LaRoyce Hawkins leaving Chicago PD in season 14
As we prepare to see the arrival of Chicago PD season 14 on NBC this fall, there is a bit of bad news that goes along with it.
According to a report from Deadline, original cast member LaRoyce Hawkins will be departing during the upcoming season, and will appear in the first handful of episodes to wrap up Kevin Atwater’s story. The news is not shocking from a Wolf Entertainment standpoint, as there are so many shows under this umbrella that have lost cast members over the years. Just think about Jesse Spencer on Chicago Fire, Nick Gehlfuss over on Chicago Med, or even the departure of Jesse Lee Soffer on PD. Heck, Christopher Meloni’s exit from Law & Order: SVU so many years ago was considered one of the most earth-shattering exits ever at the time.
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So why have this exit happen now for Hawkins? There are not too many specifics out there for this at the moment and by virtue of that, of course we are left to sit back and simply wonder. With any exit you have to wonder about financial implications or if the performer simply wants to do something different. You can argue that there is a story-based decision here where Atwater leaves Chicago for Miami based on what we saw last season — as long as Kevin doesn’t get killed off, we will be reasonably satisfied. Hawkins has long been underrated, but he’s had an incredible run of more than a decade.
As for the future of the cast…
To the surprise of no one, the same Deadline report notes that Chicago PD is already in the process of casting a new series regular to fill out the cast for season 14. We will have to wait and see if they turn up before or after Atwater’s departure.
Related – See when Chicago PD season 14 will be premiering on NBC
What do you think about LaRoyce Hawkins leaving Chicago PD at the end of season 14?
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