LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater on Chicago P.D.)

Summary

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One Chicago Podcast: In-Depth with LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater, Chicago P.D.)

Episode Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Brian Lucci (former Chicago cop, producer on Chicago P.D.)
Guest: LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater on Chicago P.D.)

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Episode Overview

This episode of the One Chicago Podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of Chicago P.D. with LaRoyce Hawkins, who brings Kevin Atwater to life. Centered on the show’s recent dramatic episode, "On the Way" (S13E11), Brian and LaRoyce unpack the action, emotional depth, and creative process underpinning one of the season’s most ambitious story arcs. From shut-downs on Lakeshore Drive to personal growth—both of the character and the actor—this candid conversation shines with warmth, humor, and heartfelt appreciation for the entire Chicago P.D. team.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Making of Episode “On the Way” — The Biggest Yet

• Ambitious Scenes: The cast and crew went all-in for episode 1311, pulling off complex stunts, a downtown street takeover, and even borrowing a Lamborghini.

"We got to visit the candy shop, borrow a custom Lamborghini, and do some amazing card tricks… takeover the downtown streets of Chicago, which looked so real that the actual copper showed."
— Brian Lucci (01:24)

• Real Police Response: The production was so lifelike that it confused real Chicago cops, who arrived ready to break up what they thought was a genuine illegal street takeover.

"I remember that boy they pulled out and I felt like I was back in Harvey and the jump out boys was in the pocket... it was hilarious."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (01:54; 38:49)

Atwater’s Standout Moments this Season

• Character-Arcing Episodes: LaRoyce discusses his character’s development across "Miami" (Ep. 1305) and "On the Way" (Ep. 1311), expressing gratitude toward the writing and directing teams.

"To be honest with you, I didn’t know it can get any better than Miami. And then On the Way pulled up, and I was like, Jesus Christ, this can be something special."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (05:40)

• Crew Appreciation Rituals: Every Wednesday, the cast celebrates a crew member—boosting morale and bonding the set.

"Every hump day, we pick a different… crew member gets nominated to be celebrated for the day."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (06:18)

The Collaborative Power of Storytelling

• Personal Connections: LaRoyce shares how his real life often serendipitously intersects with storylines—such as the “Duke” character (also the name of his childhood pet duck) and the poetic phrase, "If you’re not in the way, you on the way," which echoes his own poetry.

"There’s two types of people in this world... People who are in the way. People are on the way."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (09:48)

• Bringing Emotion to Crime Drama: The actors discuss the difficulty and fulfillment of portraying real trauma, including scenes of loss and police work’s toll on characters and those who play them.

"You told him that was one of the best deaths that you... In 250 episodes, I had never seen that in my life... the life came out of that kid."
— Brian Lucci (17:08)
"You never know what you're going to connect to… what connected me was when you told me that the job isn't done... Now the job actually starts."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (21:03)

Growth, Challenges, and ‘Keeping it Real’

• Learning Through Discomfort: Trusting writers, directors, and one another—even in moments of uncertainty—became central to LaRoyce’s evolution as Atwater.

"You finally get uncomfortable enough to where you comfortable being uncomfortable."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (14:23)

• Mentorship and Collaboration: The influence of Eric LaSalle (EP/director) and Jesse Lee Soffer helped the cast focus on authenticity.

"We don't believe in what's right. We don't believe in what's wrong. We believe in what's real."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (24:19)

• Finding Truth in Every Role: Small coaching moments, like telling an officer-actor to "just be good police" or adapting advice for fellow cast members, underscore the organic, lived-in performances the show strives for.

"None of this is on the page… Just really go there and do your best to be good police."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (26:05)

Behind the Action: Cars, Stunts, and Iconic Scenes

• Car as Character: The role of the ‘Bullet’ Mustang—both as a plot device and a symbol of Atwater’s personal journey—is celebrated.

"I always wanted DaBaby nickname to be Bullet."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (33:12)

• Teamwork in Massive Scenes: The episode’s epic Buckingham Fountain sequence required extensive collaboration with the city and multiple departments, making everyone—down to the water department—part of the story’s DNA.

"It was so real that the Chicago Police Department has a specialized unit that reports the scenes like this. Didn’t know we were filming… It was hilarious."
— Brian Lucci (37:22; 39:11)

Undercover Work & Character Playfulness

• Breaking the Mold: Atwater’s undercover, comedic moments allowed LaRoyce to flex his stand-up roots and break from the show’s more rigid formula.

"There’s certain chops you don’t get to use all the time on Chicago PD… when I was given a little elbow room to color outside some lines, I was like, wow..."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (52:31)

The Emotional Arc: Atwater’s Fatherhood

• Anticipating Atwater as a Father: The arc of Atwater (possibly) becoming a father stands to shift his perspective and future choices, as LaRoyce parallels Atwater’s dilemmas with his own experiences as a parent and Chicago cop.

"Now that we got these bodies, we still got work to do. We gotta inform families..."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (22:29) "There’s a difference between a guy that’s solving crimes and saving lives and a guy... about to be a father soon."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (54:29)

• Real-Life Parallels: Brian and LaRoyce swap stories about what parenthood means for police officers—long hours, missed moments, and the challenge of balancing the job with family.

"When they said you're going to have a kid, I just sat down, I went, oh man, I got a whole book for this dude of the mistakes that I made that I can't get back."
— Brian Lucci (56:21)
"It's an authentic reflection of how fatherhood actually feels for me sometimes."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (57:50)

Closing with Heart: Atwater’s Message

• LaRoyce shares a text Atwater might send, blending poetry and reality:

"From the heart to the first responder. If you ask me what I want and what I really need... Bullet green. I just want to feel the power of my own dreams..."
— LaRoyce Hawkins (60:18)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On celebrating the crew:

  "Every hump day, we pick a different crew... whoever was picked last week hands off the crown. You got 100 crew members going, 'Who’s it gonna be?' It's an energy booster." (06:18–08:24, Lucci/Hawkins)

• On the realism & scale of setpieces:

  "When we shut down Lakeshore Drive... nobody does that but Beyoncé at Soldier Field!" (35:23, Hawkins) "Cars were spinning out, doing donuts. The takeover looked so real, the cops came with strips." (37:22, Lucci)

• Handling tough scenes:

  "I seen people die. I seen people try to die… but there's a light too. When he did that, it was tearing me up." (17:08, Lucci)

• On being true to the character:

  "You gotta always be thinking… what are you thinking about right now while you're acting? It could be a starfish… don't make it spontaneous." (24:42, Lucci referencing Jesse Lee Soffer)

• Atwater’s poetic soul:

  "If you’re not in the way, you on the way. Two types of people." (09:48, Hawkins)

• Fatherhood and legacy:

  "There's a difference between a guy that's solving crimes and saving lives, and a guy that's about to be a father soon." (54:29, Hawkins) "I'm more nervous… similar nerves to how you get when you have a son." (55:29, Hawkins)

• The “Bullet” nickname:

  "I've been dodging bullets my whole career. Couldn't dodge that one [referring to baby’s nickname]." (32:29–32:36, Hawkins/Lucci)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• (02:40) LaRoyce expresses excitement and nerves over Atwater’s changing arc
• (05:40–07:58) Reflections on writing, directing, and celebrating costume/stunt departments
• (09:48–10:16) Atwater’s personal philosophy echoes in script language
• (14:23) On becoming comfortable with discomfort for character authenticity
• (17:08–18:51) Discussing the realism and impact of a significant on-screen death scene
• (21:03–24:30) Emotional resonance of finding victims and informing families
• (35:18–41:09) Bringing Buckingham Fountain scene to life; encountering real police
• (52:30–53:48) LaRoyce on bringing controlled humor to undercover scenes
• (54:29–56:21) Anticipating how fatherhood will influence Atwater’s decision-making
• (60:18–61:10) LaRoyce improvises Atwater’s heartfelt, poetic text

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in the unsung complexities of acting, collaboration, and honoring both the procedural and emotional realities of police drama. It offers rich behind-the-scenes detail, genuine camaraderie, and a glimpse of what makes Chicago P.D.—and its cast—so enduringly authentic.

