One Chicago LIVE at C2E2!

Summary

One Chicago Podcast: LIVE at C2E2!

Podcast: One Chicago Podcast
Date: April 16, 2026
Host: Brian Lucci (Wolf Entertainment, ex-Chicago cop, Chicago PD producer)
Live Host at C2E2: Matt Rodriguez (NBC Chicago broadcaster and crossover cast member)
Guests:

• Hanako Greensmith (Chicago Fire)
• Jocelyn Houdon (Chicago Fire)
• Larois Hawkins (Chicago PD)
• Jesse Schramm (Chicago Med)

---

Episode Overview

In this lively, audience-packed episode recorded at Chicago’s pop culture mega-con C2E2, the One Chicago Podcast brings together favorite stars from Chicago Fire, PD, and Med. Guided by Matt Rodriguez, the actors share behind-the-scenes stories, celebrate their connection to the city, and reflect on portraying first responders. The conversation ranges from personal journeys and set hijinks to the deeper meaning of their roles and Chicago’s impact on their lives.

---

Key Topics and Insights

1. Pre-One Chicago Journeys: Life Before Fame

[08:02–15:12]

• Jesse Schramm recalls her Instagram full of sunsets and travel photos—“A lot more random traveling sidewalk shots... and then my feed is Chicago Med.”
  • Gradual transformation from a “guest for five days” to deep comfort and growth in a recurring role.
  • Quote: “The gift of consistency as an actor… is what I’ve loved most about this.” (Jesse Schramm, 09:04)
• Larois Hawkins discusses finding grace to grow into his TV cop character, referencing his unique journey from a college theater kid to television history.
  • Quote: “You need grace to grow, and so I’m very grateful... We’re all a big part of being a part of the Wolf institution...” (Larois Hawkins, 10:47)
• Jocelyn Houdon describes waiting on the “other side” of her big break and the gratitude that accompanies finally landing it.
  • Quote: “I will never forget the other side because I wanted so badly to be on this side.” (Jocelyn Houdon, 13:04)
• Hanako Greensmith says the show is “like the Chicago Fire Academy”—a training gym for actors, especially coming from musical theater roots.
  • Quote: “It’s a massive gift over and over and over again.” (Hanako Greensmith, 14:21)

---

2. Set Culture: Pressure, Comedy, and Community

[15:15–28:00]

• C2E2 is embraced as a joyful gathering, with cast members excited to immerse themselves in convention activities (“I saw sword fighting... I’m taking off my heels and going immediately there.” – Jocelyn, 15:44).
• Handling Pressure:
  • Larois Hawkins compares set life to a battlefield, crediting performance as his continual motivation: “Every moment that I have to perform... I would do it for free, quite honestly.” (17:37)
  • Jocelyn Houdon and Hanako Greensmith see their set more like a “ball pit”—a place of levity and constant razzing that keeps everything fresh (“Only the wittiest survive.” – Hanako, 20:02).
  • Jesse Schramm admits she “still gets fully nervous” with stakes, especially during medical choreography: “My biggest fear is becoming complacent. So I still get really nervous.” (23:55)
  • The cast collectively credits the Chicago Med guest stars for keeping everyone sharp and preventing routine from dulling the experience.
• Cross-Show Experiences:
  • Med’s technical lines are “the hardest”; PD’s schedule is “the hardest”; Fire is a “shit show in its own way” but full of fun (Hanako, 24:01).
  • Hawkins jokes about adjusting his dialogue’s complexity for Med crossovers: “I was like, I never use these words!” (24:18)
  • Pranks, BBQ feelings, and distinct set vibes are common, with Fire famed for constant jokes and hijinks.

---

3. Food & Craft Services Rivalry

[26:36–28:28]

• Chicago Med’s craft services are legendary.
  • “There are whole foods and more Costco.” (Hanako, 26:55)
  • On Med, “we have themes. Fried Fridays... I had truffle pizza Friday.” (27:51)
  • Differing names for snacks: “Hot snack” (Med) vs. “Fat snack” (Fire). (28:08–28:11)
• General consensus: Med has superior snacks, making the job even sweeter.

