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Chicago P.D. vet Jesse Lee Soffer is returning to the Dick Wolf TV universe as a series regular for Season 4 of CBS‘ FBI: International, TVLine has learned.
Soffer thus fills the void created late last season by the exit of original FBI: International cast member Luke Kleintank, who since Season 1 had played Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester.
The “twist” is that although NBC’s #OneChicago and CBS’ #TheFBIs share a universe — P.D.‘s Tracy Spiridakos crossed Hailey Upton over to the FBI mothership in October 2020 — Soffer will not be reprising his role as former Intelligence Unit member Jay Halstead on FBI: International; instead, TVLine hears he will be playing a new, yet-to-be-named character.
Soffer exited Dick Wolf’s Chicago P.D. in October 2022, a few episodes into Season 10, after playing Halstead since the show’s launch in 2014. (He returned later that season to make his directorial debut.)
On-screen, Halstead left for Bolivia, where he has been leading a military unit tracking the most dangerous cartel targets. Coincidentally, Halstead in abruptly leaving the Intelligence Unit “ghosted” the aforementioned Hailey, his new wife.
Soffer confirmed at the time that he left P.D. of his own volition, saying, “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,” he added.
Soffer’s FBI: International predecessor, Kleintank, announced his “difficult decision” to exit the Budapest-based procedural in April, saying, “[It] is driven by my unwavering commitment to my family, whose love and well-being are paramount in my life.”
Kleintank’s character went AWOL in last season’s penultimate episode, after which the finale revealed that Scott had synched up with his spy-crafty fugitive mom, Angela Cassidy, and they are now on the run.
In addition to his Chicago P.D. run, Soffer’s previous TV credits includes crossovers with Med and Fire as well as Law & Order: SVU, Fox’s The Mob Doctor and the CBS sudser As the World Turns, where he played Will Munson.
FBI: International Season 4 will premiere this fall (exact date TBA), airing Tuesdays at 9/8c. The cast also includes Carter Redwood, Vinessa Vidotto, Christina Wolfe and Eva-Jane Willis.
Are you excited/curious to see Soffer resurface in this other corner of Dick Wolf’s TV universe?
Want scoop on FBI: International, or for any other FBI show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
Who cares
While I am excited to see Jesse Lee Soffer on a FBI: International, I don’t want him to be the lead. Cam should be the team lead. Otherwise why was Forrester preparing her to take his place this whole last year?
Just when I was out because Luke left…. They pull me back in with Jesse. Damn you Dick Wolf 😂
They should have kept Colin Donnell. I thought he did a good job in the 2 episodes he was in.
Who is he going to replace. They already gave Scott job to the doctor on Chicago Med.
Incorrect; Colin Donnell merely guest-starred in the last two episodes of last season.
I was looking forward to Colin Donnell’s character staying on and seeing his back story. Hope he still will stop by from time to time.
I have no idea who this new person is as I don’t watch any of the Chicago shows. I wish him the best though.
FBI: International has gone down the drain with both Heida Reed and Luke Kleintank leaving. I am getting close to dropping it. At least FBI and Most Wanted are still good (Most Wanted a big improvement with Shantel VanSanten replacing Alexa Devalos).
Great News!!
He is an excellent actor and can’t wait to see him take on this new challenge..
IT’LL BE GREAT TO SEE SOFFER ON FBI INTERNATIONAL. I THINK HE SHOULD CARRY OVER HIS CHARACTER FROM P.D.
I love that he’s joking internal and I’m hoping he takes over as the agent in charge!
Lee Soffer will be a great asset to FBI International. Looking forward to the new season.
I love all of the FBI shows. I loved Forrester so much and hated to see him leave the show. He was my favorite. I hope Jesse will be as forceful as Forrester was on the show, He did not take any mess off of anyone.
OMG! Now I am excited for the upcoming season because I hadn’t planned on watching it with Forrester gone and Cameron taking over as the lead BUT now I most definitely will be tuning in
So glad to see Jesse Soffer in a series again. I’ve been watching him since ATWT! He’s grown into a superb actor. Good luck to Jesse! Welcome back.
While I’m sad that Scott Forrester will no longer be on the show, I’m really excited to see Jesse Lee Sofer join!
You forgot to credit Jesse with Bobby Brady in The Brady Bunch movie 😂.
But anyway, it was awful how he left CPD, ghosting his wife Hailey, after JUST telling her after they were just married that he’d never leave her. That wasn’t right at all.
I am very excited! I think the issue with his predecessor was the lack of emotion. Jesse
will bring new life to the series and I will start watching it again. I can’t wait.
Dick wolf shows lake continuity surely if Tracy’s character can crossover from Chicago PD to FBI surely Jesse’s character can to it just frustrates how they are making rookie errors
Didn’t he leave PD to explore other opportunities? Which would include playing new characters, not the same character in a different location.
This is a new challenge & opportunity for him, establishing a whole new character.
FBI international is a good show, with Jesse it will become a great show IMHO. He brings star power to a show that needed it to grow the audience. I cannot wait to see what dynamics he brings to this procedural. Great addition CBS.
Excited to read this. I already love FBI: International. Now I’m going to love it even more.
Ok I’m really confused…I thought Colin Donnely was taking Luke’s spot since he started during the two part finale last season….It would be great to have Colin and Jessie to replace Forrester and Powell roles…two strong men being replaced by two strong men….Love it..
He left PD to do something different yet this is so similar? Anyway, I’d rather have Colin Donnell!
Love u jay
I’m happy that he will play in international