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Transcript

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[Brian Lucci]

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[Laroise Hawkins]

Action.

[Brian Lucci]

I think you guys could tell that we have a whole lot of Fun making Chicago PD. But I gotta tell you, last night's episode 1311, titled on the Way, well, that's the most fun that we've had in a long, long time. We got to visit the candy shop, borrow a custom Lamborghini, and do some amazing card tricks. And we did a takeover the downtown streets of Chicago, which looks so real that the actual copper showed.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I remember that boy they pulled out and I felt like I was back in Harvey and the jump out boys was in the pocket. I was like, oh, snap, what's going on? For real. But it was hilarious.

[Brian Lucci]

And the best part of all of this for me, doing it with my guy, Laroise Hawkins, aka Kevin Atwater. He's had two great episodes this season. This one on the way, 1311 and Miami back at 1305. And that arc has led to a little surprise. If you know, you know. And if you don't, I'm not gonna spoil it here. Go back and watch the last few minutes of last night's episode. Cause things are changing for our man Atwater.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Nah, I'm very excited, but I'm also nervous.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, you gotta be nervous.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I'm nervous. Luch. I ain't gonna hold you.

[Brian Lucci]

When we come back, Laroise Hawkins talks about episode 1311, how he's grown as a char, and how things are only getting better. Don't go anywhere. You guys have heard me talk about how working on Chicago PD is like therapy for me, it helps me shake all those demons, tell my stories, and it gets my eyes leaking in a good way. I know a lot of you feel the same way and have been looking to get your own therapy going, but it could be so hard to find a therapist you like. And even if you find a great one, they hardly ever take your insurance. Well, the folks at Rula are doing things different. First up, they want to find you a therapist who actually gets you and understands what you need. They don't just stick you with the first guy that's available. And they partnered with over 100 insurance plans, so the average copay is just $15 per session. So you get real therapy from licensed professionals at a price that actually makes sense. That's pretty good stuff. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high quality therapy that's actually covered by Insurance. Visit rula.comchicago to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. And please support our show and let them know old Luke sent you. That's r u l a.com Chicago. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget. So here we are, 13 seasons in. Yeah, I mean, the podcast. I don't know how many that we've aired so far, but I'm telling you, bro, I'm like, now they take these smidgets and they go back and forth. It's been fun. You know, they got a couple people that I can't say right now that I'm about to do, but here we go. Okay, what's been your favorite character moment this season for Atwater and why?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Man, I liked a lot of moments. I liked a lot of moments on the way. I'm very, very grateful for Gwen and the team. Stephan, specifically, I call him Stephan when he gets in his actor Stephanie in his Atwater bag. But Stephan is. His name is Stephen.

[Brian Lucci]

Stephen is one of our co executive producer writers that's under Gwen, who you mentioned, Gwen Segan, our showrunner, who he's wrote both your episodes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

He wrote Miami and he wrote on the Way.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And, you know, if he could finish some type of trilogy, if I can get one more up out of him, that'd be dope too.

[Brian Lucci]

So let me tell you something. Most of the cast, I mean, most of the crew, like, they read his episodes and they're like, it's not a feature, it's an episode. You see how big he goes?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Nah, he goes big.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what I mean?

[Laroise Hawkins]

He's been Going big, and I really appreciate that. So when you talk about these moments, I'm thoroughly enjoying my season 13 moments from Miami to now. To be honest with you, I didn't know it can get any better than Miami. And then on the way pulled up, and I was like, jesus Christ, this can be something special, you know? And by the time Keisha Sharpe, who was our fielder's director in that room, and the rest of the team got involved, you know what I wanted to do this time? We do something very special on Wednesdays on set, right. Where we celebrate somebody.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, my God.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Explain this. Cause people need to know that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

So every hump day, we pick a different cast. No, not the cast member. Cast members actually can't be included. You gotta go a crew. Crew. Somebody from the crew gets nominated to be celebrated for the day.

[Brian Lucci]

This is behind the scenes.

[Laroise Hawkins]

This is behind the scenes. And, you know, if you focus on time and getting out of there at a certain hour, you get aggravated. Because we really do lean into the moments that it takes to celebrate these people. And it can be songs, it can be dances, it can be, you know, whatever it takes to help that person feel good in the moment. And it sporadically just happens throughout the day, all day on Wednesday. And so, in reverence and respect to that, I wanted to take this episode, how the cast has now been like, yo, this is a Burgess episode. This is an ocean episode. This is an adword episode. I really wanted to share this episode with departments that I felt like helped me the most. The first one that I wanted to share this episode with was wardrobe, because they'll slap you.

[Brian Lucci]

Call them costumes.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Costumes.

[Brian Lucci]

I learned that.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Call them costumes. Well, I wanted to celebrate costumes. Yeah. For really just, like, leaning into the details of every moment. You know, I think our water was just. I was just extremely comfortable that whole time. Not only that, but stunts, because the way that we had to pull up and pull off these Ponzis with the cars, from the driving to just the energy of it all, man. So I thought that'd be dope to say in reflection and respect of what we do on set. I wanted to celebrate and share that episode with those departments because they treated me right.

[Brian Lucci]

I think what you're saying is extremely important. But the thing is, whoever was picked on the one Wednesday, the next Wednesday, they get to hand the crown, Right. And then in front of everybody, they make that announcement.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And you got 100 crew members saying, I wonder who's going to pick now? And then the person just lights up yeah. You know, because they're appreciated for the work that they did. And like you said, what it does do, too, it's an energy booster.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

As soon as you seen that. That the woman or that kid working and they're walking in and, you know, hey, Frankie. And the whole crowd goes crazy.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Everybody goes crazy, man. No, it's a beautiful thing.

[Brian Lucci]

See, these are the little things that I take for granted, not realizing because I'm in it. You know what I mean? I get to eat that good food every day. You know what I mean? Like, that kind of crap, you know?

[Laroise Hawkins]

This was the incomparable Kesha Sharpe directed on the Way. Stephan wrote both of them, Stephen.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

But, you know, when he's in his bag like this, we gotta call him Stefan.

[Brian Lucci]

All right, I'm gonna go with Stephan.

