Joe Miñoso Exits Chicago Fire After 14 Seasons

Joe Miñoso just walked away from Chicago Fire after playing firefighter Joe Cruz for more than fourteen years. The milestone three hundredth episode featured Cruz recovering from a spine injury before his heavily pregnant wife Chloe went into labor four weeks early with twin girls named Sofia and Elena. The dramatic hour also included an option where writers considered killing off the character entirely instead of writing an emotional exit. Cruz ultimately chose to leave Firehouse Fifty-One and move his growing family to Minneapolis to be near his mother-in-law. Before saying goodbye, Miñoso pitched the final scene at Otis's memorial himself to properly honor that long-running bond for the fans. While the actor is stepping down from his longtime role, he has already been shadowing directors on set with the goal of stepping behind the camera for an upcoming episode.