---

4. Portraying First Responders: Deeper Understanding and Respect

[30:28–40:34]

• Hanako Greensmith: Entered during COVID, gained deep respect for paramedics’ daily trauma.
  • “I have a deep, utmost respect... I have been so lucky to learn just like 4% of what it is they do day to day.” (Hanako, 31:29)
• Jocelyn Houdon: Notes the “hurt and pain” first responders witness, and the responsibility to represent them accurately—especially as real firefighters work alongside them on set.
• Larois Hawkins: Shares a powerful personal story about negative experiences with police in his youth, his evolving perspective, and the importance of showing cops with integrity.
  • Quote: “There have been these... examples over time of, like, what not to be and exactly what to be.” (Larois, 32:30)
  • On fan pushback for playing a cop: “Once you see it... it’s easier to understand these cops once you can understand the human.” (35:30)
• Jesse Schramm: Values the chance to “pretend to walk in someone else’s shoes,” emphasizing the human and superhero elements in doctors. Shared anecdotes about medical training and being awed by the pressure real medics/doctors face.
  • Quote: “You have a lot more empathy... you see them more as humans. They’re superheroes 1000%.” (Jesse, 35:49)
• Collective sentiment: Exposure to first responders' world has made the cast strive to honor, respect, and reflect upon their work in a more complex, empathetic light.

---

5. Interactions with the Chicago Community

[42:38–47:12]

• The cast celebrates Chicago as “the greatest city in the world.”
  • Cross-over with daily city life: Filming is so embedded that people sometimes confuse sets for real emergencies.
• Fans are direct, passionate, and unfiltered:
  • “I’ve had a lot of weigh-ins on the love interests.” (Jocelyn, 44:02)
  • Fans approach, chase (in airports!) and give feedback, advice, or thanks—sometimes in the middle of medical procedures or shoe shopping.
• Jesse Schramm: “I feel blessed to be on a show and play a character that people feel so open and trusting to tell their stories.” (45:39)
• Community warmth and honest feedback forge a family-like connection between cast and Chicagoans.

---

6. Becoming Part of Chicago’s Fabric

[47:43–52:17]

• Larois Hawkins: “Sometimes I feel like the ‘96 Bulls… you’re just a part of the culture of the city.” (47:56)
  • Recounts being recognized by police (sometimes to comedic effect).
  • Describes his elevated community involvement—becoming Bud Billiken Grand Marshal, founding a scholarship program for speech team students.
• Hanako: Connects with the queer community and loves Chicago’s "apartment upgrades" compared to NYC.
• Jocelyn: Finds her place in the city’s fitness and soul cycle community—“It’s like her church.” (50:23)
• Jesse: Returning after years away, finds herself re-enchanted by the kindness and authenticity of Chicagoans, and loves exploring the city “like a tourist.”
  • “Less pretentious than most places that I’ve been.” (53:19)

---

7. Lightning Round: Cast Confessions

[53:52–56:47]

• Props anonymously “borrowed”: Socks and draws are most coveted.
• Prank culture: A rite of passage across all shows.
• Improvised moments: Several made it onto the show.
• Starstruck moments:
  • Larois: Meeting the dad from Smart Guy.
  • Jocelyn: Seeing Dermot Mulroney from "My Best Friend’s Wedding."
• Season in a Word:
  • Jocelyn: “Depth”
  • Hanako: “Grit”
  • Larois: “Family” (“The fact that we get to feed families... that's the best part.” 55:53)
  • Jesse: “Rebirth” (with cryptic reference to her “new birth,” not a spoiler...)

---

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “You need grace to grow, and so I’m very grateful...” – Larois Hawkins [10:47]
• “I will never forget the other side because I wanted so badly to be on this side.” – Jocelyn Houdon [13:04]
• “We run on comedy... one of the main traits that everyone on our cast has is humor.” – Jocelyn Houdon [19:55]
• “My biggest fear is becoming complacent. So I still get really nervous.” – Jesse Schramm [23:55]
• “Med has the hardest lines, PD has the hardest schedule, and Fire is a shit show in its own way—but fun.” – Hanako Greensmith [24:01]
• “The gift of consistency as an actor... is what I’ve loved most about this.” – Jesse Schramm [09:04]
• “Sometimes I feel like the ‘96 Bulls… just a part of the culture.” – Larois Hawkins [47:56]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [08:02] – Cast reflects on their life before joining the show
• [17:24] – Discussing pressure, nerves, and keeping work fresh
• [24:01] – Comparing challenges/quirks of each show (Med, PD, Fire)
• [26:36] – Rivalry over food/craft services
• [30:28] – Gaining respect for first responders
• [32:29] – Larois’ personal story about police
• [44:02] – Interactions with Chicago fans
• [47:56] – Being part of Chicago’s “fabric,” community impact
• [53:52] – Quickfire round: on-set secrets and highlights
• [55:47] – One-word season summaries

---

Tone

The episode is lively, playful, and honest—with warmth, wit, and Chicago pride throughout. Cast members riff off each other with ease, balancing deep respect for their subject matter with the humor and camaraderie that keeps their work (and friendship) fresh. The audience’s energy, plus vivid stories, makes this a must-listen for fans and newcomers alike.

