Jason Beghe (Hank Voight on Chicago P.D.)

Summary

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One Chicago Podcast

Episode: Jason Beghe (Hank Voight on Chicago P.D.)
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Brian Lucci (Luch), former Chicago cop turned producer
Guest: Jason Beghe (Sergeant Hank Voight), actor and executive producer
Podcast Theme:
The One Chicago Podcast delivers an authentic, behind-the-scenes look into the making of Dick Wolf’s Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D., featuring candid and revealing conversations with the actors, writers, crew, and real first responders who bring the shows to life.

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Episode Overview

This debut episode centers on Chicago P.D.’s heart and soul, Jason Beghe, and his journey as Sergeant Hank Voight—one of television’s most complex cop characters. Host Brian Lucci, a cop-turned-producer and technical advisor, shares personal anecdotes and in-depth stories with Beghe, revealing the evolution of their partnership and the show’s commitment to emotional truth, authenticity, and ensemble excellence. The episode also features a segment with production designer Greg Van Horn (“Merlin”), highlighting the meticulous artistry behind Chicago P.D.’s iconic sets.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Origins of Chicago P.D. and Jason Beghe's Role

• Early Days:
  Jason and John Seda joined Chicago Fire for just three episodes, stayed for 15, and were then approached about a new cop show by producer John Roman—without even a script yet.
  • "[John Siddha and I] had come in ... to do three episodes and we'd done like 15 or something. Cause they liked us." (05:53)
• Shooting the Pilot:
  The original pilot was a grueling 23-day shoot with ambitious scenes, including helicopters—a far cry from the usual TV schedule.
  • "We spent money. ... I remember ... it was 23 days in a row. Saturday, Sunday, everything." (06:43)
• Pre-Show Jitters vs. Confidence:
  Jason recalls John Seda being nervous, superstitiously knocking wood for luck; Jason was confident:
  • "'No, we're gonna get picked up.' I always felt like it was gonna be fine, right? I didn't think...13 years, but I thought we were gonna do something." (07:19)

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2. Luch and Beghe: Creative Partnership and Building Voight

• Luch's Unique Background:
  Brian's journey from legendary Chicago cop to technical advisor surprised industry veterans.
  • "You had more to do with helping me create the soul of this guy." – Jason Beghe (10:48)
• Key Scene from the Pilot – "More Gravy":
  A tense sequence where Luch pushed Jason for more realism and emotion, leading to a now-classic Voight moment:
  • "I pulled the gun. I see the dude, I'm coming, and I just come and I boom. And I keep walking." – Jason Beghe (12:02)
  • "That no matter what, you weren't going to be mad at me if I tell you the truth." – Brian Lucci (12:12)
• On Mutual Truth and Vulnerability:
  • "There's nothing more compelling than the truth." – Jason Beghe (12:45)
  • "Vulnerability is beautiful." – Brian Lucci (13:35)
• Family Atmosphere and High Expectations:
  A culture where everyone pushes for honest performances, holds each other accountable, and supports guest actors:
  • "We're here to make a movie. And you held us to such a high standard, knowing every word and all of that, but knowing what the scene is about and where we're going..." – Brian Lucci (13:54)
  • "Show up interested, not interesting." – Jason Beghe (14:30)

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3. The Character of Hank Voight: Shades of Gray

• Complex Morality:
  Voight isn't a "bad guy"—he's driven by loyalty, paternal guilt, and the complexity of making tough choices in gray situations.
  • "Voight's doing the right thing for Voight. He's got his own integrity...it's not black and white. It's always gray." – Jason Beghe (16:20)
  • "I just want to be." – Jason Beghe (17:13)
• Loyalty and Protectiveness:
  Parallels between real cop culture and Voight’s on-screen squad loyalty.
  • "You tell me the truth so I can lie for you." – Brian Lucci (18:47)
  • "I will fight for anybody on my group, unless they're harming..." – Jason Beghe (19:29)
  • "It is a family." – Jason Beghe (19:28)
• Translating Real Experiences:
  Brian and Jason draw from real-time police stories, emotional parallels, and the authenticity of on-the-job camaraderie.

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4. Emotional Stakes and Personal Impact

• Taking the Character Home:
  Jason reflects on whether playing Voight seeps into his real life, especially during the demanding early seasons.
  • "For the first couple of years...I'm bringing him home a lot more because I'm just like...Plus, I'm working." – Jason Beghe (26:34)
• Coping with Pain and Growth:
  Jason shares about working through back injuries, listening to pain, and the importance of embracing discomfort—both in life and performance.
  • "I just sat there and I listened to the pain, and I'm glad that it talked to me." – Brian Lucci (28:21)
  • "There's no bad feelings. Some of them are real uncomfortable. But they're mine." – Jason Beghe (28:30)
• Relentless Pursuit of Truth in Scenes:
  Persistent questioning and collaboration (“Is there more?”), even if it challenges directors or slows down production.
  • "Sometimes it drives, like, the AD or whoever crazy because...I don't think we're hitting it right." – Brian Lucci (29:12)

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5. Authenticity: Training, Tactics, and Technical Accuracy

• "Heartbeat" of the Show:
  Brian’s cop instincts ensure that actors handle weapons, tactics, and terminology correctly, contributing to the show’s believability.
  • "You are the heartbeat of our show...because you keep it true. And not just the technical stuff. It's the heart and emotion." – Jason Beghe (31:26)
• Ensemble Training:
  Cast members consult Brian regularly—by habit now—for tactical realism. Even directors are sometimes pushed back for the sake of accuracy.
  • "Our writers work very, very hard to get it as right as they can on the police end." – Brian Lucci (29:35)
  • "Sarge wouldn't run to the back. Serge got the front. So then I go talk to the director..." – Brian Lucci (30:07)
• Teaching Real Fear and Emotion in Scenes:
  Brian’s creative training exercises (e.g., hiding and “killing” actors unexpectedly during rehearsals) help actors experience adrenaline and fear authentically.
  • "He comes down in the basement, and he's moving along...I jump out and I kill him...That's what it feels like. You're scared. You're out of breath. You're trying to control it..." – Brian Lucci (33:22)

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6. Evolution of Leadership—Jason as Executive Producer

• Responsibility and Collaborative Leadership:
  Jason’s promotion to executive producer formalized what he already felt: responsibility for the show’s vision.
  • "I always felt responsible. NBC wanted me to do a different show, and Dick...threw a fit, and here I am...But I also think of it as, let me show them they made the right decision." – Jason Beghe (34:18)
• Best Ideas Win:
  He fosters a culture where input is encouraged—from anyone, regardless of position.
  • "Just because I'm saying it, doesn't mean it's right. This is just an idea." – Jason Beghe (35:25)
  • "I want to hear what. What do you think?" – Jason Beghe (35:37)

