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Chicago P.D. boasts many talented stars, including actors who rose to fame on the show and those who were already established by the time they made guest appearances on the procedural drama. Jesse Lee Soffer is the former, an actor who had appeared in a number of soap operas and other television programs before getting cast in his star-making role in the Chicago franchise. Soffer acted in Chicago P.D. for nearly a decade before moving on to other projects. Recently, however, Soffer returned to the set of the show in order to direct an episode. In a recent interview with TV Insider, Soffer admitted that there was a very significant moment that was cut from the final episode.

What role did Jesse Lee Soffer play in ‘Chicago P.D.’?

In 2014, Soffer was cast as Jay Halstead in Chicago P.D. While Soffer is an experienced actor who has been working on television projects since he was a child, the role of Halstead made him a star – and he became a fan-favorite not long after his first appearance. He went on to act in crossover episodes for the Chicago franchise, including Chicago Med and Chicago Fire.

In 2022, it was announced that Soffer would be leaving the franchise to pursue other projects. The actor made it clear that he was grateful for the show and for the opportunities that it afforded him, and that there were no hard feelings involved in his decision to step away from Chicago P.D. 

Jesse Lee Soffer recently directed an episode of ‘Chicago P.D.’

In early 2023, Soffer revealed that he would be returning to the set of Chicago P.D. – but not as an actor. In fact, Soffer recently made his directorial debut with an episode of the series, titled “Deadlocked.” The episode, which focused heavily on Voight, was intense and dramatic. For Soffer, it proved to be a challenging project. In a recent interview with TV Insider, Soffer revealed that one of the most challenging moments to direct ended up being cut.

“It’s funny because you would think that some action scene would be really challenging, but it’s not. It’s the nuances, it’s the subtleties. There’s a scene — it actually ended up getting cut from the episode — where Voight takes the bracelet from the victim to show her husband, to show Eagan,” Soffer shared. “And just the trickiness of tagging a moment that is part of the story you need to tell but making it organic and not leaving Voight’s perspective… It’s the things that you wouldn’t expect.”

What did Jesse Lee Soffer say about the moment that was cut from the episode he directed?

All in all, directing an episode of Chicago P.D. was a dream come true for Soffer. He told TV Insider that it was a “seamless transition” to return to the set as a director. “I didn’t really take a break. The second I got done working, I think I maybe went back to LA for three or four days and then went back to set and started shadowing right away,” Soffer said. “So it’s like I never really left.”

Soffer also said that while he doesn’t have plans to direct any more episodes in the immediate future, he’s definitely open to doing more. “You could see me directing more next season. I have no idea,” he said. Fans will certainly be on board to see more of Soffer in any capacity, whether he’s behind the camera or in front of it.

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