Last week BOSSIP took part in NBC Chicago Day — a very special day long media event where we were able to meet with many of the stars of Dick Wolf’s windy city themed drama series’. The event also served as a great opportunity to celebrate new seasons of “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD” as well as to welcome the newest addition “Chicago Med”,” which launches Tuesday November 17 at 9pm.
After enjoying a brief breakfast, we had the chance to sit down with a number of cast members. One of our favorite interviews was with LaRoyce Hawkins (Officer Kevin Atwater) and Jon Seda (Officer Antonio Dawson). The pair shared their insight on how the show has helped reinforce positive images of police officers amid a current climate that doesn’t see law enforcement in the best light.
“For me it’s a responsibility,” Hawkins shared during a roundtable discussion. “Especially playing a police officer who has integrity. We’re grateful to be playing cops who have great character because those have to be depicted more. I come from a place where you didn’t respect cops, especially in Harvey (Ill.)because you looked up to the dope dealer more. You kinda knew what he was about because the cops came at weird angles at times. I didn’t grow up empathizing with police until I got this job and came into contact with some great people. So now I think at least I have personally taken some responsibility to bridge that gap between some of the misunderstandings between the hood and the law because that’s all it really is. It’s misunderstandings, it’s miscommunications, it’s miseducation and thankfully we play characters who can bridge that gap.”
Seda cosigned his castmate’s comments, adding “I look at the police force like I would look at a family. We can all say there is at least one bad apple in every family. But does that bad apple represent your whole family? I’ve got some cousins that I don’t want you to look at and say they represent the family. I don’t even trust them. That said, the police force as an entirety shouldn’t be represented by – a few unfortunately terrible individual cases.”
While on set, we had a chance to watch the actors run through an improvised scene where they knock down a door to interrupt a party where a wanted criminal is hiding out. The actors credited police consultant Brian Luce for their realistic depictions of Chicago police officers.
“It’s tough but for us trying to make it as authentic and real as we can makes it unique because we are willing to push the envelope farther than you may have seen on other shows,” Seda explained. “We still have room to grow. Like LaRoyce was saying we have technical advisors like Brian Luce who are constantly saying, “well there is this, here’s what happened this time…” and the writers say how far can we go? Can we actually show this? How much is the audience ready to see? So I think it’s an amazing job the producers do to find that fine line between it’s Hollywood and still depicting real people that are in our everyday lives. We’re very proud to be part of this. We went from Fire to TV and now Med.”
Exciting stuff right??? Hawkins also admitted that he’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie who is living out his childhood dreams taking on such an active role:
“I love it,” Hawkins told BOSSIP. “I used to want to be a Ninja Turtle when I grew up. So I was always just beating people up in my imagination. Everything I get to do now I used to do in my imagination. Me and my cousins, I was Michaelangelo and everything I do now – kicking people, throwing them into aquariums. I’m glad they let me actually do it.”
Pretty funny stuff. Hit the flip for more.
