Who plays Deputy District Chief Kilbourne on Chicago Fire?

Deputy District Chief Kilbourne has become a fly in the ointment on Chicago Fire. He chastised Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) for giving the lieutenant job to Pelham (Brett Dalton) without first consulting him.

If that weren’t enough, Kilbourne told Boden that he’d “regret” giving Pelham a permanent spot in Firehouse 51. He didn’t get into the specifics of why he resents Pelham, though we suspect it has something to do with the tussle he had with his earlier lieutenant.

The fact that we don’t yet know is strong evidence to suggest that Kilbourne is going to be a key player heading into the rest of season 10. With that in mind, here’s a rundown of Kilbourne and the actor who plays him.

Who is Chief Don Kilbourne on Chicago Fire?

Kilbourne is played by Jack Conley. The character actor has been a steady presence on screens big and small for the past forty years. He made his screen debut in the famed western epic Heaven’s Gate (1980), which, interestingly enough, remained his only credit for a decade.

Conley bounced back with a full schedule in the early 90s, becoming a recurring player on NYPD Blue and JAG, as well as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Impressive though his TV credentials may be, it’s on film that Conley is perhaps most recognizable. He plays bit parts in a string of classics, including Apollo 13, Get Shorty (both 1995) and the Oscar-winning noir L.A. Confidential (1997).

Some of Conley’s more recent credits are Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), Fast & Furious (2009), and The Purge: Anarchy (2014). He’s frequently cast as a police officer or government official in these films, and given his stern, often intense delivery, it makes sense.

Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

Conley is married to actress Francesca Casale. Both appeared in the acclaimed crime drama Sons of Anarchy, though not in the same episodes.

While Chicago Fire marks Conley’s entry point into the One Chicago universe, he’s no stranger when it comes to firefighter drama. In 2020 he played Captain Lawrence, a guest star on the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19. He exited the series after two episodes.

It hasn’t yet been announced how long Conley’s character, Chief Kilbourne, is set to be a part of the current Chicago Fire season, but given the stakes that are being set up between him, Pelham, and Chief Boden, we anticipate that he’s going to be a central antagonist until at least the end of the season.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 10 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.