Chicago PD’s Melissa Sagemiller celebrates her birthday
Chicago PD alum Melissa Sagemiller is celebrating her birthday on Friday. Where is she now after playing Detective Julia Willhite?
Today we’re saying happy birthday to Chicago PD actress Melissa Sagemiller, who was an original member of the Intelligence Unit as Detective Julia Willhite.
Willhite was the first partner of Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda), but when Sagemiller was among the multiple actors dropped from the cast after the backdoor pilot, Willhite met a violent end.
She appeared in only two episodes—the Chicago Fire backdoor pilot “Let Her Go” and the Chicago PD opener “Stepping Stone,” in which she was shot and killed.
However, Julia Willhite’s death continued to have an effect on the show for several episodes in the first season, most notably as Antonio was vehemently opposed to anyone using his old partner’s desk. So although the character wasn’t seen for very long, she still had an impact.
In case you don’t quite remember what happened, here’s the scene where we all said goodbye to Detective Julia Willhite more than four years ago:
Melissa Sagemiller is also recognizable to fans of the Dick Wolf shows for her previous recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 12; after first appearing in the 2000 episode “Russian Love Poem” as Becky Sorenson, the actress was cast as Assistant District Attorney Gillian Hardwicke after Paula Patton backed out of playing the show’s ADA. Sagemiller likewise didn’t stay long on SVU, only appearing in ten episodes.
Where is Melissa Sagemiller now? It seems she’s stepped back from television and film. Her only credits since Chicago PD have been an episode of Person of Interest and a film called Santa Con, both in 2014.
While the fact that her character is dead makes it hard for her to return to One Chicago in that role, maybe she’ll drop by for an appearance in the future. She wouldn’t be the first actor or actress to start on the franchise in one part and then turn up playing someone else—and she’s a talented actress who deserved to stick around a little bit longer.
Next: Does Chicago PD miss Erin Lindsay?
Join us in wishing Melissa Sagemiller a happy birthday in the comments! For more news on what all Chicago PD alumni are working on now, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.