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7. Most Impactful Storylines and Emotional Scenes

• Cases That Stick:
  Certain storylines—kidnapped children, overdoses, suicides—hit the cast and crew deeply.
  • "They kill me. Remember the truck opening up with the girls or the overdose or the suicide cop." – Brian Lucci (36:22)
• Production Design Magic:
  Production Designer Greg Van Horn (“Merlin”)’s attention to detail enhances emotional impact—especially in scenes like the Michaela storyline.
  • "I walked into this set, and the details...It was phenomenal." – Jason Beghe (36:41)

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8. Chicago as a Character & Cast’s Personal Journeys

• Beghe's Family Ties to Chicago:
  Sharing personal stories, Jason reveals his family’s deep Chicago roots, lending a sense of homecoming to his work.
  • "My parents grew up here. They both went to U High…my father was the district attorney of Chicago, became governor then senator of Illinois..." – Jason Beghe (37:54)
  • "I put my dad with my siblings in the ground next to my mother ... then grabbed my bag because I had to jump onto a flight to go shoot my first day on Chicago Fire." – Jason Beghe (39:25)

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9. The Art of Set Design (Production Designer Greg "Merlin" Van Horn)

• Making the 21st District Real:
  Greg Van Horn discusses how the set was designed for fluid movement, authentic detail, and lived-in realism:
  • "It was visioned as…like a ballet, as a dance. People were gonna move from one place to another..." – Greg Van Horn (40:59)
• Real Props and Easter Eggs:
  Details include real police maps, FBI Most Wanted lists, old payphones—and items with personal history, like Olensky’s hat.
  • "Anything that looks real in here, that's copy related is real. We've got watch calendars, we've got FBI most wanted..." – Greg Van Horn (42:22)
• Thinking Outside the Box:
  When fake props don’t do the trick, Merlin improvises with real-world solutions—like shopping at H Mart for mushrooms to create realistic body scenes.
  • "So I went, have you ever been to H Mart? It's a Korean grocery store. I went to 3 H marts all around Chicago and bought every single mushroom…" – Greg Van Horn (43:02)
  • "Sometimes when you're on the phone and you're in a public place, and I'm like, so can that body fit in a 55 gallon drum…people are just looking at you like, oh, shit, that guy." – Greg Van Horn (44:15)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Building Voight’s Soul:

  • "You had more to do with helping me create the soul of this guy." – Jason Beghe (10:48)

• On Emotional Truth:

  • "There's nothing more compelling than the truth." – Jason Beghe (12:45)
  • "Show up interested, not interesting." – Jason Beghe (14:30)

• On Morality and Characters:

  • "It's not black and white. It's always gray. There's shades of gray." – Jason Beghe (16:20)

• On Leadership and Culture:

  • "I will fight for anybody on my group, unless they're harming. And then it still breaks my heart." – Jason Beghe (19:29)
  • "It is a family." – Jason Beghe (19:28)
  • "I want to hear what. What do you think?" – Jason Beghe (35:37)

• On Bringing Work Home:

  • "For the first couple of years...I'm bringing him home a lot more because I'm just like...Plus, I'm working." – Jason Beghe (26:34)
  • "There's no bad feelings. Some of them are real uncomfortable. But they're mine." – Jason Beghe (28:30)

• On Authenticity vs. Visuals:

  • "It'll look great. I don't care how good it'll look. We don't do it." – Brian Lucci (30:35)

• On Set Design Detail:

  • "This map of Chicago we felt was like, has been there since the place opened. Even to the point where we aged it down, dusted it, because it's a focal point." – Greg Van Horn (42:22)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:15–07:19]: The origins of Chicago Fire & P.D., first dinner with producer John Roman, early confidence about renewal.
• [09:36–12:11]: First scene collaborations, “more gravy,” and the making of a Voight-defining sequence.
• [12:45–14:30]: The ethos of truth and vulnerability in acting and ensemble culture.
• [15:53–17:13]: Playing “good guy vs bad guy”; embracing moral ambiguity and “shades of gray.”
• [19:18–21:20]: Loyalty, leadership, and the intersection of real policing with fictional drama.
• [26:34–28:30]: How playing Voight affected Jason personally, and the lessons of both physical and emotional pain.
• [29:35–31:55]: How technical authenticity is safeguarded on set; ensemble self-policing for realism.
• [34:11–36:01]: Jason’s new role as executive producer—responsibility, shared vision, and encouragement of diverse ideas.
• [36:22–37:46]: The investigation stories that hit hardest; shoutout to Greg Van Horn for immersive set design.
• [37:54–39:25]: Jason's personal roots in Chicago—family history, loss, and full circle moments.
• [40:59–44:33]: Tour of the 21st District set with “Merlin”—details, props, and production magic.

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Conclusion

This debut episode of the One Chicago Podcast sets the gold standard for franchise-insider access, blending genuine camaraderie, professional respect, and deeply personal storytelling. Jason Beghe and Brian Lucci show that Chicago P.D. is more than a procedural—it’s a family built on authenticity, emotional truth, and a passion for getting “the sausage” made right. Their anecdotes—from set “blood zookas” to tear-streaked curbs and mushroom-propped root cellars—make the city, the squad, and Voight himself feel as real as ever for fans and newcomers alike.

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Transcript

[Brian Lucci]

This episode is brought to you by Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels and music are made for each other. They share a rhythm in the craft of making something timeless while being a part of legendary nights. From backyard jams to sold out arenas.

[Jason Beghe]

There'S a song in every toast.

[Brian Lucci]

Please drink responsibly. Responsibility.org, jack Daniels and old number seven are registered trademarks. Tennessee whiskey, 40% alcohol by volume. Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee. Hey, I'm Brian Lucci, and this is the official One Chicago podcast. Chicago Fire Med and PD are about to drop their brand new seasons. And for the first time, the people who make these shows, the actors, the writers, the crew, everybody involved, well, they're gonna take you behind the scenes in a way that you've never heard before. I'll be hanging out with real life first responders, stunt team, showrunners, and yeah, the folks you see every week on your screen. We'll pull back the curtains, get a little peek, swap some stories, and maybe even spill the beans with a few secrets. Every week, we're gonna focus on one of these three shows. And this isn't one of those rewatch podcasts. Stop it. This is a golden ticket. A backstage pass to the greatest three shows on earth. So watch One Chicago on Wednesday nights, and then come back on Thursdays, and we'll show you how it all comes together.

[Jason Beghe]

Cut.

[Brian Lucci]

Okay, it's time to address that elephant in the room. Who am I and why am I hosting this show? My name is Brian Lucci, but everyone just calls me Luch. I was a Chicago cop for over 20 years, and for the last decade, I've been a producer on the show Chicago pd. I love doing the Rain episode. Did they sprit you already? There's not enough on his face. Which means I'm the guy who makes sure that the actors look sound and. And move like the real police. And that our cop stories actually reflect what happens on the city streets of Chicago. In other words, I got the best damn job in all of America.

