Over the course of 12 seasons, "Chicago Fire" fans have fallen in love with the eclectic crew of Firehouse 51, led by series star Taylor Kinney. As it happens, not all that harrowing fire-fighting is make-believe. One of the original cast members is real-life firefighter Anthony "Tony" Ferraris, conveniently also named Tony on the show. Outside of his role on the series, Ferraris is assigned to the very real Chicago Fire Department Squad 2.
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Tony has been a memorable character since "Chicago Fire" debuted in 2012, starting as an extra and growing to become part of the main crew. He's since appeared in nearly 200 episodes, as well as a handful of episodes in spinoff series "Chicago Med" and "Chicago P.D." The lovable character brings more than Chicago charm to the popular series: It was his real-world experience that ended up landing him the role.
"A friend of mine received an email from the Firefighter's Union saying the show was looking for extras. He asked me if I would go with him to the audition. I went in with him, and I guess they liked me," Ferraris explained to Wolf Entertainment in 2020.
"On the first day of filming, the crew realized nobody in the cast was able to drive squad. Steve Chikerotis, the show's technical advisor who I've known for years, asked me if I would drive. I said sure, and that's pretty much how it all went down. I started out as an extra and then [Chicago Fire co-showrunner] Derek Haas approached me around Episode 5 or 6 and asked me to read for him, and then they started writing me in."
Ferraris was born and raised in the Windy City, a real Chicago firefighter through and through. While he never had any intention of acting, he's said balancing his very real day job as a firefighter with his onscreen gig has been totally worth it. In addition to his acting role, Ferraris acts as a script consultant to ensure the series depicts the ins and outs of a fire department with accuracy:
"In the beginning, Derek [Haas, writer and executive producer] would come to the firehouse and ride with me when we were working. There are certain guys at the firehouse who always say something funny or sassy, so I tell them those type of things. They'll ask me things like, 'Hey, if you're forcing this door open, how would you do it?' But our job, fighting fires, is stranger than fiction."
Which is more difficult: Acting or firefighting? Ferraris admitted that while fighting fires is dangerous, acting is incredibly difficult. And he says he feels lucky that some of the show's stars, such as Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney, gave him some solid advice throughout the course of the show.
"Chicago Fire" Season 12 airs Wednesdays on NBC beginning Jan. 17, 2024.
READ MORE: 'Chicago Fire': Meet The Current & Future Cast Members Of The Hit NBC Drama
