‘Chicago Fire’ Shocker: Eamonn Walker (Chief Boden) Gets Scaled-Down Role for Season 13
More changes are coming to Chicago Fire. One of the NBC drama’s most enduring characters will take on a smaller role starting in season 13, according to reports.
Eamonn Walker steps back from ‘Chicago Fire’
Starting next season, Eamonn Walker will step back from his series regular role on Chicago Fire, Deadline reported on May 7. The actor has played Deputy District Chief Wallace Boden since the show premiered in 2012.
While Walker’s role will be scaled down going forward, he’s not leaving the show entirely. He’ll appear in future Chicago Fire episodes in a recurring role, sources said. The decision to reduce his time on the Dick Wolf drama was Walker’s own.
Boden will appear in the ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12 finale
Boden has been missing from recent installments of Chicago Fire after he decided to take a leave of absence, leaving Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) to take over as commander while he’s away. However, Boden will be back at Firehouse 51 in the Chicago Fire Season 12 finale, which airs May 22.
In the season-ending episode, “Boden makes a decision that impacts the race for Deputy Commissioner,” according to the synopsis. “A tense call brings up painful memories for Carver (Jake Lockett) and Damon (Michael Bradway). Mouch (Christian Stolte) struggles to adjust to the new truck.”
Other ‘Chicago Fire’ cast changes
Walker’s exit is just the latest cast change for Chicago Fire in recent months.
Kara Killmer left the show in February after her character, Sylvie Brett, married Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) and moved to Portland, Oregon. Alberto Rosende, who played Blake Gallo, also bid goodbye to the Windy City in the season 12 premiere.
Following Killmer’s exit, Jocelyn Hudon joined Chicago Fire mid-season as paramedic Lyla Novak. And after Gallo moved to Detroit, the show introduced Derrick Gibson, an ex-boxer turned firefighter played by Rome Flynn. However, that character only appeared in six episodes before he realized he needed to take a break to deal with personal issues.
While the cast shakeups don’t always sit well with fans, showrunner Andrea Newman has said they’re a necessary part of keeping a long-running show fresh.
“Honestly, longevity is really just part of it,” she told TVLine. “[In] storytelling and in terms of real life, 12 years is a long time, and things need to change, just dynamic-wise. You want new characters, and you want new dynamics.”
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
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