[Jason Beghe]

Rolling.

[Brian Lucci]

Rolling.

[Jason Beghe]

Rolling.

[Brian Lucci]

Rolling. Rolling. Nobody be afraid. This is what we call the blood Zooka. Show them the blood Zooka.

[Jason Beghe]

There it is.

[Brian Lucci]

Why was I picked to be the host? Because for the last 10 years, man, I've been whistling my way to work, and I've had a smile on ear to ear when I went home. These shows aren't just entertainment to me. They're a community. They're a family. One of those people is my dear friend and the star of Chicago pd, one and only Jason Begay. You probably know him as Sergeant Hank Foy, the leader of intelligence.

[Jason Beghe]

You know who I am?

[Brian Lucci]

I know.

[Jason Beghe]

Then you know I don't play games.

[Brian Lucci]

For the last 13 years, I've been working side by side with Jason Begay. He's a friend, he's a buddy, and we've talked about everything there is to talk about. But for some reason in this interview, he really opened up, you know, the old wow factor. And I think you're gonna hear some things that will surprise you just like they surprised me.

[Jason Beghe]

I have to get better. I have to evolve. I have to confront myself. I have to be me, you know, which is something that you discover and create. And I think it's the same with a character.

[Brian Lucci]

Later on, you're gonna hear from my good friend, the production Designer of Chicago PD. He's the cat who built the perfect replica to 21st District Police Station. We're talking the front desk, the bullpen, and the. This is where all the magic happens with Voight and the team. This man is so good at his job, I gave him the nickname Merlin. So please stick around for that. But in the meantime, don't go anywhere because when we come back, we got the one and only Jason Beghe. Stay tuned.

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[Brian Lucci]

Welcome to One Chicago podcast. My name is Brian Lucci and I'm here with my great friend Jason.

[Jason Beghe]

I play Hank Voight. There we go on Chicago PD and we're here to connect Wednesdays at 10, 9 Central.

[Brian Lucci]

And we're here basically to tell you how we make the sausage behind the scenes of all three shows. But we specifically are going to talk about PD today. How long we've been around the incredible people that we met. 220 something episodes in.

[Jason Beghe]

Is it how many?

[Brian Lucci]

I guess over 220. Maybe over 230.

[Jason Beghe]

Wow.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, I'm kind of fortunate that I've been here. When Jason started on the Chicago Fireside.

[Jason Beghe]

You notice, I just thought about. You want to hear something funny? I was staying at the hotel. I think there was a Waldorf Astoria. And I'm staying there with John Ceda and this old producer on John Roman. Roman, yeah. Great guy. He was the producer on Fire. And John SATA and I had come in, like to do three episodes and we'd done like 15 or something. Cause they liked us. And so we went out to dinner with John Roman and John said, I'm here on behalf of Dick and we want to make a show about Chicago pd. We. We don't have an idea. We just want to let you know and blah, blah. So we're all excited. And then at the end of the year, we started to shoot the pilot, which was the hardest. I think it was 23 days.

[Brian Lucci]

Episodic pilot, right?

[Jason Beghe]

In a row.

[Brian Lucci]

In a row.

[Jason Beghe]

And it was like all day every day. 23 days in a row. Saturday, Sunday, everything. Some cool stuff. Joe Chappelle shot it with the helicopters and we spent money. The thing that I remember, because I'm not a big drinker, but John will have a glass of wine from time to time. So we used to say, come on, let's go to the. Let's go to the bar. So we went to the. To the bar. I had a glass of wine. You know, I'm just nursing mine. He can put away a couple and be fine. And he was like, I don't know. Do you think the show's gonna get picked? He was so nervous. He had on his phone a little thing that was wood that he would knock.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, God, yeah, yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

And it would make a knock on wood. And I said, no, I Remember saying, no, we're gonna get picked up. I always felt like it was gonna be fine, right? I didn't think. 13 years, but I thought we were gonna do something. You know, what's the most important thing here, and this is about you, is here's this guy who's a cop who doesn't know how to shut up, but he's got this personality that's bigger than all the actors, and he's funny and smart and seen it all and unedited. And he had no idea what he was doing. Didn't know anything about movies. Didn't know anything. He's just an undercover cop and one of the best. Legendary. Every cop in Chicago knew who he was because he's this big of a guy. And I've been in this business 40 years. Wow. 40 years. I mean, that's a. That's a long time. And I don't use this term lightly. But you like Dick. Dick is a genius. Like, how the hell does Dick have this kind of success? That's genius. There's something, you know, if somebody knew the. The way to make the sausage so you get picked up and make a show. You know, nobody has that formula, but he's as close as anybody has ever come. That's genius. It's indefinable. Brian, you have that from the day he started. It was like, how the hell do you know this stuff? And, like, that goes to our. I remember on that pilot episode, we were doing this scene, and Dick Wolf was in town and all these people. It's this big kind of climactic scene where Voight is, like, on fire, and I want to find this bad guy, and I have all this history with Casey, and he's got a gun to Casey's head on a train platform, and I'm supposed to shoot the guy. And so we work on it. Work on it. We work the scene. And Brian and I had just kind of known each other for three days.

[Brian Lucci]

Maybe two days, three, four days. And with my daughter, we were walking around the park. We were sharing stories.

[Jason Beghe]

We didn't know each other.

[Brian Lucci]

Learning stuff. We didn't lock in yet.

[Jason Beghe]

And so we rehearsed the scene, and I have to change my costume because we're rehearsing from a thing, and I gotta go back to base camp, which is, you know, I gotta get in a van. It's 15 minutes plus with lighting. It's gotta be a half hour before we shoot again. And so we're rehearsing this scene, and they come to it, and Dick Is there. So everybody's a little bit.

[Brian Lucci]

Everybody's there.

[Jason Beghe]

They wanna make it good. And we come up with something. Everybody's happy with that. Okay, we're gonna. Going to light this thing. And. And I'm like, you guys are sure you like this? Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's good. It's good. And I'm like, no, no, it's going to be good. I say, brian, do you like this thing? He said, no. I said, me neither. So I said, you come with me. And this is how we got. I mean, in a sense.

[Brian Lucci]

Well, you did it. And everybody was like, oh, this is going to be great. At the rehearsal and what's called. He looked over at me, and I.

[Jason Beghe]

Told him there was more. There's more gravy on the plate.

[Brian Lucci]

More gravy. And I told him. I looked at him, I said, like, I'm not going to lie. I didn't know how to articulate at the time, this is what we're missing. You know, you're the police. You don't have to aim. You've been looking for this.