[Laroise Hawkins]

But understand this. A script had never spoke to me as much as this one had because it had so many layers that hit me personally. Now, there's a. There's a character in the episode that's essentially the bad guy or the. You know, the guy that we. That essentially stole the Mustang.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

His name is Duke. Duke was also the name of my pet duck that I had growing up in Harvey.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, man. Remember, we talked about Duke.

[Laroise Hawkins]

We talked about Duke. You know what I'm saying?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

There's this line that Lolo who becomes

[Brian Lucci]

Lolo was the unwitting in this show.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Unwitting. That's the word I was looking for. I appreciate you, Human. Coming up.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, we'll kick it into that.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Says this line that I've even written once upon a time as poetry. If you're not in the way, you on the way. There's two types of people in this world. I've always said, people who are in the way. People are on the way. And so when he gives me that line in the diner, the way it hits me is very. It helps you feel like. I think that's what helps the scenes in these moments, because there were these. You're comfortable.

[Brian Lucci]

It's in your world, Right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

It's my world. And so what I was connecting to was extremely serendipitous. So whatever light that you might have saw in that moment was real.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

It was like, man, did this man just say what I thought he said? I think he did.

[Brian Lucci]

See, I. He researched, man. Like, so he's new this year, you know, So I believe. Yeah, I believe it's this season. He came on. So he's. He. I go there to la. I do my thing in la, you know. I work with all the writers, and he started pitching things to me, and I'm like, is this guy out of his mind? Like. Like that? Like, there's an episode and then there's a movie. Like, it was big. It was big, but it was interesting. And I'm like, I don't know if we could do it, but that's not my job to tell you. I'm just telling you as the police, okay, you want to do vehicular hijackings, you want to blow up a building downtown? This is how the police go at it. This is how we could do it, you know? And, yeah, he. The whole time in the back of my head, I'm thinking, we can't do this. You know what I mean?

[Laroise Hawkins]

But we did it, man. We did it.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Yeah. Gwen pulled through. We did it. And we did it with you, you

[Laroise Hawkins]

know, which felt extremely special. I'm like, dang, dude.

[Brian Lucci]

I walk up to this Mustang, Mustang. Forget, how about the Lambo? And we'll get into the Lambo.

[Laroise Hawkins]

The Lambo was crazy, too.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, when we spoke to Gwen and her podcast, she was so excited to talk about your arch this season. Not just about, you know, the little things, but, like, how you're so responsible and put yourself behind everyone that you got to take care of kids, you got to take care of buildings, you got to take care of birds, you got to take care of rules. It's never about you. You know what I mean? And she. She wanted to really look into there and figure out what it actually was and what it's been like for you. You know what I mean? Like, as. As growing. And I was wondering, like, you think we're doing it right? You think she's hitting it?

[Laroise Hawkins]

I do.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I do. I feel like we've grown into something. And I wouldn't be honest with you if I didn't say that we, from both sides, didn't experience growing pains.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know, really trying to figure out. Figure out who Atwater is and what makes him tick and why he moves, how he moves. And it started. And I'm grateful for this blessing. It started with his father when we were able to introduce Lou. You really that angry at me that

[Brian Lucci]

you gonna put your own father back inside?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Angry? Are you serious? Do I look angry right now? I don't got time for that. I mean, I used to be, but I had to get that up a long time ago. I had to make peace with you not being here so I could take care of Jordan and Vanessa. So I chose to remember the man that was good, the man that raised me, the one who took me on the midnight walks. Remember that? And that wasn't exactly what I imagined that Waters father would be. But I think that's what I love about. That's what I love about the challenge of collaboration. You know what I'm saying? And storytelling is where it's like, naturally, I can't help my. My natural references and my imagination of what I think some things should be. But neither can the writer who wrote it for me. You know what I mean? And then neither can the director, you know what I'm saying? Who's gonna have their own perspective and approach. And it's very important for everybody to bring the stuff that adds the most value to the table. And the hard part sometimes is admitting that certain things that you think doesn't actually add value to the story. And that's what was tough for me as I was really grappling with these storylines a lot of times. And, like, why do I bump on this and why do I bump on that? And having uncomfortable conversations with Sarge about the script sometimes and being like, I would love to bring life to this, but there's something about it that doesn't

[Brian Lucci]

really feel comfortable trusting the words. You're not trusting the story.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And then you finally figure it out. You finally get uncomfortable enough to where you comfortable being uncomfortable. Oh, wow. Right. And that's what Eric Lasalle used to always say. And I don't talk to Eric Lasalle that much. Not as much as you probably do, or even Sarge, But I don't have to, because I hear his voice all of the time. All of the time, I feel like I'm talking to him. Sometimes in moments when I'm on set or in moments when I'm digging into the dialogue, I hear Egg lasalle. Yeah. You know what I mean? And I'm like, I finally understand it or I can finally do it. You know what I mean? He used to ask me to do some things once upon a time that it was hard to say if I was capable of. And I know we told great stories, and I'm not ashamed or. Nor am I disappointed in any of the work we've done. I think everything we've done has been the best we could do in that moment. But our moments are growing in the better. In my humble opinion, better television because it's landing on me now. Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, we're meeting a new Atwater every year.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Every year.

[Brian Lucci]

I need an. And I love them. You talk about being A fan? No, I'm in love with them. I love them, you know, they're my family. And you're right, you have a preconceived notion of who this individual is, and someone shows up and you go, this is Mookie. You know, like, man, this ain't. This ain't Lola. This is Lolo. Like, you know, Lolo was white.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, right? Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I don't think Lolo was white. Like, did you.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I didn't. I did not. I didn't think Lolo was white. I didn't think KC was black. You know what I'm saying? It was a whole bunch of things that I didn't expect necessarily.

[Brian Lucci]

But Mindy. And we'll get into that.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love Mindy. Mindy was the sweetest. No, but. But I. I love smack. The brother that played Marcus, you're talking

[Brian Lucci]

about his name, his character name was Mark. And we were at the car dealership and he was the guy selling the car, who rebuilt the car with his dad for. All right.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Put all that work in it, you know. And he's a voiceover actor most of the time. And off set we were able to. Well, I was able to pick his brain just about the voice acting space, you know what I mean? And if I could brag about him, you know, he helped me understand, like, it was through voice acting that he'd really been able to support himself by homes and help his family, things like that.

[Brian Lucci]

God bless him.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And this was one of his first pictures in front of the camera where, you know, people actually got to see the face behind the voice. And you gave him one of the best compliments. And I think he walked away from our set with confidence because you told him that that was one of the best deaths that you.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, my God, we get. Yeah, we gotta talk about that. You know, I never seen that in my life. I. I've seen in 250 plus episodes, man, I feel like I'm talking over you. I'm just excited that you're here, you know, I feel goofy. In 250 episodes, I seen people die. I see people try to die, see people holding their breath. I seen the life came out of that kid. I had to walk in the alley because a person died in my arms, you know what I mean? When I was in the job, a couple people, blah, blah, blah. And it was the same thing. And I wouldn't even know how to articulate that. Note to There's a last breath that leaves a human being, but there's A light too. And that light is hard to explain. How it's just, it goes out and you're almost looking for somebody floating up in the sky. You know what I mean? Like, oh, my God. But you're stuck there, and you got to give him that peace. And when he did that, to be honest with you, I couldn't keep watching it. Like, it, it was tearing me up. It was so real when he died, man. Yeah, dude, it was, it was crazy. You know what it reminded me of? You know, out of this season so far, one of my favorite moments with you, and I'm going to ask you what one of your favorites moments was up to. This was, was. I'm going to throw a couple at you. Keep in mind we did a lot of stuff. You know, we blew up some shit downtown.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Mm.

