“Chicago PD” loses one of its own in season 13, but only temporarily.
Series regular Patrick John Flueger, who has played Officer Adam Ruzek since the beginning, is taking an unexpected leave from the NBC procedural for personal reasons, TheWrap has learned. It’s unclear how long Flueger’s hiatus will last, but he is expected to return later this season.
The series is reworking scripts to acknowledge the character’s absence, which Deadline reports was triggered by the actor going through a difficult time in his personal life, including an instance of drinking on set.
“Chicago PD” is part of the sprawling One Chicago franchise on NBC. Long-running shows have weathered their fair share of exits and casting departures, including “Chicago Fire” star Taylor Kinney taking a step back from the flagship series for 10 months. “Chicago Med” has been putting fans through this over the past few episodes with the return of Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) and Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) in Season 11 with a difficult storyline involving Will’s stepson.
Ruzek has been a key part of the “Chicago PD” intelligence unit since the beginning. His relationship with Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) has delighted fans for years with its many ups and downs. The couple tied the knot during the season 12 finale last spring.
The “One Chicago” shows, consisting of “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD,” air Wednesdays on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock.
