Chicago PD star thinks season 12 "needs" new cast members

Chicago PD has suffered growing pains before. The show lost its first major cast member in season 3, and it's a testament to the writing and the chemistry of the actors who have stayed that the show has managed to endure.

The departures of Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) in back to back seasons has been tough, however. They were two of the most important characters on the show, and their dynamic was Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) was a fundamental part of the show's emotional core.

Jason Beghe wants new IU members next season

PD still has most of its classic lineup intact, but season 12 is definitely going to feel different without Halstead and Upton in the mix. This is why Jason Beghe thinks now would be a good time to bring in new talent.

The actor recently talked about the show's future during an interview with Screen Rant. He made it clear that Spiridakos leaving was a huge loss, but was confident that there was still plenty of stories left to tell with the current lineup. Stories that would be embellished by the addition of new IU team members:

"Yeah, I'm hoping, I've been talking to the writers, and I think that would be nice. But, I can't guarantee anything at this point. But yes, we do need some people."

The actor has been talking to PD writers

It was widely implied that Josephine Petrovic (Bojana Novakovic) would be filling in for Upton once the latter left, but PD showrunner Gwen Sigan has made it clear that Petrovic's involvement in season 12 is still up in the air. It sounds like the writers and producers are considering a new direction, which would involve bringing in a brand new cast member.

Beghe has been increasingly vocal about pushing for changes within the show. It was him who wanted to bring back Elias Koteas' character, Olinksy, for a surprise cameo in the season 11 finale, and so hearing him voice a desire to see new people enter the picture is not surprising.

If the writers heed Beghe's advice, it'll be interesting to see how many new people get brought in, and whether it'll diminish the screen time of Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) or the aforementioned Petrovic.