[Brian Lucci]

You carried a floppy headed woman out of Ooh. Building with her head flipped over. Move on out.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Evacuate the building. Evacuate the building.

[Brian Lucci]

Everybody move out of here. You remember that, man?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Remember that, boy?

[Brian Lucci]

Gas fire. You couldn't breathe. We're going down hallways. The bell house. You searched the whole house yet?

[Laroise Hawkins]

No, sir. I'm pretty sure we're going to find some more. Serge. I, I seen a lot, but I ain't never seen nothing like this.

[Brian Lucci]

This is, do you remember this scene?

[Laroise Hawkins]

I remember the scene.

[Brian Lucci]

I, I, I got to give you that one. Yeah. Like, you, you brought up the dead guy, so I got to bring this up. I remember being outside the bell house, and you're like, luch, what do we do? We go through the technical end, you know, the gloves. This is what you got to do when you're searching. But when you open up that, that wall and you seen these people that you've been working for, because we knew there was a list of people, you know, missings and now families could have closures. And these are people that died a horrific death. You know what this, the pain they went through. And we talked about that. We talked about, think of all the people that lost some of it and never came home. And we took our time in that bell house and that mansion. Most of the time we did more work off screen than we did on. And after I talked to you, you just looked at me and you walked away. And I was like, man, I hope I didn't fuck that up. You know what I mean? I hope I didn't screw that up. But then I knew I didn't, because when you walked outside, you said, watch this, Luch. And then you walked up the void and it was just, he was he was talking to the commander outside, and we were doing a beautiful scene. Your face told a thousand stories. Like you. You will. I told you. These ghosts will stay with you.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

They will haunt you. These souls will be with you.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You.

[Brian Lucci]

No one will know in two months when you wake up screaming and you're a grown man and you're looking in the mirror of the bathroom, and you don't. And you're shaking. It's. It's these people. Not your call. My officer is giving her statement right now. Like I said, she was alone. No one else on my team has a word.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Just wait. Wait. Don't go in there until after we cleared.

[Brian Lucci]

What's going on? Kev?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Need you inside. You gotta see this. I saw a bent wooden panel along these window seats. I'm thinking Bell's hiding drugs, weapons. I was wrong. We're gonna need the mobile crime lab to come in here and search this whole house, aren't you? The conversations with you before, moments like those, I find them to become extremely essential at this point. And it's because you never know what. You never know what part you're gonna connect to. You know what I mean? And so that's why even when you feel like you might be rambling or you might be saying a lot, it's like, I think for us, it's important for us to hear it all, because everybody connects to different things. You might not connect to the fact that this is your first body that you've found in Saran wrap in a wall. You know what I'm saying? That might not be what connects you, but. But I know what connected me was when you told me that the job isn't done, like, now. Now the job actually starts. Because now all the families that didn't know what happened to their loved ones,

[Brian Lucci]

and you fought for that. And I think that ended up in the movie where you said, luch, what would I be doing? And afterwards in the bullpen, you weren't going home.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know, we had a. We have that moment at the end with me and Sarge.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know what I mean, where, you know, he tells me, good work. Pulled three more bodies out of the house with carjacking bills, facing 11 first degree murders. How is it? It's fine. Talk to Med. Blow it up. He's just fine. It's good. Get some rest. I think that that moment tells a story that, you know, Atwater is exploring the next page of, you know, behind. Okay, now that we got these bodies, now we still got work to do. We gotta inform families. You know what I'm saying?

[Brian Lucci]

We have people that are, like, lost. We have people that are missing.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

We have unidentified.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And so that's what I. So that's what I remember connecting to out of everything that you told me.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, I love that.

[Laroise Hawkins]

In that moment, it was like, o. Oh, okay. So let me hold on to that. And so that was actually what I was able to think about, you know, and we.

[Brian Lucci]

And getting somebody's family to rest.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Right, right, right. Finally, and I think earlier this season, it was Jesse Lee Soffer himself who taught us an important lesson about thinking.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, God, I remember that.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, yeah. And I remember it really hit you. It stuck with you in a way that, you know, it became something that is a tool that you use now with us.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And you always cite Jesse. You let us know where you got it. But that's the thing, you know, it's like, okay, what is it that I'm actually thinking about that might be, you know, I don't think it's right or wrong answers. I think some things are more effective than others. But when I'm learning my experience, and this is what Erica Sal taught us, we don't believe in what's right. We don't believe in what's wrong. We believe in what's real.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And so as long as we focus on what's real and what was real for me was thinking about the fact that, damn, I got all these families that I have to inform.

[Brian Lucci]

So you were thinking the whole time.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. You're right. Jesse. Jesse Lee Sofer. It can't be easy being an actor coming back on a show where he acted and direct. But the way he gives a note was fabulous, you know?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And I sat there and I listened. And when he said that, you know, you gotta always be thinking, me and you, like, walked away. That's one of those moments. You know what I mean? What are you thinking about right now while you're acting? You know what I mean? It could be a starfish. It could be whatever it is. You gotta be thinking about something. Don't just have the answer. Don't make it spontaneous. And you're right. You're right. That was a golden nugget.

[Laroise Hawkins]

It was a golden nugget. I was able to give it to a couple officers yesterday that were, you know, in that shootout moment. Oh, cool. At the end of the episode that we're doing now. And what I asked him to think about was just like, you know, y' all Are two. Two cops. What were y'? All? You know, how many. Have you ever shot anybody? Have you been in situations like this? Try to imagine where you from and where you were on your way to before you decided to come here.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, getting tacos at 63rd Street.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And you know what I'm saying? And it can be that you're supposed

[Brian Lucci]

to have your daughter's party after this,

[Laroise Hawkins]

you know what I mean?

[Brian Lucci]

That may not come.

[Laroise Hawkins]

That may not come. And when you turn that corner, your job is to be the best police you can be. Just be good police. And that's what I told him to think about. I said, just think about being good police. You know what I mean? Like, eliminate the threat. You understand? Like, take it all in. You see what's going on. If you gotta eliminate that threat, do it. You the one who gotta go home tonight. You know what I'm saying?

[Brian Lucci]

None of this is on the page.

[Laroise Hawkins]

None of this is on the page. None of this is on the page. And just really just going there and do your best. Do your best to be good police. And I feel like they connected to that. And the more we shot, the more comfortable they got. I saw some amazing stuff yesterday, just watching actors, you know, I didn't have that much to do in the scene, and so I was actually able to kind of help, you know, Angelo, some of the stunt guys. Like, it was a team effort. Everybody came in and really contributed to making sure that the integrity of the shot was positive from the cop perspective.

[Brian Lucci]

We gotta take a quick break, but when we come back, Laroise and I get into the best parts of shooting last night's Chicago PD episode. It's called on the Way. So as we say on the show, hold down an anchor. Cause we'll be right back.

