Jesse Lee Soffer, a former star of Chicago P.D., has confirmed that he will return to the show not as an actor but as a director in 2023 for Chicago P.D. season 10. Soffer exited the show earlier this month after a nine-season run as Jay Halstead.
Jesse Lee Soffer first entered Chicago P.D. as an actor, playing Detective Jay Halstead, a former Army Ranger turned police officer in Chicago’s fictional Intelligence Unit. Jay Halstead made his first appearance in NBC’s Chicago franchise in Chicago Med in 2013 as the younger brother of Chicago Med character Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss). Halstead entered Chicago P.D. with the show’s inception in 2014. The show saw Halstead grow as a character throughout nine seasons, eventually marrying fellow detective Haley Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) in season 9.
Jesse Lee Soffer Will Return to ‘Chicago P.D.’ Season 10
Jesse Lee Soffer exited Chicago P.D. season 10 with the episode “A Good Man,” which premiered on NBC on October 5th, 2022. Jay Halstead made his exit from the Chicago P.D. Intelligence Unit after a long-fought struggle with the “gray areas” of his job; intensely fearful of the oncoming moral corruption and disillusioned with the man he was becoming, Halstead made the decision to return to the Army, accepting an eight-month assignment in Bolivia.
However, even though Jesse Lee Soffer left Chicago P.D. as an actor, it doesn’t seem like the show will be getting rid of him anytime soon – Variety has confirmed that Soffer will be returning to direct Chicago P.D. season 10, episode 16, which is currently unnamed but will release in 2023.
Not much is known about the episode Soffer is due to direct, with the latest release being episode 5, “Pink Cloud,” which was released on October 19th. The next episode, “Sympathetic Reflex,” is not set to air until November 2nd, so eager fans of Soffer’s will likely have to wait for episode 16 to release. The Chicago P.D. season 10 episode will also mark Jesse Lee Soffer’s directorial debut after a long acting career that, aside from the Chicago franchise, includes roles as Will Munson in As The World Turns (2005) and Nate Devlin in The Mob Doctor (2002).
More information on Jesse Lee Soffer’s return to Chicago P.D. will likely become available as the current season progresses.