---

In Summary

This C2E2 special offers a rare, joyful insight into the One Chicago universe. Listeners hear how actors grew into their roles, how the series changed—and was changed by—the city, and how the ensemble supports and razzes each other through long, hard seasons. Above all, it’s a celebration: of Chicago, its people, and the messy, hilarious, heartfelt family who brings its stories to life each week.

---

Highlights for Listeners Short on Time:

• [08:30–15:12] Early career & growth
• [20:16–23:55] Coping with pressure; staying fresh, honest
• [30:28–41:33] Personal and professional impact of representing first responders
• [47:56–52:17] Integrating into and giving back to Chicago
• [53:52–56:47] Lightning round w/ cast’s confessions and season summaries

---

Closing Note:
“Family first and foremost… every person on the show, in the cast, on the crew, represents a family that we get to feed.” – Larois Hawkins [55:53]

---

Listen to the official One Chicago Podcast every week and catch the shows every Wednesday on NBC and Peacock!

Transcript

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Insurance isn't one size fits all, and shopping for it shouldn't feel like squeezing into something that just doesn't fit. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressive's name your price tool for years. With the name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay and they show you options that fit your budget enough. Hunting for discounts, trying to calculate rates, and tinkering with coverages. Maybe you're picking out your very first policy, or maybe you're just looking for something that works better for you and your family. Either way, they make it simple to see your options. No guesswork, no surprises. Ready to see how easy and fun shopping for car insurance can be? Visit progressive.com and give the name your price tool a try. Take the stress out of shopping and find coverage that fits your life on your terms. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law

[Jesse Schramm]

this episode is brought to you by Prime Obsession is in session and this summer, Prime Originals have every steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice off campus Elle Every year after the Love Hypothesis, Sterling Point and more, slow burns, second chances chemistry you can feel through the screen. Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime.

[Brian Lucci]

Hey, I'm Brian Lucci, and this is the official one Chicago Podcast.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Action

[Larois Hawkins]

Today.

[Brian Lucci]

I got a special treat planned for you, shy hearts. Every year our city gets taken over by super cool pop culture nerds and story lovers. It's an event called C2E2, and this year we jumped in for a live recording of the podcast. Here's how it went down. A bunch of our Chicago Med Petey and Fire actors sat down with a new friend of mine, NBC Chicago's Matt Rodriguez. Matt's a real Chicago news reporter who got to play a news reporter in the crossover episodes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Ms. Goodwin, we're hearing reports that a first responder has can you confirm? No comment at this time.

[Brian Lucci]

So now that he's our official hometown in house reporter, I thought I'd put him to work interviewing some of your favorite actors. So we pulled together an all star lineup. Hanako Greensmith and Joselyn Houdown from Chicago Fire, Laroise Hawkins from Chicago pd, and Jesse Schramm from Chicago Medic. They're all coming up next, so don't go anywhere.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Starting or growing your own business can be intimidating and lonely at times. Your to do list may feel endless with new tasks, and lists can easily begin to overrun your life. So finding the right tool that not only helps you out, but Simplifies everything as a built in business partner can be a game changer for millions of businesses. That tool is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Gymshark, Rare Beauty and Heinz to brands just getting started, Shopify has hundreds of ready to use templates that can help you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style. And you can tackle all the important tasks in one place from inventory to payments to analytics and more. No need to save multiple websites or try to figure out what platform is hosting the tool that you need. And if people haven't heard about your brand, you can get the word out. Like you have a marketing team behind you with easy to run email and social media campaigns to reach customers wherever they're scrolling or strolling. Start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com realm. Go to shopify.com realm that's shopify.com real.

[Larois Hawkins]

This is the time when the best show what they're made of. And if I learn one thing, you are the best. So let's show the city how it's done.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. It's about to get heavy.

[Larois Hawkins]

Me and my team, we stay ready.

[Hanako Greensmith]

You got this.

[Matt Rodriguez]

You're pregnant. How could you not tell me There

[Brian Lucci]

are consequences to my team being benched.

[Larois Hawkins]

Lives lost. What the hell?

[Matt Rodriguez]

Do not get too close, Bobby Garvey.

[Larois Hawkins]

Whoa.