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[Brian Lucci]

And we're back talking with Chicago PD's Laroise Hawkins, aka Kevin Atwater. You ready to dig into this episode? 13:11?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Let's go.

[Brian Lucci]

Because we talk so much about him. First of all, big shout out to director Keisha Sharp and the writer, Stephen. Like we just said, the man, you know, he don't write episodes. He, he writes features. And what I gotta say that that was so wonderful about Stephen Rightness was, you know, he's in la, they're on LA Times. So it's two hours difference, dude. One ring and he's, he's, he's answering. Yeah, I'll be on set. Hey, bro, I got this problem. I got to change this line. I got to move this around. Are we cool with this? Yeah, Luch. I mean, at 5am he's rocking and rolling. So like I would send him before there was a problem, you'd come up to me or something and he said, do we really want to kill this guy? Can we kill that guy? Like we Were pivoting. You remember that with Keisha? Like, Keisha was rocking and rolling.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And there's a lot of moving parts, especially at that auto place. And he answered, and you go, okay, Episode already got my computer. Like, he might have been on a. I don't know. Like, he. He was always ready. He might have been, like, brushing his teeth, washing his ass, and typing away at the. Hitting them keys.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know, I share the same experience, man.

[Brian Lucci]

Because you called him, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

He was there for me every time I needed something. If I had a question or just wanted to unpack something with him, he was. He was in the pocket.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, I. And he listened.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

All right, so the guest stars, we talked about.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Lolo. Lolo.

[Brian Lucci]

Casper.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, Casper.

[Brian Lucci]

Cool. Right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Now, Casper was cool. Duke. Yup.

[Brian Lucci]

Mindy. And most of the time, you wouldn't give a shout out to somebody like Mindy. So Mindy was the lady at the auto part place when you went to go buy that Bullet car, the Steve McQueen bullet car.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Right.

[Brian Lucci]

There was just something special about that lady. Right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

There was something special about that lady. And she. She. She was so excited to be there. You know what I mean? And I think it translated in the scene, you know, just her excitement. And you trust her, you're gonna get a hug, you know? And she was about to give me a hug with that financing, you know what I mean? Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Do the paperwork.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Let the record show that paperwork was about to feel good. I was getting $2,500 off, you know, they was probably about to overlook some things on my credit, you know, like, Ms. Minnie was about to take care of me.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. And Gwen and Steven. Weave those words in there, like, can't let anything step into something you love. You gotta get this girl right? And they were talking about one of the greatest guest stars on this episode, Ms. Tasha Fox. No, no, no. What was in Tasha Fox's belly?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Go on. Little sip of water. Relax, you know. You know, whatever. You know, we gonna nickname him Bullet.

[Brian Lucci]

You gonna call him Bullet? Oh, I love it.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know what I'm saying? Because.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, because of the car.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, because of the car. But also because I've been dodging bullets my whole career.

[Brian Lucci]

Couldn't dodge that one big shout out to our stunt coordinator, too. And I'm gonna tell him why. Our stunt coordinator, just a down to earth, super cool dude. Tom Lowe.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Tom Lowe.

[Brian Lucci]

He's just like, mellow as mellow could be, but he gets the job done. And once you see his work, you see what's Leaking out of him, like, when he's having fun, you know, for this one, the writer wrote he wanted to get a car that was the most iconic police car in the world. You know, to me, it was a little bit older. And you had a car, too. I think we talked about Shaft's car or something. Right? Like, what was it?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, I remember. I remember Chad. Chad actually hit me up. And this is what's crazy. Chad didn't know that I had already. I had already bought into the Bullet Green demonstration from the Steve McQueen movie, because in my mind, I always wanted Dababy nickname to be Bullet.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, so you locked in on the Bullet for the nickname?

[Laroise Hawkins]

I locked in. So Chad called me, and he was like, you know, we're wondering if it might make more sense or if you connect to the car from Shaft.

[Brian Lucci]

Right, right, right, right.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Which I understood. I understood why. But had my imagination not already taken me to the, you know, the Bullet, then I probably. I probably would have went with Shaft, because why wouldn't I connect with that a little bit more? You know what I'm saying? And I think culturally, that's something unique and cool, you know, that we could play with.

[Brian Lucci]

But the story was nice, man.

[Laroise Hawkins]

But the story was nice.

[Brian Lucci]

He wanted it to be sold to somebody. And here you are, a policeman coming in there, and all woven in there was like, you never take care of yourself. Like, they did this montage. Are you driving past it? Like, when. When would we have took in the time. Taking the time to do that? And you would just look like, man. And then finally, you got your ass out of the car, you know, and you walked up just to take a ride in it, you know, And. And kudos to Tom Low, because it was stick shift. That thing wasn't easy.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah. No, no, no, no. They gave me a shout out to Cheyenne. Cheyenne.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, Cheyenne did it.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Cheyenne's the Atwater stunt driver. And I never forget, one day I just got back in town, fresh off the plane. Me and Cheyenne met up in the parking lot, and he showed me how to get around in a stick shift. And it wasn't the. The Mustang that we used in the movie. It was, you know, just a stick shift that we had available. But it made me comfortable enough to feel like I can go in there and do my thing with the. With that moment when we were pulling up.

[Brian Lucci]

And the reason why I'm giving Tom Lowe such a shout out for this one is keep. Keep in mind, too, we did one of the biggest scenes in a long time in Chicago PD History. Buckingham Fountain.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Buckingham Fountain, dude, let me hear your

[Brian Lucci]

perspective of that scene, and I'm gonna jump into mine, man.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Man, you know how that's Hollywood. Nah, nah, nah, nah. I felt. I felt so special and extremely grateful the way that we shut down Lakeshore Drive at that time of night and created that kind of traffic, you know, like, nobody does that but Beyonce when she's at Soulja Field. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I was like, beyonce, Soulja Field traffic that we created because we had Buckingham Fountain, and Atwater had to have a moment. So that's something that I feel, you know, like that's a dream come true.

[Brian Lucci]

Can I set up the visual?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Set up the visual for.

[Brian Lucci]

I said, here's the visual. Hey, Luch, we're gonna need you downtown. We're shooting at night. It ended up being a gorgeous day, right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I said, okay, man, I'm going to go on a tech scout. I ain't missing this. So I pull up and I roll into Chicago policemen because they got too many of them out there, because we got to shut down Chicago. On Columbus by Buckingham, found Michigan Avenue. Lakeshore Drive is affected, right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

So there's this. There's this guy, was the acting commander that night. He was a guy that I worked with, was a sergeant, was such a good man. Like, old school Chicago. He's now the acting commander of the 18th district, right? He comes out to say, man, what's going on? Like, this is big. They had all these cops out here. They're gonna block it now. And a couple guys I worked with, Intelligence, couple guys I worked with in Narcotics, and I was like, I didn't realize how big it really was. Next thing I know, the buses pull up. We got 200 extras out. Yeah. Dressed scantily, right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

You heavy.