[Jason Beghe]

But he also understood, like, I created this character, Hank Voight, that had a lot to do with creating all of One Chicago. In a lot of ways, you had more to do with helping me create the soul of this guy. So he came back to my trailer. We drove together. We're trying to figure this thing out. We're going, and. And the thing that you did that l. The fire for me, was you have an emotional reality. You understood the emotion of the situation, which is, what? If you have the emotion, everything else follows. If I'm angry, I'm gonna walk this way. I'm gonna make this decision. So he had the depth of the. I've been looking for this guy. He's got me, and I'm gonna. I'm gonna kill him.

[Brian Lucci]

So Voight comes walking up the stairs, and I'm telling you, I seen fire in his eyes and his hands, and he's walking and he's coming down and, like, we're rolling whether we want to roll or not roll.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, that's.

[Brian Lucci]

That's how it was.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And I told him, you don't aim.

[Jason Beghe]

You know, I remember I told the focus puller because I was supposed to hit my mark.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

And stop. And fire. Like, I stop, I have a word with this guy, and then I shoot. But what I came up with, I never stopped walking. I came out of the thing, I pulled the gun. I see the dude, I'm coming, and I Just come and I boom. And I keep walking.

[Brian Lucci]

But your void.

[Jason Beghe]

Thank God.

[Brian Lucci]

Tell them. And then the next thing they got, they yell, cut. And everyone go, yeah, it was. It was. I fell in love with you that day. Like, we kind of fell in love. That no matter what, you weren't going to be mad at me if I tell you the truth. Like, I came in as a callous cop that needed help, and you trained me. But you were right. Eric Lasell had that, too. I don't care if the PA told me what's the best idea.

[Jason Beghe]

Exactly.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, and on other shows, sometimes they gotta stay tight with the words.

[Jason Beghe]

You can't be. No.

[Brian Lucci]

Well, what's the truth?

[Jason Beghe]

There it is.

[Brian Lucci]

Then. Let's do that.

[Jason Beghe]

There's nothing more compelling than the truth.

[Brian Lucci]

And that's the thing.

[Jason Beghe]

And that's why people like our show. And that's started with the technical advisor carrying the gun correctly. It makes a difference. You're constantly. No, no, no. That tie clip goes here. You know, it's like all this stuff, and the more you have a little bit of truth, it just.

[Brian Lucci]

And the truth is there's a picnic table that people should know about that's outside stage 10.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And we asked for it. And both of us used to smoke. We both quit. But we'd go through a pack a day. Yeah. After every scene, we'd go outside and we'd be puffing away, but. But people thought we were. We weren't. Bullshit, we were. No, we're talking about the scene we're working.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And there's things that we can't let other people hear.

[Jason Beghe]

No, no.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what I mean? Just because we're trying to help, like, hey, man, maybe you should talk to that guy. Like, you told me when you went through that door, you were scared or you were shaking. Like it's okay.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Vulnerability is beautiful. He would explain to me.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And, like, we would have some stuff that we'd say that we couldn't say to anyone else.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

It was raw. And you handed me my ass a couple times, like, hey, man, that's your job.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Like, you got to catch that if you see it falling off.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Or if there's words we got to change.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. He's.

[Brian Lucci]

This guy's just showing up.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. We're here to make a movie.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. We're here to make a movie. And you held us to such a high standard, knowing every word and all of that, but knowing what the scene is about and where we're going, where if A guy just shows up and he doesn't know, like, just Haida. What's. What's Haida? Well, if you don't know what it is, just ask high intensity drug traffic agencies. They're a group of individuals that work in narcotics, that combat narcotics, you know. Yeah, we can rattle it. I can give you all that. But if you don't care. And they're just words and you know, the guys. And you said this. One of the greatest things you ever told me, ever. And I. And it stays with me today is bro. And in life, I use it. Show up interested, not interesting. Right. That's your line.

[Jason Beghe]

Interested.

[Brian Lucci]

And I'm interesting. I don't understand it. You know, then I showed up at a party.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And I see the guy with the glasses on that's working the room, and you know, he's interesting.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

But he don't give a shit about nobody else but him. And then you see some of the actors that come. No disrespect, the guys that come in and did. The number one character in this movie is Chicago.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, and the number one thing that I think is love. You know, people could say, oh, Voight does this or, Voight does that at the end of the day. Why? Because he loves you? Because he loves them or because he cares about this or he cares about that. How many times have you been upset? I love this when you say, oh, they want me to be mad. Well, earn it. You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

What am I mad about?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

You know, I need a reason to be mad.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. And there's this awesome, like, get the gravy off the plate or paint the picture.

[Jason Beghe]

Paint the picture to find out what it looks like.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

So rather than painting by the numbers.

[Brian Lucci]

So I've heard these things, and you know where I hear them? I hear you telling our guest actors that are coming, like, just to help out guys that want it. You know, some people that don't need it. You got. You got a Wendell Pierce. You got a. What's called. But I think that anybody that comes in to work on our shows, even from the other shows, they're a little jealous. They see that we have this amazing family. We have this matriarch. We're just trying to do the best job ever. And sometimes even when we do the truth, it's hard. The truth's hard. You know, it's cop show, it's gray.

[Jason Beghe]

You know, that was the other thing that became this thing, is that, like, you know, it's really easy on A cop show to think about good guys and bad guys. And one of the things that I think we've always stayed true to is to understand that they're just. Because everybody's like, oh, Voight's a bad guy. Who is he? Big. I remember when I first showed up on Chicago Fire, Derek and Michael Brandt, they were like, oh, you're playing a bad guy. And I said, he's not bad.

[Brian Lucci]

He cared about your son.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. Voight's doing the right thing for Voight. He's got his own integrity. Nobody's the same. It's not for me to judge who's good, who's bad. Obviously, this murderer, that's bad, this rapist, it's bad. But what we try to do is understand that it is not black and white. It's always gray. There's shades of gray. And so the thing that makes it interesting, instead of just making, oh, we're the good guys, and they're the bad guys, it's like that yin yang symbol. There's a little. You want to understand why. Why does this guy. Why is his solution to commit crimes, you know, is that he's a human? You know, is he a psychopath, or is this the best he can do? There's always a story, and the same thing with all of our characters. It's not like I'm always right, right, right. I don't want to be good. I just want to be.

[Brian Lucci]

You just want to be.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, and you're right. That. That whole good guy, bad guy. I mean, you tried to kill my son. I did what I had to do. Like, you could call me what you want. You want me coming. You want. You want. Coming to work?

[Jason Beghe]

There's any.

[Brian Lucci]

And I think if.

