Who is David Selby on Chicago Fire?

David Selby is a veteran character actor with decades of TV work under his belt. He appeared very briefly on Chicago Fire, but he managed to leave a massive impression as a character at the center of the season 8 episode “A Chicago Welcome”.

Selby doesn’t play a retired firefighter or stealthy arsonist, like so many guest stars on the show, but rather a normal man who jumpstarts an outpouring of support from the rest of the Chicago community.

Here’s what you need to know about Selby and his character.

What happened to David Selby on Chicago Fire?

Selby plays Tim Larson, a man who moves to Chicago with his wife following their retirement. Tragically, their house catches fire in the middle of the night, and his wife perishes in the blaze. Furthermore, their beloved cat, Dusty, goes missing, and Casey (Jesse Spencer) and Brett (Kara Killmer) decide to help him look for it.

During an interview with the New York Post, Selby pointed out that the episode had a wholesome message, and was all about bringing ordinary people together.

"“The people of Chicago are there for each other and pull together and show their support for this man who has lost everything”, he noted. “They don’t know him — he’s just a human being — but they pull together. That’s what this episode is about.”"

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This overarching message is made clear during the funeral scene. Larson is concerned that there will be nobody at his wife’s funeral because they recently moved and don’t know many people. It seems as though Casey and Brett will be the only two in attendance, but then we come to see that the entire 51 firehouse shows up and offers their condolences.

It’s an emotionally poignant moment for the show, and a tour-de-force performance from Selby, who tears up during the funeral. It’s also one of the most effective moments in all of Chicago Fire, encapsulating the sense of brotherhood and communal bonding that’s always been crucial to the show.

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