[Brian Lucci]

They got neon stuff going on. There's, like, now I see Tom Lowe. Tom Lowe's down the street, and he's got these souped up little skidding cars all over them. Floating cars, right? And they're practicing with their brakes. And we shut down Columbus, and the light comes up, and out walks Keisha Sharp. Probably one of the best dress directors you ever seen in your life.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You understand me?

[Brian Lucci]

Keisha Sharp got boots up to her knee, right? She got this leather Matrix jacket on, right? She looks like Keanu, right? There's a light that hit her, and she's one of the sweetest, nicest ladies in the world. And she says. She looks over me, she goes, you ready, boo?

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Call me boo. Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Got you Excited.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, dude, you just don't know. So here's Keisha standing in the middle of the street. We got the ad out there. We got time low. And then you walked into it. You went and talked to Tom low. You floated around. So I had Keisha and I had you, and I just stood back and I went, man. Is one of the biggest scenes of the year. I was so proud of our show. I was so proud of Chicago. I was so proud of something. I was part of that. The history of these cops that were out there watching us. And let me tell you something. That. That it was so real when we were doing it. Cars were spinning out, you know, doing donuts. Going back. It was. We. We replicated a real takeover, which has been happening across all these cities. It was so real that the Chicago Police Department has a specialized unit that reports the scenes like this. Didn't know we were filming. Went across Buckingham, Fountain of the Park. You remember this? And they jumped out with the strips that stopped cars. They throw them underneath the wheels. I can't think what they are. And we're like, dude, we're filming a movie. You remember that?

[Laroise Hawkins]

I remember that. Boy, they pulled out, and I felt like I was back in Harvey and the jump out boys was in the pocket. I was like, oh, snap, what's going on? For real? But no, it did feel so real.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

That those cops had to. They had to pull up and see what was going on with us. And by the time they realized, you know, that we were Chicago pd, we shooting a movie, it was hilarious.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, someone said, how did he not know? I said, listen, man, there's 13,500 coppers, right? You're talking about the first district in the 18th district, where it's your downtown. It's saturated with specialized units of people from everywhere. Not everyone's going to a roll call saying, hey, this is what we got going. That's what's going. They're out there working. You know, they're trying to prevent crime, save lives, do their job, but they're coming from all walks of the city. I remember them guys pulling up and then pulling away. And I said, well, we must be doing it right.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Hey, that mean we was doing something right, Luch. Yeah, we was doing something right. But. But you gotta understand, man, those. It's hard not to embrace those moments. That's why that team effort is so important. You can't do that scene without Esteban. Lil Esteban. That's Esteban.

[Brian Lucci]

Special effects.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Special effects. Esteban. Just throwing the. You Know he responsible for the smoke.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know what I mean? And so it's like. It's those elements. You gotta think about every single element involved. You gotta think about how Louie put these lights together and how we had to be specific with even how we lit up the Buckingham Fountain. Like, we had. Like, that was a collaboration between Louie and the city of Chicago to get those lights at a certain level for the. For the fountain.

[Brian Lucci]

Two of the guys that work there are friends of mine. You know, all the guys, the street, you know, they come over the water department. I get a text. I'm like, man, I can't talk right now. I look down, it's a dear friend of mine, right? And I look over, he was checking to see if I'd answered his call. He runs the whole water department over there, you know what I'm saying? So, yeah, he had to do.

[Laroise Hawkins]

So that's a team effort. And we don't have that scene without the city. So, you know, the team effort just makes me. Makes me feel like. Made me feel like Tom Cruise, you know what I'm saying?

[Brian Lucci]

In those moments, man, it was badass. So the true crime of last night's episode was vehicular hijacking. And it's happening across America, where it's sad. It's like young kids taking cars and stealing cars and going on joyrides and people getting killed. But this crew that you were working on, and what I loved about it is you really dove into this episode.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You.

[Brian Lucci]

You called me before, you called me after, you called me. Like, we really talked about it. Like, these guys killed three people from previous ones, and this was you going undercover as a cop. And we always say, like, okay, Larois managed Laroise. You're already playing at water, but now you got to play another guy. So you're three times removed, but you did your homework, and I love that. And you, the unwitting, it didn't pop up earlier, but it's in your head. You remember the unwitting, right? So what an unwitting is in the police world that I've worked in is, you know, you got cis, they're confidential informants. You got. You got people that are cooperating, defendants who work off a case. And then you got a guy who is an unwinning, which means he has no idea he's being played by the police. Yeah, he has no idea. Later you're going to flip him. But he's the weakest case on that guy, you know? I mean, so he didn't Pull the trigger. He just drove these guys to these vehicular car jackets. But ultimately, people died. They didn't go home. You sat down with him at. At a famous breakfast place downtown. Basically had pancakes with him.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, and. And to be honest with you, we talked about how this huge scene downtown. You know what one of my favorite scenes was? When you broke it to him that you were the police.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, that was heartbreaking. He said you shared stories with me.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Right.

[Brian Lucci]

Could you tell me about that scene? You remember anything?

[Laroise Hawkins]

What I remember about it is feeling like, man, I wish I would have. There was a moment where I really could have let him know that I know him and called him his real name. If it was ever a moment for me to call him by his real name, which was Lawrence. Remember his name was Lawrence. Lolo Vaughn.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah. And if I would have called him.

[Brian Lucci]

You didn't tell me this. I love this.

[Laroise Hawkins]

But, you know, I'm just thinking about. They were in my notes. I just forgot. I just forgot them in that moment. But, you know, that's his. So it's like in that moment when you show him that you, the police, when you let him know that you got a tracker on his car, you've

[Brian Lucci]

been following him, you give him his birth name.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I'm gonna give you a birth name, Lawrence. And I need you to keep on helping till we bring in Duke. But that. That moment was my favorite moment about that, honestly, was trusting the words. Because I remember doing homework the night before and feeling like something didn't flow. And it was a moment where we were shooting Lolo's coverage and you were there the whole time. And let the record show, when Lucha's there, there's not just an energy, but a power, you know what I mean? That he has. He can veto vibes of ISIS as they pull up in the moment. And so Luch left right before my coverage. So the line that I got comfortable saying on Lolo's coverage now, since Luch isn't there, isn't. Okay.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, man.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And I appreciate that moment. At first, I was mad at you, Luch. I was like this, man.

[Brian Lucci]

Well, dude, I wasn't going to the movies. I had.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I know.

[Brian Lucci]

Working through all this shit.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I know that naturally. But it helped me because it forced me to trust the words.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, nice.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And it was a little uncomfortable in that moment. I had to break out of the rhythm that I had established. But in my humble opinion, it made for a better scene because the words as they were, but more than Enough. You know, I just had to, you know, I had to wrap my mind around him. And had you been there, I wouldn't have stretched myself to wrap my mind around something that I probably wouldn't have. You know what I mean? It probably. It wouldn't have been as dope, dude.

[Brian Lucci]

This segues directly into something that was my favorite moment. I started talking about my favorite moment, and it's gonna hit you when I say it. Every day we eat lunch in a place that we call the motor pool.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And we did a scene there called the Candy Shop.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Right.

[Brian Lucci]

But it wasn't a scene. I'm gonna tell you the moment. The actor that we had was going through actor's block, if it's okay to say.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

The words weren't hit him.

[Laroise Hawkins]

He was just this big homie. Angelo, Angelo.