[Jason Beghe]

You know. But also about, like, a Hank Voight, if you think about who he is, if, you know, like, the. If you're. If you're like, a shy heart and, you know, the whole story and how it started on Chicago Fire and all that kind of st. And everybody said, oh, Voight was a bad guy. Well, think about this. Yeah. My son, he got lost. He drank. He ran his car into somebody, and it's not the first time. Yeah, yeah, I understand that that should be punished, but understand that Voight's point of view is I took my eye off the ball because all I was doing was my job, and I didn't take care of my son, so it's my fault. And now, because of who I am, if my son goes to jail, it's not the same as if somebody else.

[Brian Lucci]

No, that's cops.

[Jason Beghe]

So the penalty is not just three years in prison. It's rape to death. They will come after him like candy. And so I felt, or Voight felt, like I have a responsibility and I would do whatever I can to protect him. And I understand, as a father, there's not a lot I wouldn't do. I mean, I try to think, you know, oh, if my son's wrong, you know, if it's a question of life and death or that kind of pain, I don't know what I can't kind of mitigate in my own mind or forgive.

[Brian Lucci]

And I think where I truly understand like. Like who you were, is that there's these men that I worked with on a job that were revered. I tell you about Tommy Horton all the time. I tell you about Ernie Kane, a legendary policeman, John Farrell, who was a lieutenant who, like, got suspended for days. Cause he tried to take care of his guys, which goes to. I remember when you said that speech, you know, you. You tell me the truth so I can lie for you. And you knew right there that this guy's here to take care of his team and his squad. But he means it, not only on the stage, but in real life.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I've seen you say, I'll make that phone call for you. No, you're with me.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. Even.

[Brian Lucci]

Even for people that work around you, you know, Derota, you know, you're my people, and that's why I take care of them.

[Jason Beghe]

But, I mean, it is. It is a family.

[Brian Lucci]

It is a family.

[Jason Beghe]

I will fight for anybody on my group, unless they're harming. And then it still breaks my heart if they're doing damage. Then that's the only thing. And we try to fix it.

[Brian Lucci]

We try to fix it. Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

I will love you. I might not like you, but I love you.

[Brian Lucci]

I remember as a young cop, I got all these kilos of cocaine, and I'm coming in, I'm showing off. Ernie Kane grabbed me. He says, are you out of your mind? You defer this. You don't make these guys feel bad. You make them feel part of it. And, like, from that day forward, I was like, he's right, you know, like, you gotta empower these guys. And that's how, like, our team is. You know, you got Rusic, you got Atwater, you got all these cops. Cops in each one of them. Like, I see a cop that I worked with, which makes it real, you know? And then they try to work hard on it, like, oh, I want to Be this story or that story. This story. And you always say, let it hit you. And when it hits you. I was talking about the second episode of the season, right. Where Rusyk was sitting on the curb.

[Jason Beghe]

Oh, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, it's a real story, like. And he really. Rusick's on some next level stuff, like, really got into it, and he studied and. And he did his thing, and I watched it, and I sat on my couch in tears, and I'm like, oh, my God, here's my guy. You know, he's sitting there and that kid that he saved, and, ah, it was beautiful. One of the cool stories is, you remember Michael T. Yeah, of course, Karen. Michael T. Was Michael T. What happened with Williamson? Michael T. Williamson said luch came up to me. He said, luch, I need security. I'm like, mike, is there people bothering you on set? He goes, no, Luch. At the airport, at the hotel, when I get an Uber, I go, you're.

[Jason Beghe]

Out of your mind.

[Brian Lucci]

Were you crazy? He goes, these people all love Voight. They know I'm coming to get him, and they think it's real because he.

[Jason Beghe]

Was playing the character that was like, you know, my nemesis.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, he was on YouTube.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

We're at 1300 in Jackson, and it was beautiful buildings. And I'm out front talking him. Brother, you're batshit crazy. You're blowing this out of proportion. And I. I like aggravating it, right?

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

A little car pulled up. Window came down. I'm, like, reaching, figuring, oh, wait, I don't have my gun, but I'm getting ready. Window goes down. It's African American, lady looking. You better leave that boy alone. He started screaming at him, right? Michael T's just sitting there. Window went down. The lady pulled away real fast. He turned, he said, I told you. Yeah, he was right. It was the night you arrested him. You had the cops come get him.

[Jason Beghe]

I remember that.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, that was beautiful.

[Jason Beghe]

That was a good. That was a big, long scene, too, boy. We had a. That was pages of dialogue.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. And you had all these guys coming at you, and at the end of the day, we. You realize it's just good policing, you know?

[Jason Beghe]

You gave her 20 grand. 10 now, 10 later. Grabbing a witness. Serious, Grant, you son of a bitch. You left me no choice. I had to give that day to. To Internal Affairs, Chicago pd. It's over, Danny.

[Brian Lucci]

When you're part of this and we bring up memories, you could still feel it. You could smell it. You could see it. I still got chills. And if you Want them? Stick around because we're coming back with more of Jason Begay. This episode is brought to you by Marshalls, where you never have to compromise between quality and price. The buyers of Marshalls hustle hard working to bring you great deals on brand name and designer pieces because Marshalls believes everyone deserves access to the good stuff. Visit a Marshalls store near you or shop [e-mail] so good, so good, so good. Just in thousands of winter arrivals at your Nordstrom rack store, save up to 70% on coats, slippers, and cashmere from Kate Spade, New York, Vince Ugg Levi's and more.

[Jason Beghe]

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[Brian Lucci]

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[Jason Beghe]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pinned messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail].

[Brian Lucci]

Okay, guys, we're back and we're still talking with the good sergeant Hank Voight. The show, if you ask, like they say, has it changed your life? Yeah, it's changing my life. You made me a better person. You know, I was calloused and we would talk like, you got into my head, but I got in your head. And I remember you going on some ride alongs and coming back like Lupi and a few of those guys. You're like, holy cow. What? What's out here? But you did your homework. We spent hundreds of hours. When I first got a divorce, we were talking about an armor park. Remember me? And you walked.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You were climbing a tree with my daughter.

[Jason Beghe]

I know.

[Brian Lucci]

She was six years old.

[Jason Beghe]

I remember, like. And now she's off to college.

[Brian Lucci]

Now she's off to college. She was six years old. She was in love with you. And then we grew up. But we've been working since day one. I gotta honestly say. We've been working since day one.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. And you know, it's good. I'm not done. Thank God. I love my job. Thank God you love your job. You know, we stay interested.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, real interested.

[Jason Beghe]

You know, and. And then I Think that's part of the formula.

[Brian Lucci]

I think one of the questions I always want to know is, do you think that Voight scares you at all or.

[Jason Beghe]

No.

[Brian Lucci]

Scares Jason? No.

[Jason Beghe]

Right. Void.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Does Voight, when you play Void at any time, does he. Does he scare you? Sometimes he scares me, is what I'm saying.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Oh.

