Even though Carver and Damon both left Chicago Fire ahead of season 14, and Ritter will be departing the series as well, the new season introduced a new firefighter.
Brandon Larracuente joins the Chicago Fire season 14 cast as Sal Vasquez, a cocky new replacement for Carver that immediately managed to but heads with Kidd on his first day on the job. That's not the way to start a new chapter in your life and career, especially at Firehouse 51. But after his first impression, Vasquez appears to be the perfect, chaotic addition to the crew.
For some, Vasquez's portrayer will be a fresh face, but for others, you have definitely seen Brandon Larracuente in popular shows in the past. Whether you're looking to get to know Vasquez's introduction to Chicago Fire a little better or you're wondering some fun facts about Larracuente, we're sharing details about both the character and the actor that fans should know!
Who is Vasquez on Chicago Fire?
Sal Vasquez arrives at Firehouse 51 as a replacement for Carver, joining Kidd's team and being confident that he's even better than who he's replacing. During his first call, we see firsthand that Vasquez is prone to reckless behavior when he makes risky decisions while driving that Kidd doesn't appreciate. He's unapologetic about his behavior on the call, since everything turned out okay.
Kidd's concerned about Vasquez's attitude and decision-making, which she brings to Pascal and asks to read his files. However, Pascal won't let her take a peek. What he doesn't share is that Pascal took on Vasquez as a recruit from higher ups as a favor. He's a real mystery, especially why he ended up at Firehouse 51 and what's going on with him even beyond his conduct.
Vasquez's first episode also finds him getting hurt, but he doesn't report his injury. Instead, Novak helps fix him up. For some reason, he feels the need to hide certain things about himself. Apparently, Vasquez has been known to break protocol, and his transfer to 51 could be his last shot in the CFD, according to Pascal. He's going to be quite the ball of yarn to unravel in season 14.
Who is the new guy on Chicago Fire: Meet Brandon Larracuente
Larracuente was born on Nov. 16, 1994 in Pleasantville, New York. As of his debut on Chicago Fire, he is 30 years old and will turn 31 years old in November 2025. He's of Puerto Rican decent and began to perform in theater productions at the age of four in New York and continuing to perform at the Orlando Repertory Theatre when his family moved to Florida. Larracuente stands at 6 feet tall.
In December 2020, Larracuente married long-time girlfriend and writer Jazmin Garcia, which he announced with an Instagram post with a long and heartfelt caption alongside photos from their wedding in Orlando, Florida. The couple have been together for many years, as the actor shared a photo of them from when they were much younger in celebration of their first Valentine's Day as a married couple.
What was Brandon Larracuente in before Chicago Fire?
Prior to joining the cast of Chicago Fire season 14, Larracuente has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies you might recognize him from. He's had small roles in movies like Max Steel, Baywatch, and Bright and also starred in the 2020 thriller film What We Found. He got his start on television with guest roles in shows like The Glades, Every Witch Way, and Constantine.
Larracuente had his breakthrough role on the small-screen in the Netflix drama series Bloodline as Ben Rayburn. He next appeared in seven episodes of the hit Netflix teen drama series 13 Reasons Why as Jeff Atkins, the role he's perhaps best known for. He also led the cast of Freeform's Party of Five reboot, guest starred in The Rookie, had a main role in The Good Doctor season 6, and also starred in the canceled Prime Video procedural drama series On Call.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC, streaming next day on Peacock.