ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Lee Soffer Will Reportedly Return to ‘Chicago P.D.’ — as Director
The actor departed the NBC series earlier this month after eight years
Detective Jay Halstead won’t likely be back on the streets of the Windy City to solve another case case any time soon, but recently departed star Jesse Lee Soffer is reportedly returning to Chicago P.D. to step behind the camera.
Soffer is booked to direct the 16th episode of the 10th season, which is scheduled to air in 2023, according to Variety.
A rep for Chicago P.D. did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for confirmation, but the 38-year-old actor seemingly confirmed the news on Thursday by retweeting Variety’s article with a thumbs up and clapperboard emoji.
Soffer exited the series earlier this month, after his announcing his departure in August.
“I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew,” Soffer said in a statement.
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— Jesse Lee Soffer (@jesseleesoffer) October 20, 2022
“To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show,” he added. “I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
Soffer starred in the police procedural drama, which premiered in 2014, for 189 episodes. As an original cast member of the series, Soffer became one of the show’s leading names — and his character grew into a detective of prominence, appearing in every episode until his last on Oct. 5.
Not long after viewers saw Soffer’s character turn in his badge, the actor tweeted a message of appreciation. “For anyone that’s ever been a Halstead fan, I just want you to know that I’m grateful,” he wrote. “Thank you for going on this journey with me. I’m just grateful.”
Soffer is the fourth original cast member to leave the series. Sophia Bush, who played Erin Lindsay, left at the end of season 4; Elias Koteas departed in season 5 when his character Alvin Olinsky died in the line of duty, and Jon Seda, a.k.a. Antonio Dawson, exited in season 6.
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