[Brian Lucci]

I want to get when the planets collide I am the star that will

[Matt Rodriguez]

shine bright she's gone, Dr. Lennox. Not until I say she is.

[Brian Lucci]

I am the same in the darkness of life I want my changing the dog.

[Jesse Schramm]

Hang in there.

[Hanako Greensmith]

We got you.

[Larois Hawkins]

My unit.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Let's move.

[Jesse Schramm]

Let's move.

[Matt Rodriguez]

This belief I'll work well together I'm

[Brian Lucci]

not the type to let anything slide

[Larois Hawkins]

I will keep fighting for my life Real Brady Bunch Fine new Chicago Wednesday on NBC. And Peacock.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Hi everybody. My name is Matt Rodriguez.

[Larois Hawkins]

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

[Matt Rodriguez]

So I work for NBC here in Chicago and I host a show called Chicago Today and I'm part of a show called Matt in the Morning and the Morning News. And I've been so blessed to get to many of these incredible actors from the One Chicago family and I'm honored to lead the first ever live studio audience. Was this a studio? We'll pretend it's a studio live audience for the official One Chicago podcast. You are first. So give yourselves a big round of Applause. And give these wonderful cast members a big round of applause. Are you guys ready back there? Are you ready? Let's bring out Hanako Greensmith and Jocelyn Houdon from Chicago Fire. The royce hawkins from chicago pd. And jesse schramm from chicago.

[Larois Hawkins]

Man.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Strut, girl. Strut, strut, strut, strut, strut.

[Larois Hawkins]

I'm Jesse Shramp.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah. We have to give a shout out to Brian, the lovely Brian Lucci, who typically hosts this podcast. He couldn't be here, so I am honored to step in on his behalf. You could not get a more opposite voice than mine. My little gay voice and his deep, raspy voice. So I'll try my best.

[Larois Hawkins]

Let's clap it up for Luch. Can we clap it up for Luch? Yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Clap it up for Matt.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Thank you. Somebody cares. So leaning into this, I went and scrolled through all of your Instagrams. Oh, some of you might want to delete some things. I'm kidding. But I went back to the beginning before all of you were. And I wonder if you can go back and take me back to those moments before you were working on a show that is of this magnitude and like what. What this has brought into your life. So why don't we. Jesse, why don't you kick that one off?

[Jesse Schramm]

Well, I had a lot more pictures of sunsets.

[Matt Rodriguez]

You did. You. You go deep. You've been posing for a long time.

[Jesse Schramm]

A lot of, like, jumping in the air shots and a lot more random traveling sidewalk shots. And then my feed is Chicago Med. I mean, this is where we are day in and day out, five, sometimes two, six days a week for 10 months. It's truly family and it's work and it's what we live and breathe and eat for a while. I cannot stress how amazing and how grateful I am for the gift of consistency as an actor. I love coming on shows. I love getting to play different characters. But there is a challenge to being with one character in one world and kind of an open ended story of where you're gonna get to go. So there needs to be a lot of decisions and an openness where a movie, you do that for three weeks, six months, it's done. This is an open storyline of a person that you're getting to know at the same time. And I feel like I recently went and watched when I first joined the show.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, you did On Peacock.

[Jesse Schramm]

You have to be very gentle with your ego. It was so fun to see what being in a space where you feel safe, how much you grow as an Actor and the different things that you get to focus on as opposed to just like. I mean, I still think every day, please don't fire me. But it's a little different when you get five days to do a job compared to you get a full season to create something, and you see your body language change. You see how you're more comfortable with being a doctor. And the words and growth is what I've loved most about this and that I didn't get to have before this show came along in the way that I do now.

[Matt Rodriguez]

You grew a lot this season, but we'll get to that.

[Brian Lucci]

Girl.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Laroise, you. I think the year you booked Chicago pd, I saw a post of, like, you were going out for a commercial audition, and you posted something like, I'm gonna book it this year. I'm gonna book it. And it was just like a little. You know, it was just like a simple pick. Like, gosh, he didn't even know what was coming. Or maybe you did.

