Why did Jimmy Nicholas leave Chicago Fire?

You’ll be missed, Chief Hawkins. The character’s stint may have been brief, but he added a ton to Chicago Fire and Violet (Hanako Greensmith), in particular. It seemed as though he’d be a regular presence on the show, but then he tried to brave a burning building and things ended in tragedy.

So what gives? Was Chief Hawkins always supposed to die prematurely? Was there a different plan for him, or did the actor who plays him, Jimmy Nicholas, decide to leave the show?

Here’s what you need to know.

Why did Evan Hawkins leave Chicago Fire?

All signs point to the fact that Nicholas did not ask to leave the show. He thoroughly enjoyed his time on Chicago Fire, as evidenced by the slew of photos and heartfelt messages he posted on social media after his character’s death. He repeatedly referred to the Fire cast and crew as “family”, so there’s nothing to suggest bad blood or a lack of chemistry.

In fact, the opposite was true. All of the core Fire members have spoken highly of Hawkins, and the fans have echoed the sentiment by praising his character ad nauseam online. Unfortunately, the reason Hawkins got the boot was because the writers wanted to throw fans off-guard and hit them with a tragedy that reminds us how dangerous firefighting can be.

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The writing team have been forthright about their decisions to kill off characters, with the death of Otis (Yuri Sartarov) being perhaps the best example. Otis was adored, albeit in a different way than Hawkins, and the writers felt that by axing such a popular character, they would continue to have the upper hand in terms of unpredictability and drama. It worked, too. Otis’s death is still hard to watch several years later.

So, in essence, Nicholas left the show because it was decided that his character had reached the end of the line. He made a big impression, but it was ultimately decided that the character dying would have a bigger impact on Violet and the rest of the show than if he had stayed alive.

What do you hope to see in the Chicago Fire season 11 premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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