Like any show that lasted that long, Chicago P.D. has lost a lot of characters over the course of its 11 seasons, and Hailey Upton’s departure in the season 11 finale was one of the most notable. In 2017, Tracy Spiridakos joined the cast of Chicago P.D. as Upton around the conclusion of season 4, and by the next season, she was a regular on the show.
As many of you may remember, Spiridakos replaced Sophia Bush in season 4 after she departed the police procedural. Upton joined the Intelligence Unit as its newest member, and Bush’s Erin Lindsay left Chicago P.D.
Even after the actor who portrayed her character’s spouse (Jesse Lee Soffer) left in season 10, Spiridakos continued to appear on Chicago P.D. for another seven seasons. However, Spiridakos was scheduled to leave after the season 11 finale, and NBC revealed in late 2023 that it would be her final season.
Naturally, a lot of people were disappointed since they had been attached to Upton during her seven seasons on the program and couldn’t understand why Spiridakos was departing.
Who Is Tracy Spiridakos?
Tracy Spiridakos, a future television performer, was born Panagiota Spiridakos in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She began acting at an early age and attended the Actors Training Centre of Manitoba to learn the profession. After relocating to Vancouver in 2007, Spiridakos was given her first official television role within a month.
Before landing the lead role in the Canadian adolescent dramedy Majority Rules! In 2009, she played a nurse in an episode of Supernatural and had small roles in Bionic Woman and Aliens in America that same year.
After 26 episodes of playing adolescent-turned-mayor Becky Richards on the youth-focused Majority Rules!, Spiridakos kept herself occupied with cameos in a number of television series, including Hellcats and Psych. However, Spiridakos would not take the lead in her first high-profile series until 2012, when she starred in NBC’s post-apocalyptic drama Revolution.
Spiridakos, who was nominated for a Saturn Award, costarred with Billy Burke and Giancarlo Esposito as Charlotte “Charlie” Matheson in Eric Kripke’s (Supernatural, The Boys) film Revolution. She played covert CIA agent Nikki Carpenter in MacGyver, a revival of the 1980s action-adventure series starring Lucas Till, in her last noteworthy role until entering the Chicago universe in 2017.
Why Did Hailey Leave Chicago PD After Season 11?
It was not until the day before the premiere of Upton’s last Chicago P.D. episode in May 2024 that Tracy Spiridakos disclosed the cause for her leaving. Spiridakos explained the reasons behind her decision to depart the NBC police procedural series in an interview with Variety. The actress clarified:
When my sixth season came to a conclusion, I made the decision to tell everyone at Wolf and [Chicago P.D. showrunner] Gwen [Sigan] that I only wanted to do one more season. I requested that we give the character a last season. The decision was quite difficult. The cast, crew, producers, writers, and everyone else on the program are all people I adore. This is such a fantastic crew. I simply wanted to change things up because I was interested in what was available to me.”
In order to pursue other chances, actors and actresses frequently make the difficult decision to quit a television program in which they have starred for many years. The actress concluded she had one more season remaining before moving on to the next project after the Chicago P.D. season 10 finale, which marked the end of Spiridakos’ sixth complete season. It really was that easy. Naturally, Spiridakos desired a change in her acting career, and leaving Chicago P.D. was the only way to do this.
How Hailey Upton Is Replaced by Chicago P.D.?
Victoria Cartagena’s character, Detective Emily Martel, joins the Chicago P.D. cast at the start of season 12. Since Upton left, the new character has been employed at Intelligence for almost a month. Adam Ruzek appears to have a tight relationship with Martel, whom he knows from his time at the police school.
Even Kevin Atwater and Upton’s replacement got along well. But regrettably, by the end of the episode, Martel’s tenure in Intelligence has abruptly ended. Watch out for Chicago P.D. season 12 premiere spoilers!
Upton’s substitute for the Chicago P.D. season 12 premiere is shot in the head and dies in the last moments of the hour. In addition to having a profound impact on Ruzek, the tragedy compels Voight to find a replacement for Upton. Intelligence still needs a detective, even if Toya Turner will play patrol officer Kiana Cook in the main cast. Rumor has it that Ruzek, Atwater, or Kim Burgess will be promoted.
Accordingly, Turner is replacing Spiridakos in the cast, and one of them will officially be Upton’s Intelligence successor.
What Was the Chicago P.D. Family’s Response?
Following her last performance as Hailey Upton, Tracy Spiridakos was showered with love and gratitude by her fellow Chicagoans. Following her departure from Chicago, current stars LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater) and Marina Squerciati (Kim Burgess) also paid tribute to the actress on Instagram, while her ex-on-screen husband Jesse Lee Soffer praised her on social media for her performance in her most recent episode, calling her “fantastic.”
When the news of Spiridakos’s resignation first surfaced in October 2023, just after the conclusion of the WGA writers strike, showrunner Gwen Sigan hailed her as a “class act” and commended her for remaining for the entire last season. CinemaBlend was told by Sigan:
“Giving us a whole season was a very elegant and regal move. You don’t get that very often. I mean, having that much time to prepare in that way is uncommon on both ends. Therefore, being able to arc it out, talk to her, and do the tales I still wanted to do with her made the season really pleasant. It was really pleasant.
Conclusion
Many may have been surprised by Tracy Spiridakos’ decision to leave Chicago P.D., but it shows that she wanted to grow and pursue new creative chances. She leaves behind a legacy of emotional depth, commitment, and life-changing situations following seven influential seasons as Hailey Upton.
In addition to signaling the end of an era, her departure lays the groundwork for future developments in the dynamic field of Chicago P.D.
Want to know what’s going on with the series and what your favorite Chicago P.D. stars are up to? For the most recent cast news, behind-the-scenes information, and season 12 analysis, visit our website!