[Larois Hawkins]

No. You know, you never really know. It's hard to say. I love what Jesse Shram said about growth. And what I. What I've learned about this journey is that you need grace to grow. And so I'm very grateful for the grace that I've had to really take my time with this role and really lock in on something that. That I think eventually, you know, this is television history, that we're all a big part of being a part of the. The Wolf institution, naturally, it just, like, puts you in an elevated pocket, you know what I'm saying, of television and storytelling that everybody doesn't get the chance to embrace. And, you know, I remember. I remember I was in college very soon before this whole thing opened up for me, and I was experimenting in the theater program with roles like, you know, I was the only black guy in the department, so I got to play the horse in Equus. And that's. And that's dope, you know what I'm saying? To be the horse when the little white boy is on your shoulders and you galloping around stages with them. And, you know, I remember that role really taught me that, damn, I could do anything, you know what I mean? And then you find yourself being the only black guy again, but differently now you get to actually bridge gaps between your culture and the cop community. And now you can be very intentional about the stories that you're telling, the same way I had to once upon a time. But it's like the levels change and the grace that you have to grow into These characters. And I mean, where else does that happen? You know what I'm saying? Who else can actually provide that other than a dick wolf? I remember when I wanted to play basketball and I was like, man, I'm gonna make it to the NBA. Never knew that NBC was actually what was in store for me. And I say that humbly also. Congratulations, NBC. It's been 100 years. Let's keep going.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah. Jocelyn, so you've had a. You've had a shorter time period.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

So maybe the changes have been less or maybe just as significant.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

No, I was just on the other side of having this job. And I will never forget the other side because I wanted so badly to be on this side. Yeah. And there was a long time of disappointments of testing for roles for, like, your dream job being in your hands, and then it. Getting something not working out and it goes away. And then also getting offered things that you have to say no to because you have to bet on yourself to get the job, you know, is. Is waiting for you. That's a scary time. Saying no to work and saying no to money. But I will never forget what it's like to not have this job. So I'm grateful every day. I also, there's some unexpected things like the, the. The growth that I don't know about you guys, but the growth for me is, I mean, you get to film something, then a few weeks later you watch it and you get to maybe improve.

[Jesse Schramm]

You get to make some changes if changes are needed, and you're like, oh, got it.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

And then you get to do that 22, 21 times a year. So I feel like just as an actor, I'm like, great. This is the best acting school gym I could possibly go to. And I just hope to get better always.

[Jesse Schramm]

Yeah. I call it.

[Hanako Greensmith]

I call it like the Chicago Fire Academy. It's like most of the time when you're a regular, you get to experience years of training in a way that you just would not get anywhere else. And similar with Jesse, I, like, watched some of my early stuff and I was like, oh, you're doing a lot. Yeah, I mean, I started in musical theater and this was kind of like my first on camera experience in a real way. So, yeah, it explains a lot of the really big choices in season eight and nine. But, yeah, it's been a wonderful learning experience. And then like, Jesse and pretty much everyone else said you're so connected and close to everyone you work with, so you feel total freedom. Like, if you get this huge emotional storyline you're not dealing with the stress of, like, I don't know anyone there. I'm gonna have to make myself comfortable. It's like, no, I'm completely at ease with everyone I get to work with. It's like a massive gift over and over and over again.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Is this your first convention like this? I think it's so joyful to see all of you, the audience. We just got to point it out, like, walking in, I was here with my co worker, Dot, and we were walking in and we were just smiling because people are just leaning into what brings them happiness, and you all feel comfortable and you can wear whatever you want, and I just love that energy. And you guys leaned in a little bit with your outfits. Have you been to a convention like this before? And are you excited you're going to hang out a little bit or I know you got to get to work.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Oh, we are hanging out there.

[Hanako Greensmith]

We saw.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

I saw sword fighting with these foam. I'm taking off my heels and going immediately there.

[Larois Hawkins]

I mean, that makes sense for Jocelyn, though. She's. She's truly like, she can sword fight. She knows karate. You know what I mean? She, like, she does her own stunts and she even does the stunts, People stunts.

[Matt Rodriguez]

She's begging to be on pd. She is dying to be on pd.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

I'll do your stunts,

[Matt Rodriguez]

please.

[Larois Hawkins]

She'll make it look better than me.

[Matt Rodriguez]

So I was lucky enough. I've been lucky enough to be an actor myself. I've been able to perform on Chicago Med now two times, and it's a real stretch. I play this very handsome Chicago reporter called Matthew Rodriguez. And I can't tell you how nerve wracking it was because everyone's like, you do this every day. I was like, no, I don't. I don't film in front of like, 300 people watching me expecting these exact words. I never get the lines right. So it was such an amazing opportunity to be able to do that. I just did it again with a paitha and having a paper, like, look at me, like, don't mess it up. She was really going, don't fuck it up. Because she's actually a swear, excuse my language for any kids in here, but I wonder how you guys deal with the pressure of it and the, like, how do you keep yourself going? How do you keep it fresh? How do you not, like, work yourself up every time? I know after a while you get more comfortable, but, you know, Larois, you've been on it for so many years. I imagine it's so different for you than someone like Jocelyn, who's fresh.

