Why did Jesse Lee Soffer exit Chicago P.D.? Actor reveals if he will ever return to the show MGG

Jesse Lee Soffer finally revealed the reason behind his decision to exit NBC’s Chicago P.D. last year. During his exit, he shared he would return for season 10. He was last seen in the third episode of the ongoing season. And now, in a new interview with Variety, Soffer, who played the role of Detective Jay Halstead in the popular crime drama ever since its premiere in 2013, shared why he bid farewell to his character. Read on to find out.

Why did Jesse Lee Soffer leave Chicago P.D.?

While talking to Variety magazine about why Soffer decided to leave Chicago P.D., he said, “Eventually, you know the character so well, there’s not much that can shift or transform.”

Explaining further, he said, “I really wanted to grow and expand, and we’ve only got this one trip. 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.’ It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life. Let’s be honest: I love the fans of our show so much, and I love my fans. I know that they’re still grieving this, and to some degree, I am too.”

Will Jesse Lee Soffer return to Chicago P.D.?

When asked if Jesse Lee Soffer has completely closed the door on Chicago P.D., the actor’s answer was ‘definitely not.’ He has adopted a never-say-never approach, and that he feels bad for the fans who wonder what his character might be doing, or how things her between his character and his wife Hailey Upton, (played by Tracy Spiridakos)”.

He urged the fans to imagine that Detective Holstead is in another country making the world a safer place to live in. “And I still love Halstead. Halstead’s always going to be in my blood. That’s never going to change,” he added.