One of the biggest stars of the NBC series "Chicago P.D." has announced that the upcoming season of the hit show will be his last.
Jesse Lee Soffer tweeted Monday confirming the news first reported by Variety.
"This is sad but true," he wrote. "Just want all the fans to know how grateful I am. You guys are why we do it! It has been an honor. Love you all."
Soffer plays Det. Jay Halstead on the show and has been a crucial character since the beginning. Currently, Halstead is married to Det. Hailey Upton and serves as Sgt. Hank Voight's number two, but a cliffhanger at the end of Season 9 has left fans wondering what will be next for the duo, and the unit as a whole.
“I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew,” he told Variety in an exclusive statement Monday. “To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”
Soffer, who has not yet given a reason for his departure, debuted his character first on "Chicago Fire," before taking on a bigger role with the launch of "Chicago P.D." He has since appeared in more than 180 episodes, along with some additional episodes of "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago Med."
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The series, part of the "One Chicago" trilogy, is set to debut its 10th season next month and filming has been underway for weeks.
The upcoming season will feature a newly-introduced character, Dante Torres, played by Benjamin Levy Aguilar.
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Soffer confirmed the casting addition in a recent Instagram post, though Aguilar's character had already made his debut on the show in Season 9.
"Season 10. Welcome Dante Torres," Soffer wrote alongside a photo of Aguilar and Tracy Spiridakos, who plays Upton, Soffer's on-camera partner.
While it's unclear how Halstead, who has become a leader on the beloved Intelligence team, will hang up his badge or be written off the show, fans will undoubtedly miss the detective played by Soffer.
Season 10 of "Chicago P.D." premieres at 9 p.m. CT on Sept. 21.