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah, man. You gotta understand, I'm originally a standup comedian. I started in church.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Amen.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Amen.

[Larois Hawkins]

And so not only is God good, but over time, you start to realize, like, wow, you know, there are levels to the battlefield. I like to call the stage the set. You know what I mean? I approach it like a battlefield, and you. You on your way to war, and you don't win every battle, but hopefully the war over time, you know, is. Is yours. And so, like, every. Every moment that I have to perform, whether it's in front of people on the stage or whether it's on set, I take that as an opportunity to, you know, express myself and as an opportunity to really, like, you know. I mean, I love performing, you know, and so I would do it for free, quite honestly. And so it's like when I go to work, I'm like, damn, I'm about to do something that's. That's going to last forever. And that honestly motivates me because I know, like, whatever we put down on wax today and keep in the can, it's never going anywhere. You know what I mean? Hopefully they. They. They do one of your best takes, and it doesn't always work out like that, but I think. But I think that's what keeps you going. That's why you watch film and that's why you continue to grow when you get better. Because eventually it does get better and better. And I've been able on this show to, like, I've been able to improve in ways that sometimes I surprise myself, which I think is what we want as performers. We want to surprise ourselves and be like, wow, I didn't know I could do that. And then you do it once, and then that's the high that you continue to chase. And so I just been grateful to be able to chase. Chase this high for so long. You know what I mean? I don't want it to ever stop. I ain't gonna hold you.

[Hanako Greensmith]

I have a different.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

I don't call the battlefield. Our set is more like a. Like a ball, you know, there's like McDonald's ballparks, like.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Like play place. Like play place.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

We're like a McDonald's play place.

[Matt Rodriguez]

It's.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

We, like, run on comedy, so that makes the environment fresh all of the time. No one takes each themselves or each other too seriously. Everyone's making fun of each other the entire time. So that really helps with.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, that's great.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think one of the Main traits that everyone on our cast has is humor. So that really helps.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Only the wittiest survive. Yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

So that. That helps us just, you know, you feel comfortable because everyone's making fun of you or punching your. You know, it's. It just feels like a family that you razz with.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Abusive families,

[Hanako Greensmith]

but so true.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

I couldn't agree more.

[Matt Rodriguez]

You've lived through it longer. Hanako, you doing all right? You get some bruises?

[Hanako Greensmith]

A lot of concealer. No, it's great. I think. I think you're absolutely right. Everyone around you keeps it fresh. But also, I think at the end of the day, it's really humbling when you're like, my only job is to tell the audience the story. So of course there'll be a take that I'm like, oh, yeah, that's exactly what I wanted it to feel like. But at the end of the day, as long as I know what needs to be perceived by the audience and the viewers and keeps them engaged, then I know we've done our job. So there's kind of a flexibility that you feel when you're comfortable on the set with that reality.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jesse, for you.

[Jesse Schramm]

I still get fully nervous. I get so nervous. I mean, we have a lot.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Come to the ball pit.

[Jesse Schramm]

What'd you say?

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Come to the ball pit.

[Jesse Schramm]

I would love to come to the ball pit. My ball pit is like. We had a scene recently that our schedule got moved around, and, you know, I'm playing a couple different things. I'm playing a recovered addict who's pregnant, and that is also now treating patients. And you have these intake seams. And recently we had 15 people in an intake scene. So our dances and our choreography. There's choreo if you are out of step on your choreography and if you cut that belly too soon. And special effects wasn't there to put, like, it's. The choreography is intense. That being said, I'm addicted to it. Like, I love the surgeries and intakes. For me, the hardest things are when you're just diagnosing, because I don't know what to do with my hands. And then you're always like, how much of a person? How much of a doctor? But we have so much humor in what we're doing, but we also have a lot of medical words. We have so many life or death situations, which is why humor comes into play with what you're doing. You need to break it up. There's no way that you could stay in that space all day long. But recently, we were filming things That I felt the pressure and the responsibility of the whole season was leading up to certain elements. And I get really nervous. Even though it is family, I've got some of our family in the room today. Ms. Alejandra Ford. You want to do good? For me, it's that thing of, like, I don't want to disappoint anybody and I want to make sure that we're telling the story and it's affecting the way that it needs to. And a whole season or a whole storyline has come up to this point and it's there. So, like, I still get really nervous. And one of the things that I was most concerned about with consistency is getting complacent. And so I always will try. I can work with a coach. I will always try and find something new. And to the credit of our guest stars that come on every single week, they bring their A games. So there are definitely times where maybe your character doesn't have as much going on as in some other episodes, but my God, when these people are hyperventilating and their leg has been cut off or different things that are happening, they're so beautiful and prepared and amazing. And maybe there was that one day that you thought that those four lines were going to be easy and you did not practice it the way that you should have practiced your monologue. And it shows. And for me, there's that thing of we have people coming in on a weekly basis giving their everything that. That just whips me into shape. So I said, while I'm so comfortable with our family, I also, like, don't want to disappoint them. And also my biggest fear is becoming complacent. So I still get really nervous. I get nervous if I'm going to be able to break the mold of what we've been doing or if I'm. If I'm, you know, we're all here because someone gave birth to us, so.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Right.

