EXCLUSIVE: Tracy Spiridakos and Marina Squerciati Talk ‘Chicago P.D.’

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a part of the Chicago P.D family? Come find out! 

There’s nothing quite like being part of an ensemble cast on a successful T.V. show on a big network like NBC. It’s something Tracy Spiridakos, however, had no trouble getting used to because of how amazing the cast is. We got a chance to speak with her about her experience on the show and what it’s like playing a cop in Chicago and through all of the adjustments, she was happy through it all because of her amazing co-stars. After talking with her co-star Marina Squerciati, I got to see exactly what she’s talking about. Marina was a glowing ball of sunshine who was either in the middle of a hilarious joke or getting introspective about her character and how great the cast is. All in all, they were amazingly fun to chat with. Check out our interview with them below.

Tracy Spiridakos

What has been most rewarding for you about exploring this season, in terms of where your character is?

Tracy: Being the new kid, I’m learning a lot about my character, a lot about Upton, as the series goes on.

How is it working with a mostly male dominated cast?

Tracy: They’re lovely! They’re just a lovely group of people. I’ve grown with two older brothers, I’ve grown up with guys, but, I’ve never walked into a set being the new kid and had such a warm welcome all around, from the girls, I came last year and worked with Sophia and Amy made me feel so welcome and continue to make it a really lovely, safe, and playful environment. I feel like I fell backwards into this beautiful thing.

With so many great police characters, how do you stay inspired to bring something new to set everyday and how does the real Chicago P.D. influence your character?

Tracy: The way that they write Upton is everything. She is somebody who would look at a situation and assess it rather than reacting to something, she’ll think their way through it, especially for me, I usually play more reactive characters, so I found this to be an interesting character to play. Brian Luce is an advisor on the show. He’s a Chicago police officer and he’s so helpful in helping us when something’s happening, when you’re interviewing someone, how you’re looking for [signs] to see if they’re telling the truth and he helps you think about when you’re going into a situation.

Any memorable scenes you’ve done so far that stick out for you?

Tracy: Well the scene with Ruzek when I throw him on top of the car. That was fun! It wasn’t scripted, so we did that just in the moment and I think Patrick was surprised how weirdly strong I am. I don’t have any muscle, but I kind of grabbed him and threw him on the hood of the car to kind of like back him up, That was one that stood out for many reasons. I love that Upton saw something that she didn’t like and kind of just stood up for it.

Marina Squerciati

What’s one of your favorite things about working on this set?

Marina: Oh, probably the cast. Dick Wolf once said it’s like lightning in a bottle to have a cast that all get along so well, it’s like fun. Sometimes you’re like, doing a scene and there’s a dead body, everyone be serious. I feel like as you get older, hanging out with friend everyday, you leave that kind of stuff behind, so to have work be like, early 20s, that’s kind of amazing and fun.

How do you prepare for your character?

Marina: Well, we have a technical adviser on set, his name is Brian Luce, he’s a cop. Some people like less guidance from him, I find that the more structure and the more techniques someone gives me, the freer I can be cause then I’ll feel like I’m doing it correctly, then I can loosen up, but if I have too much freedom, I feel a little scared. First to me is the technical stuff.

So you go them to make sure you’re holding the gun right?

Marina: Oh for sure! Sometimes he’ll be like, you look like an idiot. You’re like ok, fix me, I don’t want to look like an idiot. It’s really important.

Do you ever get responses from female viewers who are cops?

Marina: I do. Mostly I get messages from fans saying they want to be cops because of me, which is like the coolest thing ever. I feel like also, the character that Burgess is that she’s a cop with too big a heart, so she’s just too sensitive so I’m like ok, if I can inspire cops to be loving and wonderful, great! Go out and be wonderful. I’m a candy puff. I’m the candy puff cop.