[Jason Beghe]

Oh, I see what you mean.

[Brian Lucci]

Because I don't want to lose you, so. Because I love you as a man, and it was.

[Jason Beghe]

Oh, do you mean, like, I get lost in it?

[Brian Lucci]

Like, do you ever take him home?

[Jason Beghe]

You never know. You never know what you don't know.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

In the beginning, when I was first started shooting this, you get a script, and Chicago Fire sent me. They said, oh, Dick Wolf wants you to do three episodes of his new show, Chicago Fire. Okay. I see this guy.

[Brian Lucci]

Here's.

[Jason Beghe]

I got an idea. That's what we'll do. Okay. And then it turns out it's. I think I did 15. Wow. I did 15 that first season and then a backdoor pilot. The truth is, for the first couple of years, I'm still. I mean, I'm still creating the character.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

I always say that's the other thing. If I'm not changing, then I'm boring to myself, you know? So I'm always trying to challenge myself. I'm always trying to re. Question what I know. I have to get better. I have to evolve. I have to confront myself. I have to be me, you know, and. Which is something that you discover and create. And I think it's the same with a character. So I'm always creating them. But in the first couple of seasons, particularly the first, I'm swimming upstream. So, yeah, I'm bringing him home a lot more often because I'm just like. Plus, I'm working. I mean, in that first season, we only did 15 episodes. In that first season, I had two days off.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Beghe]

Two days off. And on both days, I got a back surgery.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Remember, you were getting. Yeah, that's right.

[Jason Beghe]

I was in extreme pain. Just. I couldn't even. We had a cane in between takes, you know? And so, yes, I'm taken home. I mean, it's all I did.

[Brian Lucci]

And I asked because, like, as a policeman, you shut it off. You shut the car off, you go in the house, you ain't the police. When you go in the house, unless something happens, you heard something in the backyard, and then the kids get to see you kick into that cop mode. And sometimes it's not pretty because you go right into Protective mode. You get things out of your way, blah, blah. And I've seen you in intense times where like. Like, me and you have a language.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I know when not to talk. I know when you're over there. I know when you need to talk. Like, I know you don't like big hugs and this and stuff. I know when you're dialed in and let's go to work as a person. You had a personal injury and you were in pain, and you said something to me so cool that you. You listened to the pain. You're like, I was going for walks. But I. Lucia, I just sat there and I listened to the pain, and I'm. I'm glad that it talked to me. And now look at you. You know what I mean? Like.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

So a lot of that stuff from the show and from here, like. Like, I'm listening to my pain now.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

What can make us better.

[Jason Beghe]

That's right.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

There's no bad feelings. Some of them are real uncomfortable. But they're mine.

[Brian Lucci]

They're yours.

[Jason Beghe]

I don't create them to suffer.

[Brian Lucci]

Right.

[Jason Beghe]

You know, so you might as well listen to them, you know, and we put that.

[Brian Lucci]

You put that on a screen, you know, I mean, those truths are now coming out, and I don't care what anybody says when. When they come on. Like, we're not dialing anything in. We're trying so hard to make that so real. I love when they're like, okay, this one's going to be Burgess's, or this one's going to be at one, and everyone's there to, like, try to help that person out. You know what I mean? I think what we have, what other people don't have. I've never worked on any other show, so I could just speak. You will go and say, am I missing something?

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Bounce it off of each other.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I mean.

[Jason Beghe]

Or is there more? Is there more?

[Brian Lucci]

Is there more? What do we. There's something here.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And sometimes it drives, like, the AD or whoever crazy because. Wait a minute. There's something in this scene. I don't think we're hitting it right.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. Right.

[Brian Lucci]

How many times? And then we got to get it before we turn around. Yeah. And we'll go in. So I don't know.

[Jason Beghe]

And sometimes you miss it.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

You know what I mean? Nobody bats a thousand, but it's out there, you know, just doing it.

[Brian Lucci]

Our writers work very, very hard to get it as right as they can on the police end, you know, for probable cause and for Technical ways that, like, would we ever do this? Not just visually interesting, but like, tactically interesting. And I get it, you know, so there's been times where a director will come on and we'll say, oh, I'm going to have the guys come in from this way or the guys come in from this way. And before I even bat an eye or even say anything, Rusyk, or one of these guys, Luch, would we really do this? I'd be like, do what? Like, it's a surprise to me. I'm just walking on set. I came back for a meeting. They want us to come in through the back door, in the front door. We would never do that because they're trained. You're trained. Sarge wouldn't run to the back. Serge got the front. So then I go talk to the director. Hey, if our guys come in here and they go here, they're going to be shooting at each other. So no, we absolutely can't do that. And I worked with the writer who already said it would be nice if we did a double entry. We're not doing a double entry. There's times to do this stuff. Tactically, it doesn't make any sense. You want our guys pointing guns at each other. But it'll look great. I don't care how good it'll look. We don't do it. Like, you know, that's just. But I don't even have to do that anymore. Sarge, don't even pull the gun. You got 10 guys going in cockroach, and they're ready to go. Yeah, he ain't pulling the gun. He knows when to pull the gun.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And I don't have to say that, but there's times you'll double check.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Jason will go, I'm not pulling the gun. Right. Jason know you're not.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know when you got to kill that guy?

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, but the director will say, they'll try to change things, some of them, and we can't compromise that. Put them in front of the door. The door is a vertical coffin. Guys get killed. Will Height was killed the first time. 33rd Street. We blew her away. We're going to take that away. No, they're trained to be the police. You know, you got to get invited into here. You can't just step in here. There's a reason why they act like this, talk like this, and carry themselves. I always say, keep your head on a swivel, you know, Keep your head. They're always looking. You'll see them out there. You know, shit jumps off, and you got to be ready.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, but this is what I going back to, what the genius is that you have. It's this just natural aptitude. You are the heartbeat of our show. And that's, I think, the secret sauce, because you keep it true. And not just the technical stuff. It's the. The heart and emotion.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Jason Beghe]

That's what making movies is about.

[Brian Lucci]

Royce asked me one time, how would you feel? I go, proud. You got the guy. Yeah, he's a bad guy. You stayed up for three days. Think about it. When's the last time you brushed your teeth? Let's really think about it. Did you know where you were before here? Do you know where you're going after. It's been 48 hours. You haven't washed your ass because you've been chasing this bad guy. Because they got her in some kind of.

[Jason Beghe]

Exactly.

[Brian Lucci]

And you just got that girl. So when you walk out there, I don't know what you look like when you're proud. Yeah, I know what I look like when I'm proud. So you do you. And he gets mad sometimes. You always say, you do you. I can't be you, Leroy.

[Jason Beghe]

That's right.

