Law & Order’s Tendency To Recycle Actors Doesn’t Sit Right With Fans – Looper

Dick Wolf has built a television empire under the “Law & Order” banner, and he has started to do it again. The One Chicago franchise — consisting of “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Chicago Med,” and “Chicago Justice” — has begun to take over the small screen within the past several years. These titles have done their best to differentiate themselves from those in Wolf’s “Law & Order” universe, but from time to time, similarities become apparent. Most pertinently, the One Chicago series has taken to reusing some of its actors just like the “Law & Order” franchise has for years.

For example, longtime “Chicago Med” staple Brian Tee, who famously brought Dr. Ethan Choi to life on the program, actually pulled double duty. In the “Chicago P.D.” episode “The Three G’s” from Season 2, Tee took on the role of criminal Jesse Kong — an easily forgettable one-off gig. Daniel Kyri has also played two characters in the One Chicago world: Darren Ritter on “Chicago Fire” and Lane Tucker in the “Chicago Med” Season 3 episode “Devil in Disguise.” Guy Lockard joins Tee and Kyri, having portrayed Dr. Dylan Scott on “Chicago Med” and Lewis in the “Chicago Fire” episode “Light Things Up” from Season 8.

Seeing as both “Law & Order” and One Chicago have done it, it stands to reason fans will have to continue dealing with Dick Wolf’s recycling of actors across all of his shows.