the original Chicago Fire season 1 ensemble currently remain in the series, with the likes of Lauren German, Monica Raymund and Yuri Sardarov among those who exited the show in later seasons. Since moving on from Chicago Fire, Barnett has featured in the likes of acclaimed Netflix shows such as Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll and You, as well as The CW series’ Valor and Arrow.

Related: Natasha Lyonne & Charlie Barnett Interview: Russian Doll Season 2

Now in an interview with Digital Spy, Barnett reflected on his time in Chicago Fire and his feelings about being written out of the show. Describing his exit as a “blessing in disguise,” Barnett added that while it “broke” him for a long time, in hindsight he could appreciate the decision and was “thankful” to be a part of the show. Read his comments below:

“You never see the bad moments becoming the good… It wouldn’t be what it was, I think, if you did recognise it for what it is in the moment.”

Covering the lives of emergency service personnel in the Chicago Fire Department, the success of Chicago Fire helped to launch Dick Wolf's larger Chicago franchise (including Chicago PD and Chicago Med) and continues