Jesse Spencer Nearly Used a ‘Chicago Fire’ Prop to Pry Open an Elevator His Daughter Was Stuck In

For ten seasons, fans loved seeing Jesse Spencer as Matthew Casey on Chicago Fire, and since his departure, it is almost as if Firehouse 51 hasn’t been the same. In a decade of playing a firefighter, there is no doubt that Spencer has picked up on some secrets and skills of what firefighters do in their extremely important jobs. Now, the actor talks about how life imitated art when he nearly used a Chicago Fire prop to open an elevator when his daughter was stuck. 

Why did Spencer leave ‘Chicago Fire’?

Spencer was such an important part of the show, and millions loved his character. So, why did the decide to leave Chicago Fire? Well, according to NBC, it wasn’t the easiest thing for him to do.  After being on television for 18 years, the actor said that “I called [showrunner] Derek [Haas] and broke him the news, said I thought it was time to leave.” He added that “He agreed that we should at least get Casey to 200 episodes.” Spencer explained how “There are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there’s some family that I need to take care of, and 18 years is a long time.” He also made sure to say that “It was a difficult decision… but you know, when the time comes, the time comes.”

Spencer nearly used a “Chicago Fire” prop to pry open an elevator that his daughter was stuck in

After so many years of playing a heroic firefighter, Spencer got to apply his skills to a real-life situation. He recalls the time his daughter got stuck in an elevator in his apartment building, and as any parent would, he sprang into action. According to USA Today, the actor was still in possession of his firefighter Halligan bar forcible entry tool, saying that “You never know when you’re going to need one.” When the young girl couldn’t get out of the elevator, Spencer considered prying the doors open himself, saying that “I nearly ran upstairs and grabbed my Halligan.” He added that “I figured the building HOA wouldn’t appreciate me busting open the doors. So I called the fire department. They came and got my child out.” How wonderful that the situation worked out for the best.

That wasn’t the only time Spencer had to help people out of an elevator

As it turns out, Spencer has experience in getting people out of stuck elevators. People reports that it was at the Illinois State Capitol that Spencer became a real-life hero, when, years ago, he, his parents, and a group of tourists became trapped. The actor was able to keep the group calm as they were in the elevator for 45 minutes, and, according to Spencer, “It was getting so hot. It’s claustrophobic. One poor girl had a fear of being trapped in elevators.”

Although someone in the group used the elevator’s phone to call a security guard, who in turn called an elevator mechanic, Springfield Fire Captain Trey McCormick said that “Being a Sunday, that probably would have been a couple of hours.” As luck would have it, Spencer was wearing a cap with a fire department logo on it, and some people thought he was a real firefighter.

Spencer took matters into his own hands, prying the doors open just enough to get a cell phone signal and call 911. The actor helped everyone who was in distress, saying, “I took turns getting people that were freaking out over near the door. I didn’t want them sticking their heads out in case the elevator took off again.” A rescue crew arrived a short time later and opened the doors from the outside, helping everyone out.

How lucky everyone was that Spencer was on the elevator at the time of the incident and that he knew exactly what to do.