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The 3 best (and 3 worst) Chicago PD characters

By Danilo Castro

CHICAGO P.D. -- "Into The Deep" Episode 1007 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jason Beghe as Hank Voight, Amy Morton as Trudy Platt -- (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
CHICAGO P.D. -- "Into The Deep" Episode 1007 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jason Beghe as Hank Voight, Amy Morton as Trudy Platt -- (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC) /
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Chicago PD has introduced us to a lot of characters over the last decade. Nearly all of them are fascinating, or forced into fascinating situations given the procedural element of the show. We all have our favorites, whether it’s because of a given character’s personality, their ability to thrive under pressure, or their ironclad morals.

There are also Chicago PD characters that rub us the wrong way. That make us roll their eyes when they’re onscreen. For a show to be on as long as PD has, it was bound to have some big misses. So, in the interest of maintaining balance, here are our picks for the best and worst characters in the show’s history.

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 30: Amy Morton attends the press junket for “One Chicago” on October 30, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 30: Amy Morton attends the press junket for “One Chicago” on October 30, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images) /

Best: Trudy Platt

Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) is about as rock solid as PD characters come. She’s always there to give advice to younger officers, and she’s always got a snappy comeback ready to go if anybody tries to give her attitude. Platt is supposed to be a person who’s seen it all, and the writing, coupled with Morton’s scene-stealing performance, really sell this outlook.

She’s also sneaky important when it comes to linking the One Chicago shows. Platt is married to Chicago Fire‘s Mouch (Christian Stolte), and she also makes the occasional cameo on Chicago Med. She fits in everywhere, which makes it hard to imagine a version of the franchise without her.

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS – APRIL 22: Mykelti Williamson speaks onstage during the 23rd Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival at The Virginia Theatre on April 22, 2023 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for Roger Ebert’s Film Festival)
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS – APRIL 22: Mykelti Williamson speaks onstage during the 23rd Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival at The Virginia Theatre on April 22, 2023 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for Roger Ebert’s Film Festival) /

Worst: Denny Woods

Mykelti Williamson is a great supporting actor. His resume, which includes Forrest Gump (1994), Heat (1995) and Con Air (1997), speaks for itself. Our beef is with Denny Woods, the Chicago PD character he played in seasons 4-5. Woods used to be partners with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), but a bad arrest led to him being stripped of his police privileges.

Woods then comes back as an internal auditor who’s allowed to investigate the one man he has a grudge against: Voight. Outside of the shaky construction of this premise, Woods lacks any depth or greater purpose. He’s just there to annoy the main characters, which in turn annoys the fans.

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