Tracy Spiridakos posts birthday tribute to ex PD star Jesse Lee Soffer

Jesse Lee Soffer may have switched up his job description, but he's still very much a part of the Chicago PD family. The man who formerly played IU member Jay Halstead has made the shift to directing, helming two episodes over the last two seasons. We're all still quietly waiting for him to make his return in front of the camera, but birthday photos will suffice in the meantime.

Soffer turned 40 on April 23, and Tracy Spiridakos, who plays his character's ex-wife and is his real-life girlfriend, made sure to commemorate the birthday on social media. She posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram with the caption: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Soffer celebrated with the PD cast

Those who follow Spiridakos on IG were lucky enough to see stories throughout the day, in which it appears the entire Chicago PD cast took Soffer out to dinner. There was a video of Soffer holding sparklers next to a birthday cake, as well as group photo of the actor with PD stars Benjamin Levy Aguilar, LaRoyce Hawkins and Patrick John Flueger.

Soffer was even paid a visit by Marina Squerciati and PD newcomer Bojana Novakovic. Soffer is slated to direct an upcoming season 11 episode, and has been regularly posting photos from the set on his own Instagram. The fun he still has with the cast is evident, based on the behind-the-scenes smiles.

Soffer will direct an upcoming PD episode

These posts have fueled rumors that he will return as Jay Halstead, but there's a clear emphasis on direction over performance, as evidenced by the fact that one of the posts is Soffer literally sitting in a director's chair. He hasn't shut down the door completely on returning as Halstead, but as he told Vanity Fair in 2023, he wanted to try something different.

He even mentioned his 40th birthday:

"If I signed up again, it would have been for another three years. I would have turned 40 on the show. I thought, 'You know what? It’s time to take a risk.'"

Soffer as director is the best of both worlds, in that PD fans still get to have him around, while the actor gets a chance to hone his skills in another arena. We can't wait to see what he does with his season 11 episode.