Chicago PD star calls Jesse Lee Soffer a ‘mentor’
Benjamin Levy Aguilar has big shoes to fill. The actor made his Chicago PD debut last season, and despite some suspicion as to the character’s motives, he proved himself to be a worthy addition to the IU.
Not only has the character of Dante Torres been taken under the wing of Jay Halstead, but Aguilar has been mentored by Jesse Lee Soffer during production. The actor talked about his relationship with the PD veteran, both onscreen and off, during a recent interview with Today.
Chicago PD cast members 2022
"“It’s been like art imitating life in a way, because Jesse and I became really good friends and he’s been like a mentor for me”, Aguilar explained. “The same way he took in the character, he took me in as well. He’s a brilliant human being and I’m gonna miss him.”"
The significance placed upon the Torres and Halstead dynamic leads us to believe that the duo will be getting a lot of screen time together during the first leg of season 10. The photos that NBC has released shows both of them working alongside Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) on a surveillance op, and gearing up to break down a door with weapons.
Chicago PD seems to be priming Torres to take over the role that Halstead has filled for the last ten years, which is that of the level-headed right hand man to Voight (Jason Beghe). Granted, it’s going to be a while before Torres develops a strong bond with the boss, but it’s easy to see how the writers are positioning him.
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Aguilar isn’t the first actor to be taken under Soffer’s wing. During the same interview, Nick Gehlfuss, the Med star who plays Soffer’s brother, said that he experienced a similarly warm reception.
"“It was not surprising to hear you say that, that he welcomed you in, because that’s exactly what he did for me”, Gehlfuss relayed to Aguilar. “I’ll never forget that. It a little intimidating for me when this all started. He took me under his wing.”"
It’ll be sad to see Soffer go, but at least we know that he’s helping guide the next generation of PD stars.
Next. Will Halstead get killed off?. dark
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