[Brian Lucci]

Big loving, awesome human being.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Good brother.

[Brian Lucci]

Good. Just he was having a problem. And you took him under his wing. So gentle, so beautiful. Just kept going over the lines. Kept going over the lines. And, like, I was excited to go see this. You know what the Candy Shop is in the Chicago Police department is all the vehicles that are seized, like in drug raids or, you know, they use drug money to buy it, or they stole this and that. So we got Lambos in there. We got all this other stuff, and there's things that we use as the polices, undercover when you want to play, like, a big dope dealer or something. So it was cool. So I was excited to go there. All that went to the side when I seen this unselfish, incredible human being that was helping this other actor that was just there for the day, that had this special moment. But not just you. You Taurus. And you're right, Keisha, because Keisha was an actress, you know, still is an actress. And you three were the sweetest human beings. And it was killing that poor man dude.

[Laroise Hawkins]

So I changed the storm. He hit a storm. Yeah. Which can happen to anybody.

[Brian Lucci]

Exactly.

[Laroise Hawkins]

That the Record show can happen to anybody. And my favorite part about his story, you know, he pulled up from New York.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

He pulled up from New York to do that for that role specifically. And he shared with me that his father, his late father was an actor. Wow. And acting was something that he always wanted to try in reverence and honor of his father. And, you know, he had been trying to break into it, and this was one of his first roles, you know what I'm saying? Where he was really able to kind of like, lock in a certain way, and he just got a little nervous it was the nerves of a bunch of stuff, you know, because it's nerve wracking enough just to be on set, minus these emotional connections that you might have to the moment that you're trying to share.

[Brian Lucci]

Thinking about your dad, your pops, you

[Laroise Hawkins]

know what I'm saying, all of that. So, you know, he had just hit a storm, but the way he came through was beautiful. The way he came through was beautiful. And when you see the final cut of that scene, you would never know.

[Brian Lucci]

You would never know. No one knows the behind the scenes shit that went into that. And the love and the respect and the heart and, you know, like, I was making my calls, I was changing lines. I was. I pulled you to decide, what if we say this? What if we don't point at this car? I don't need to bulletproof this.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

What about, you know, I mean, then he's going to genuflect over here. So you. You jumped in and we ad lib some words, right? And I was like, there's my guy. Yeah, we were calling audibles, you know, and. And you're right. You know, when you see it and when people watch it, last night would have no idea. But go back and watch it and just know that the love that went

[Laroise Hawkins]

into it, a lot of love went into that scene.

[Brian Lucci]

The thespians and the directors, and it just seems like, oh, we're gonna go pick a car. It ain't. And there's so many scenes like this in our world that people have no idea. You know, the heart of it. You know, like the work that went into it. To be there and to see the Lambo and see this and see that, that scene was a straight up bitch.

[Laroise Hawkins]

We were pulling off some seamless ruses in this episode.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, from.

[Laroise Hawkins]

From the 50:20, not the 50:21. But when we have to, you know, when the code red comes in at Lakeshore Drive, when I get the code word Miami.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Miami, yeah.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And then the police pull up, you know what I mean?

[Brian Lucci]

So officers are given a distress signal which, like they, you know, maybe they rub their hat or to get a code word right. And the code word was Miami. Burgess said, why don't you go with Miami?

[Laroise Hawkins]

And I love that moment. Burgess moments are so flawless. And I watched Burgess, I watched Burgess put them together. And I appreciate Burgess so much because

[Brian Lucci]

I hate how good she is. She complimented that episode so much that it reminded me the back in the day B stories when I would watch you guys in uniform and remembered these are cop stories. We're telling these are the hard ones. These are the in progress calls. These are the go to the door and talk to the lady because her kid. You mean that? That kind of stuff. Like seriously the heart of it. And that's where you learned. And these guys that just got plucked out of the academy and came in have no idea what it is to wear the blue like you. You and her shared that. And she has the right to tell you, why don't we make it Miami, right? You walked out giving her that side eyed, one eyed cat in the fish tooth fruit store, looking at you two sons of man who killed it, but who came up with the word, you

[Experian Announcer]

know what I mean?

[Brian Lucci]

Like, you really gotta be in to the. It's Gwen, it's Gwen, it's Steven, it's. Yeah, it's these people. They knew that Miami, you know. You son of a bitch.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think, I think it's. I think. And I think that's a testament to what happens when, you know, if you're intentional and allow a writer. And hopefully Stephen feels good about the Atwater assignments when he's giving them, you know what I mean? Yeah. I can tell he enjoys them just by how well the scripts turn out. But at the same time, I think it's a testament to allowing a writer the elbow room, you know what I'm saying?

[Brian Lucci]

Speaking to you, though.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah. To speak into a character or into a story for so long, you know what I mean? You find those deep nuggets where you can use, you know what I'm saying, the title from the last episode as the code word for this episode. I'm interested in what's next.

[Brian Lucci]

You got to go undercover. This episode, was there anything special or fun from you? Cause I feel like I did most of the talking. I worked in OCD for years so I could give you it. You know what I mean? That's easy.

[Laroise Hawkins]

What I liked about. What I liked about it was a question that I asked Gwen and Steven, and you were involved too, Chad. Like, you know, I consider y' all the powers that be. So remember when I asked the powers that be, you know, what is our win for this episode? You know, like, what would be the win, if there is one? And one of the wins that Gwen reminded me of is that, you know, there's a certain pace to certain episodes, and the Atwater episodes are here to kind of break a pace for a minute, you know what I mean? And kind of refresh palates and then we get back into being extra intimate. And cerebral in the cases, things like that. And so I was given the green light in my undercover moments to add the appropriate amount of humor that our show allowed.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, yeah, yeah, you're right.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And it was grounded, you know what I mean? And so I appreciated that challenge because, you know, I come from stand up comedy, and anytime I get to utilize that timing, I'm grateful, you know what I mean? Because you want to use your chops, and there's certain chops you don't get to use all the time on Chicago pd. And so when I was given the green light in those undercover moments to own a humor and a love that was more grounded in love in the work, but it's okay to go there, you know what I'm saying? And sometimes I think I might have went too big. And I think the moments that landed are the moments that we have. And that's what I'm grateful for in these undercover moments where I was kind of really just able to be loose and really enjoy it, you know, enjoy who the character was. Like, sometimes I think the golden handcuffs, which is the formula of the show, you know, don't allow us to really color outside the lines. At least they haven't historically. And so when I was given a little elbow room to color outside some lines, I was like, wow, this. It really allowed me to dig deeper into who the guy is, because I wasn't restricted my imagination, just let him ride. And he felt pretty real.

[Brian Lucci]

I got a quick question for you. We gotta jump into this shit, right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yes, sir.

[Brian Lucci]

Are you as excited as I am about Tasha's baby?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Why it gotta be Tasha's baby?

[Brian Lucci]

Well, I'm just saying that baby.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Nah, I actually am. I'm very excited to see you can be a father. Yeah, that's wild. And that's what I've been trying to think about. Like, you know, the very next episode, and I asked Chad to, you know, like, keep me in the pocket. I was like, chad, like, there's a difference between a guy that's solving crimes and saving lives and a guy that's solving crimes and saving lives. And he's about to be a father soon.

