This ‘Chicago Fire’ Star Would Love for Charlie Barnett to Return
Chicago Fire actor Charlie Barnett recently opened up about his departure from the show at the end of season 3. Barnett’s character Peter Mills getting written off the show might have been a hard pill for the actor to swallow at the time, but since then he has gone on to have some pretty big successes. Although Barnett has now moved on, one current Chicago Fire star would love the chance to work with Barnett on the NBC show.
Peter Mills was written out of ‘Chicago Fire’ after season 3
Peter Mills was written out of Chicago Fire at the end of season 3. He makes the surprising decision to leave Firehouse 51 to help his family run a restaurant in North Carolina. While speaking with Digital Spy, Charlie Barnett said of being written out of Chicago Fire, “I really was sad to be let go. It broke me for quite a long time.”
Still, Barnett got over the loss and went on to do quite a bit more acting. He has had roles in season 2 of Netflix’s You, Russian Doll, and Arrow. “It was a blessing in disguise, and they all told me that,” Barnett told Digital Spy of his dismissal from Chicago Fire. “You never really see that in life, in general. You never see the bad moments becoming the good. It wouldn’t be. It wouldn’t be what it was, I think if you did recognize it for what it is in the moment.”
Daniel Kyri would love to work alongside Charlie Barnett
Years later, Chicago Fire is in its tenth season, and Charlie Barnett has never returned to the show. The cast has however changed multiple times over the years. Season 7 introduced actor Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter and he is now an integral part of Firehouse 51.
While speaking with Looper last month, Kyri revealed that he would love the opportunity to work with Charlie Barnett on Chicago Fire. The two actors’ time on the show never intersected. “I would really enjoy having someone like Charlie back … or have him pop in and do a thing and say ‘hi,'” said Kyri.
“I’ve met him a few times in real life, but I’ve never gotten the chance to work with him, and I am really a fan of his work,” he continued. “I’ve been following his career, Chicago Fire and beyond, and I think that he’s an incredible artist. All the times that I’ve met him, he’s a really warm, sweet guy. Having the opportunity to work with him would be pretty badass.”
Will Charlie Barnett ever return to ‘Chicago Fire’?
So would Charlie Barnett be willing to return to Chicago Fire? In a 2019 interview with TV Guide, the actor stated, “I have had discussions about it. I would love to but I haven’t had the opportunity.” He added, “There’s a lot of things going on in the show so I don’t know where they’d fit me in.”
In the One Chicago franchise, there’s usually potential for characters to return as long as they haven’t been killed off. Barnett certainly keeps in touch with his Chicago Fire family. “Yuri [Sardarov] and David Eigenberg and I just had lunch maybe two weeks ago. I talk to Joe every time in Chicago – Joe Minoso is my f**king brother. I will see him forever,” Barnett told Digital Spy. Perhaps someday Kyri will get his wish and Barnett will pop in for an episode.
Chicago Fire Season 10 airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