[Jesse Schramm]

But a lot of people can relate to certain storylines and like, like, I get really nervous.

[Matt Rodriguez]

What. What makes you all nervous?

[Hanako Greensmith]

Oh, I mean, going on Med is very nerve wracking because their lines are objectively the hardest. I would say meds lines are the hardest and PD has the hardest schedule.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Okay.

[Hanako Greensmith]

And fire is, you know, it's shit show in its own way, but really fun.

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah. I don't know why. I remember I was just on Med recently, did a little dance without a little plaque, had a great time. But I was like, why do I talk like this over here on Med? I'm the same Character, Bigger words. I had to. So I had to. In my mind, I had to come up with a reason why I was using all these ten dollar words with Dr. Charles. And I was like, maybe that's just how I talk to my medical friends. You know what I'm saying? Atwater likes to show off his vocabulary around these people. And I was like, yeah, this is. This is crazy. I don't even talk like this. But it was cop jargon. But I was like, I've never used these words. It was weird. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing how that works out. And then I. I like, I love going over there to fire.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

But it's. It's hard to get anything done. I don't know how y' all get anything done because. Because everybody over there is hilarious. Yeah, I think I'm funny too. And so it's like, all right, I'm not even. I'm just gonna go over there, just test my chops against. You know what I'm saying? The funniest people on tv, in my humble opinion. Christian Stolti, Dave Eigenberg. You know what I mean? Joe. Joe Minoso, David Eigenberg. David.

[Matt Rodriguez]

David's hysterical.

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah, you gotta stay on your toes.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

We love when they're inappropriate.

[Jesse Schramm]

You do feel like you've been, like, brought into, like, a barbecue and like you're kind of being hazed as you come in. And I'm definitely like, shram all over the place. You know, the pranks that go down. Like, during the crossover, we were doing some scene, and somebody came up. They're like, I can't believe you didn't make this joke. And I was like, oh, yeah, you don't get anything done during the day.

[Matt Rodriguez]

No, no.

[Jesse Schramm]

But it's so fun and it's so welcoming. And it's like, I feel like all of the sets are so arms wide open, but all have their own vibes of what they have to do and where. Where you need to step it up a notch. For sure. I could not do, like, I could not wear what the firefighters wear or run that. Marina runs like, oh, my God. There are so many different things. So we. We take the dialogue, and Burgess is

[Larois Hawkins]

faster than all of us.

[Jesse Schramm]

She runs and she hops and she does all these things.

[Larois Hawkins]

I'm like, burgess, slow down.

[Matt Rodriguez]

We could speed it up in post. What is this I keep hearing about the Chicago Med? Crafty is the best. So I. I've only experienced. Excuse me. I've only experienced Chicago Med. There's A great plethora of food backstage. Do you not all have that? Is it not the same for everybody?

[Larois Hawkins]

It's not the same.

[Hanako Greensmith]

There are whole foods in more Costco.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, wow.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah. For real. And we're, we're. And we're all these Aldi's, Costco, Whole food. I literally bring like a couple dollars cash when I'm going to Menset.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

You know what I'm saying? Just to, you know, tip and show patronage. Because that's how it feels.

[Jesse Schramm]

So we don't move. We have the stages. So they have the benefit of seeing sunlight during the days and feeling fresh air on their faces. We can come to work when it's dark and we leave when it's dark and there are no windows and it's all just like artificial light. So our crafty. We have a beautiful setup. We don't need to move from location.

[Matt Rodriguez]

That's true. I didn't think of that part.