[Brian Lucci]

Right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

And so, like, how do you, you know. And Chad is helping me, you know, navigate through the small things that I can think about that help. For example, if in the next episode, hypothetically, there's a pedophile involved Once upon a time. Yeah. I mean, nobody loves pedophiles, but it's a different emotional connection to a pedophile or pedophilia. Textures when you have a kid on the way, or when you have a kid or when you're about to be a father. You know what I mean? So those are the adjustments that I've. That I've enjoyed trying to find and explore, because you know how our show is. We not gonna touch on it all the time.

[Brian Lucci]

Right.

[Laroise Hawkins]

It's really up to us as characters to hold on to those textures that they give us and see what happens. But now I'm very excited, but I'm also nervous.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, you gotta be nervous.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I'm nervous, Luch. I ain't gonna hold you. I'm more nervous. It's similar nerves to how you get, you know, I have a son, 8 years old, Roman Giant. And he was born in the middle of a scene.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. And those guys drove out to the hospital.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know what I mean? And so it's like, I wonder how this baby will be born. Will he be born in the middle of a crime scene? Of a scene. You know what I'm saying? But also, it's like the nature. Similar to the nature of fatherhood in general. There's a nature to being a father on crime shows where you hope everything works out. You know, I'm optimistic about everything working out. Yeah. And, you know, it's hard to say. It's not that up to me, but it also, you know, it's just like fatherhood. It's like you don't know what you're gonna do. It's not that up to me.

[Brian Lucci]

I remember when you told me, you know, I'm gonna have a son. And I'd seen the pictures of this beautiful little man growing up. You know, he's playing basketball. He's doing this, you know, being a copper. I. You know, I. Billy, my son. Billy's James, Matt, Kate. I got four kids. You know, they're 30, 29, 25, and 18 now. And I look back and I missed so much being the police. And the unit that you're in, you're gonna miss it, too. So when they said, you're gonna have a kid, I was like, oh, man, I already know the. I want to tell. Like, I had an argument with a cop one time. I said, this guy's a dog. We got to work on this case, man. He's going home. And they're like, you'll understand later. I'm like, what do you mean, I'll understand later? Like, there's 10 kilos up in the house. We ain't leaving. Like, we're. We're on the clock. Like, we Got to wait. He comes out. I got to see a judge. I got to do. Like, he doesn't care about that. He cares about the kids. And the very guy who I was like, I can't believe this guy's being a dog. He was right. He would leave. He would spend time with his family. He didn't miss those birthdays. He didn't miss those things. I did because I put the job first, right? And when they said, you're coming to have a baby, I just sat down, I went, oh, man, I got a whole book for this dude of the mistakes that I made that I can't get back. Like, I see. I see my kids now, and I'm like, oh, my God, you know what I mean? What I gave for the show, I mean, for the city. And what you do now, like, Your days are 12, 14 hours, right? You can't see little man, but imagine.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And I appreciate you creating that connection because. Because it's an authentic reflection of how fatherhood actually feels for me sometimes. You know what I mean?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Right now?

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah, like, right now. You know what I'm saying? I miss some things. I miss some things. You know what I'm saying? And I think at this point, it's important to embrace and there's no wrong answers. It's really about what's real and what makes the most sense for the family. What makes more sense for my family is exactly, you know, how we getting down, where if I feel a little job first sometimes because of, you know, what the family needs and what the family legacy represents, it's like you really have to balance your time.

[Brian Lucci]

Let me tell you this. Mrs. Fox is going out on the street because she's not all the way pregnant yet. She isn't showing. So she's coming back to Chicago, right? She took her leave. Absent. Now you got a female cop out there who you love, who knew every. Like, they, they, they.

[Laroise Hawkins]

And I saw the same thing happened to Burgess.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. So now she's. She's driving to and from work. This is the woman that you love. Now, you got to think about that. Do you want her to stay at home? Is that right? To leave your lady at home like

[Laroise Hawkins]

I want my lady to stay at home? I ain't gonna hold you, Luch. Yeah, that's what I want.

[Brian Lucci]

But you can't do that to her. She wants to be out there. She wants to be the police. You're going to take away the very thing that you love.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You're going to.

[Brian Lucci]

Because she's carrying your baby. For nine months.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Yeah. She got to relax.

[Brian Lucci]

No, you got to relax. No, you got to look into her pov.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I understand her pov.

[Brian Lucci]

Listen, she's carrying around a bullet, right? She can't take a bullet.

[Laroise Hawkins]

She got a bullet in there.

[Brian Lucci]

We got a baby coming to Chicago. Petey, he's going to come out. Like I was picturing him. I was thinking, man, I want to be there. Things are going to come out with all wide eyed like a sugar glider, you know, this beautiful little baby coming out, little water. And I'm thinking, what do I call him? I would call him Sip. You know, Little water.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Simple water.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, sip like you take a sip of water like your niece is little water.

[Laroise Hawkins]

I'm like, right, right, right.

[Brian Lucci]

Small as. I can't call him Drip. Maybe I could call that little fucker Drip.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Hilarious, man. He.

[Brian Lucci]

Here we are. You met this girl. You're finally thinking about yourself. You finally made that text. You got a baby.

[Laroise Hawkins]

You know what the text said? Uh, it took me a while to write it, but what I was, you know, I was trying to conceptualize how I would get her to come back. You know, Atwater can be a little poetic sometimes.

[Brian Lucci]

So this ain't written from them, this is written from you, right?

[Laroise Hawkins]

And so what took me so long with the text was really trying to get my words together. And so what I wrote was something like this. From the heart to the first responder. If you ask me what I want and what I really need. 394 speed, bullet green. I just want to feel the power of my own dreams. Is there a manual for meeting moments? My issue is I miss the way you saw things. Like a soft kiss, you sure can make a vision visible and hard to miss. Pardon my tardiness, but hurry up and take your time because you started it. From the heart to the first responder.

[Brian Lucci]

Drop the mic. That was it, baby. That was Atwater and Lucci Laroyce Hawkins kicking it here in the official One Chicago podcast. And I gotta say, we never went out better than this. That's a wrap.

[Laroise Hawkins]

They gonna have to leave us alone.

[Brian Lucci]

That's my guy, Laroise Hawkins. A smooth talker, fantastic actor, and just an all around great guy to hang out with. See what happens next with him and his little baby Bullet. Or as I like to call it, Sip of Water. Every Wednesday night on Chicago PD. And check out all the One Chicago shows. You don't want to miss a thing. One Chicago airs on Wednesday night at 8, 7 Central on NBC. And you could stream it on Peacock. The One Chicago podcast is a production of Wolf Entertainment and USG Audio. The 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 johnielle Kastner at Spoke Media. Our showrunner is Derek John, our producer is Maggie Dubrizi and our audio producer is Jason Mark. Video Producer 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'.

[Laroise Hawkins]

Hara.

[Brian Lucci]

This series is produced by Spoke Media and distributed by Realm. Production Support for USG Audio by Josh Lalonghi I'm Brian Luch. Thanks for listening and we'll see you all soon.

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[Brian Lucci]

Ross.

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