Joe Minoso Exits Chicago Fire After 14 Seasons

Actor Joe Minoso, a foundational cast member of NBC's long-running drama "Chicago Fire," will depart the series during its upcoming fifteenth season, concluding a fourteen-year run as firefighter Joe Cruz. Minoso will step down as a series regular but will return for a limited number of episodes at the start of the new season to provide a proper conclusion for his character. The announcement follows the tense season fourteen finale, which ended with Cruz and several other firefighters trapped in a collapsing, burning storage facility, leaving their fates unresolved.

Minoso first appeared as a guest star in the show's 2012 pilot and was promoted to a series regular at the start of season two. His departure will leave only three original cast members remaining: Taylor Kinney and David Eigenberg, who have been series regulars since the first episode, and Christian Stolte, who began as a recurring character in season one. The exit marks a significant shift for Firehouse 51, as Cruz evolved from a troubled neighborhood resident into a dependable senior firefighter and family man over the course of the series.

The casting change arrives amid broader creative transitions for the show....