[Brian Lucci]

I can't do that. But I can tell you this is one of the emotions. I may want to cry, you know, I may want to celebrate, like, we got the bad guy, but the girl's dead. I couldn't tell you how many times I had to go hide and leak. You know what I mean? Like, it's okay to leak. Here's a good story. Olensky says, luch, they want me to go down in the basement, and I got to search around, and I don't know, how would I do? How would I feel? I go, well, let's go do it. But I'm going to hide. He said, what do you mean you're going to hide? I said, I'm going to hide, and I'm going to kill you if you do something wrong. So he comes down in the basement, and he's moving along. He had that.357 King Cobra, and he's badass with his mustache. And he's moved, and I jump out and I kill him. He's like, what? I'm going to go back upstairs. He goes back upstairs. He comes back through. I'm hiding underneath the couch. I grab his legs and I kill him. He goes, oh, my God. What the heck? I go, let's do it one more time. Third time, I kill him. He comes walking up the stairs. He's like this. I go, that's what it feels like. You're scared. You're out of breath. You're trying to control it. There's boogeymen down there.

[Jason Beghe]

That's genius.

[Brian Lucci]

You could be scared. It's okay. And he was.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, and then when we did a scene in the forest, he had to walk through the forest. You know what he told me? Luch. Go hide.

[Jason Beghe]

Ah.

[Brian Lucci]

We found the truck abandoned at Dan Ryan Wood. Suspect flood on foot. We are in pursuit. Copy that. That's all he had to say. And I hid. And he looked for me. And you watched his eyes. And he was looking. He wasn't acting.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

He was in it because he didn't want me to kill him again.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And I watched him, and I seen him. I seen him coming up on me, and I was like, I got scared of Alinsky. I was, here's this hero that I love.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

That's coming up to me.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I'm a man. He was.

[Jason Beghe]

But that you can't teach.

[Brian Lucci]

So not only playing Hank Voight, but I think two seasons ago, I could be wrong. You were promoted to an executive producer on the show.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And with that comes great responsibilities. I'm just a little producer. You're an executive producer. How do you like taking on that role?

[Jason Beghe]

Well, you know, the funny thing is this. I will tell the truth. What we started talking about in this podcast today was that, you know, best idea wins from the beginning. It's more spread out now, and it's a little more homogenized. But in the beginning, in the first few seasons, like I said, season one, I worked every day except for two days. Now I have days off, and I have. Because there's more characters, and they spread it out. So I feel. And felt. I always felt responsible. NBC wanted me to do a different show, and Dick, who happens to have a small amount of power, he threw a fit, and here I am. I'm gonna my guy. Which is an honor. But I also think of it as, let me show them they made the right decision. I've always felt like we have to.

[Brian Lucci]

That's my job.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah. It's as much as I can help. You're welcome to it. Nothing's changed.

[Brian Lucci]

And you say that a lot. You'll come on and say, listen, just because I'm saying it, doesn't mean it's right.

[Jason Beghe]

That's right.

[Brian Lucci]

This is just an idea.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

So I think in this scene, what if we watch the thing now that I'm.

[Jason Beghe]

Now people like, oh, we got to do that. No, no, no.

[Brian Lucci]

And you'll let it. You.

[Jason Beghe]

I want to hear what. What do you think?

[Brian Lucci]

And it kills you sometimes. You're biting your lip, saying. Because if I say it, then you're gonna think that that's gospel.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what I mean? So sometimes you gotta, like. He just means if you like it.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

We're not. We don't have to do it. It's not end all, save all.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

But there are some strong directors that come in and say, okay, God, that's a good point. What about this?

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Great. And those are the ones you love? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't want to hear it. Don't shine them out.

[Jason Beghe]

I love notes.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Yeah. I love it.

[Jason Beghe]

And I was like, no, I don't.

[Brian Lucci]

That.

[Jason Beghe]

Not that one.

[Brian Lucci]

Everyone.

[Jason Beghe]

Everyone's in a while. I'll give you that one. But let me do one this way, too.

[Brian Lucci]

Does any of the cases that we did or the investigations that we did, that any of them hit you? Like, I know when we do the kids that got stolen.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

They kill me. Remember the truck opening up with the girls or. Or the overdose or the suicide cop.

[Jason Beghe]

I'll tell you one. That one that sits in mind. And now I can shout out to just one of the freaking incredibly talented, valuable people is our production designer, Greg Van Horn.

[Brian Lucci]

Merlin.

[Jason Beghe]

We did an episode that was kind of setting up the Michaela story, because what had happened is she had lost her parents. Her father got out of prison and kidnapped her, came in and committed murder. And da, da, da, da, da. And I walked into this set, and the details, the detail of the picture on the wall, the little toy here, the blood splatter there. It was phenomenal. It's a little girl.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Prince match Michaela's shoes.

[Jason Beghe]

We think she was inside.

[Brian Lucci]

She's probably hiding, maybe here in the pantry. Shooter makes his way to the front. She finds her mom bleeding, takes off out the back.

[Jason Beghe]

Mom told her to run. It's such a collaboration. That's the thing. My job is to be hit by everything. But sometimes it's easier, but, you know, I can't pick a favorite.

[Brian Lucci]

So. JC being here for 12 years, before, you used to go back and forth to la, but now you're actually living in Chicago. How's that? You love it here. You like the city?

[Jason Beghe]

I know some. Really. Some people that mean so much to me here, and my roots are in Chicago. Not many people know that. I used to come here as a little boy. My parents grew up here. They Both went to U High. They've been together since they were 13 and 15. They both went to University of Chicago. My father went to the law school. My mother's mother taught public school here, and she grew up in Hyde Park. Lost all their money in the Depression. Her father was the district attorney of Chicago, and he became the governor of Illinois and then the senator of Illinois. And the funny thing is, my parents were very close. They loved themselves more than anybody. Like I said, they were together since they're 13 and 15. My mother died 14 years ago. My father, picture of health. He couldn't live without her, so he died in July of that year. He was a federal judge by this time, so. In D.C. so put him in the. In the ground. Him and my mother have one stone, and they had two urns made out of Himalayan salt with their ashes in it. After a time, the urns dissolve and the ashes come together.

[Brian Lucci]

Wow.

[Jason Beghe]

But I put my dad with my siblings in the ground next to my mother and finished that ceremony, went back to their house, grabbed my bag because I had to jump onto a flight to go shoot my first day on Chicago Fire. And I cannot help but always think about what a kick my parents would have got. There's a circle there back home. Top that with the next question. Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

There are no more.

[Jason Beghe]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

All right.

[Jason Beghe]

My dear friend, thanks for being on the show.

[Brian Lucci]

Thanks for being. Thanks. Doesn't it sound much better coming from him? Thanks for being on the show.

[Jason Beghe]

No, you really appreciate you, brother.

[Brian Lucci]

Hey, remember a few minutes ago when Jason brought up my guy Merlin? He's the production designer for Chicago pd. We call him Merlin because the man is filled with magic. He's the cat behind every detail on every set and every location. If we can't buy it, that son of a gun will build it. The other day, I asked Merlin to give us a little tour of the 21st District Police Station. This thing is built on a huge soundstage, but when you walk inside, it feels so real. And that's the magic of Merlin and his team.

[Greg Van Horn]

You know, when this place was envisioned, it was visioned as. Like a ballet, as a dance. People were gonna. Were gonna move from one place to another. So you can move diagonally across. You can come here and get your radio, get your keys, go out that way, you know, get a file that you need. Go up, you know, come to the front desk, get razzed by Platt. Go up, put your thing in, go upstairs. You're at the bullpen.

[Brian Lucci]

A lot of times, the directors will walk this and Say, Merlin, where does this door go? How can I use that door? Where does that door. That door goes to the lockup. These stairs go up here. Where do those stairs go, Merlin?

[Greg Van Horn]

Oh, let's go up. It goes to nowhere. Well, you'll see this goes to doors which you don't, which don't open because it would just drop off and then to the right. Through intelligence, it just goes to a little platform. And then you would, you would pick them up on the other set.

[Brian Lucci]

When I first walked in this door as a surprise, like they were waiting for me, that door didn't swing all the way open. In my heart, like I got the chills. I was like, oh my God. Like we, we got. He got this right. I mean, you look down at the floor, you look at the desk, I could see the cops coming around the back. And we got the flags and the Fraternal Order of Police and the sergeant exams coming up. And, and you look at the desk and you look at the wood. I mean, the wood has been beat up. The trinkets, the desk, the stickers. There's this, there's that. Things end up in here and they become part of it. Olensky's hat.

[Greg Van Horn]

This map of Chicago we felt was like, has been there since the place opened. Even to the point where we aged it down, dusted it, because it's a focal point. It's up above. And if you're sitting here and you're looking up at Platt, that's going to be your background. Anything that is sort of looks real in here, that's copy related is real. We've got watch calendars, we've got FBI most wanted. We're actual FBI most wanted people. We've got officer of the month, a payphone, because there is actually a payphone in the district stations. We're not taking it down and we're not taking it down.

[Brian Lucci]

Sometimes when Merlin wants things done right, he's got to think outside of the box.

[Greg Van Horn]

Think about the dead bodies. Remember we did the root cellar with the mushrooms growing. We're on this like 100 acres of land. We find this root cellar and then we cut to stage. We go down these stairs and we built on a platform. This is just basically a dirt sandbox. But to visually show that there was a body there, we got mushrooms. And they didn't grow over the body because the body had secreted something. And it's really hard to find fake mushrooms. We went on Amazon. We're like, oh, these look great. We got them and they looked. They sucked and we were, like, one day away from shooting, so I went, have you ever been to H Mart? It's a Korean grocery store. I went to 3H marts all around Chicago and bought every single mushroom because they have these giant fat ones.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah.

[Greg Van Horn]

And we brought them to set, and they looked fantastic.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. I remember that There was a body that was allegedly buried by Voight alongside the river. Yeah, there was a hole.

[Greg Van Horn]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

And somebody said, oh, we'll have the hole there. Well, there's a bunch of plants on there. And you said, well, there's nutrients. When a body dies, that's how the plants grow over that. And it was just like one little layer of, like, realism where you're like, how does Merlin know that he got bodies in the backyard this month?

[Greg Van Horn]

Yeah. Sometimes when you're on the phone and you're in a public place, and I'm like, so can that body fit in a 55 gallon drum? I'm not sure. We might need a 75 gallon. And people are just looking at you like, oh, shit, that guy. Why? What is he talking about?

[Brian Lucci]

That was Greg Van Horn, or what I like to call him Merlin, the production designer on Chicago pd. He's just one of the many folks that makes these shows so special, or what we like to say. There are no pawns on this chessboard. You're gonna hear from all these folks on this season's One Chicago podcast. Here's a little taste of what's coming up. When you watch the show, you think you're seeing the real thing. It's just a lot of fun to write dialogue for her because she says the things that I wouldn't say. They told me not to open up the hood of the car, and I did. And then fires singed off half my eyebrows, and I was. It was great. They said, if you shave your head and you're in Chicago by Wednesday, the role is yours. You teach us very good. How to be technical and mechanical with the guns. We're clearing rooms, that cop stuff. But every cop is a human on the inside. And so the human stuff we have to pull on our own. There are days when I walk on set and I just start smiling because I'm doing what I said I wanted to do, and I've been able to do it beautifully. And that's a wrap on our first episode of the One Chicago Podcast. You could listen to our second episode right now with Chicago Fire's David Eitenberg, otherwise known as Herman. If you'd like to watch this interview, check out NBC One Chicago on YouTube. For this conversation and others, make sure you follow us wherever you listen as we take you inside our One Chicago world. The One Chicago Podcast is a production of Wolf Entertainment and USG Audio. This series is hosted by me, Brian Lucci. It's executive produced by Dick Wolf, Elliot Wolf and Steven Michael at Wolf Entertainment, Josh Block at USG Audio, and John Yell Kastner at Spoke Media. Our showrunner is Derek John, our producer is Maggie Debrizzi and our audio producer is Jason Mark. Video production by Bo Delmore. Coordinating production by Tess Ryan. Our production assistant is Montserrat Rodriguez. With engineering and mix by Evan Arnett and original music by John o'. Hara. This series was produced by Spoke Media and distributed by Realm. Production support for USG Audio by Josh Leolog. One Chicago airs on Wednesday nights at 8, 7 Central on NBC and you could stream it on Peacock. I'm Brian Luch. Thank you so much for listening and we'll see you guys next.

[Jason Beghe]

And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Brian Lucci]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera.

[Jason Beghe]

They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty.

[Brian Lucci]

Liberty. Liberty Savings Fairy, underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

[Jason Beghe]

From the darkest corners of our imagination comes a game show that's more ridiculous than terrifying.

[Brian Lucci]

Welcome to Tickled to Death, the horror comedy game show where nothing is sacred.

[Jason Beghe]

Everything'S a little unhinged, and the only thing more cursed than the questions are the jokes. I'm Roz Hernandez, your fearless host, and.

[Brian Lucci]

Each week I'll be leading a brave group of guests through twisted horror trivia.

[Jason Beghe]

Improv games, and enough sarcastic banter to make you question all your life's choices. So come for the screams, stay for the snark. Listen to Tickled to Death wherever you.

[Brian Lucci]

Get your podcasts and hit follow, unless.

[Jason Beghe]

You want the show to follow you. In the meantime, don't get Tickled to Death.