[Jesse Schramm]

I mean, they are. They are very aware of our needs and they try and make people as happy as possible. And we have themes. Fried Fridays.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Jesse Schramm]

Very exciting.

[Hanako Greensmith]

I didn't know about the themes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

I had truffle pizza Friday. You had truffle pizza?

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

It was crazy.

[Hanako Greensmith]

They brought it to you?

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

My God.

[Larois Hawkins]

My God.

[Jesse Schramm]

We have hot snack. I mean, everybody has hot snack, but it's different when you're like in your chair in the doctor's lounge ready to eat.

[Hanako Greensmith]

You call it hot snack.

[Jesse Schramm]

Oh, do you not?

[Hanako Greensmith]

We call it. And this is so telling. We call it fat snack.

[Larois Hawkins]

No, but they got people like white gloves walking around like it's border.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

They massage you too.

[Brian Lucci]

We gotta take a little break, but stick around. We'll be right back with this special episode recorded live at C2E2 with Hanukkah Greensmith, Joselyn Houdown, Laroise Hawkins and Jesse Schramm.

[Jesse Schramm]

Girl, winter is so last season. And now spring's got you looking at pictures of tank tops with hungry eyes. Your algorithm is feeding you cutoffs. You're thirsty for the sun on your shoulders that perfect hang on the patio. Sundress those sandals you can wear all day and all night. And you've had enough of shopping from your couch. Done. Hoping it looks anything like the picture

[Hanako Greensmith]

when you tear open that envelope.

[Jesse Schramm]

It's time for a little in person spring treat. It's time for a trip to Ross. Work your magic. Ready to soundtrack your summer with Red Bull Summer all day play. You choose a playlist that fits your summer vibe the best. Are you a festival fanatic, a deep end dj, a road dog, or a trail mixer. Just add a song to your chosen

[Jocelyn Houdown]

playlist and put your summer on track.

[Jesse Schramm]

Red Bull Summer all day play. Red Bull gives you wings. Visit RedBull.com BrightSummerAhead to learn more. See you this summer. Good sleep is everything. That's why Ollie's science back support is made with a blend of melatonin and

[Narrator/Advertiser]

L theanine for both kiddos and grown ups.

[Matt Rodriguez]

So when your mind won't switch off,

[Narrator/Advertiser]

you've got something that can help your

[Jesse Schramm]

racing thoughts and restless nights won't stand a chance. Find Ollie Sleep solutions for the whole

[Narrator/Advertiser]

[e-mail] that's o l l y.com.

[Brian Lucci]

We're back with more of the Live One Chicago podcast, recorded at C2E2 and hosted by my Chicago brother, NBC Chicago's Matt Rodriguez.

[Matt Rodriguez]

I want to know what you how you look at the first responders you represent differently after being in, you know, you're not in their shoes, but you're kind of in their shoes and you have to respect them and look at them in a way that the average person might not. So has that changed for you the way you look at a paramedic?

[Hanako Greensmith]

Absolutely. I came on during COVID and I think the stress on paramedics because they were really the first response to Covid at that time. And I learned so much just honestly from the news. And then speaking with the amazing paramedics of Chicago, we have amazing Michelle Martinez who works on our set as our like paramedic producer almost. And she was a paramedic in Chicago for over multiple decades. I think nothing sways her. She has seen it all. But there is this deep kind of hurt and pain I think that comes with experiencing so much of other people's hurt and pain day in and day out. And so I have a deep, utmost respect for everything they do. And I have been so lucky to learn just like 4% of what it is they do day to day.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yeah, I mean Michelle, you could say water bottle and she'll have 30 stories about someone, something happening with a water bottle or table, and she'll just have stor she's seen it all. And yeah, you're never going to see someone on their best day when you're, when you're in these jobs. We also work with firefighters all day. We have Chicorodis who is one of our producers and kind of created the show. He employs a lot of firefighters. They help us move the rigs. We're surrounded by it all day. Every day. We just had one. One that's close to us kind of. He passed away in a fire, like, two weeks ago.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

So it's entrenched in our. In our. In our culture. Yeah. So, yeah, it's very real to us. And you're. You're playing a role, and someone who actually does this in real life is right there watching. So you just want to give it justice and represent them as well as you can.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Our job is so easy comparative to what it is that they do.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

Can I tell you a story before we get to Jesse Shrimp?

[Matt Rodriguez]

Go for it.

[Jesse Schramm]

Yes.

[Larois Hawkins]

Once upon a time, I was in high school. I think it might have been my junior year. And I was apprehended in the middle of the night because I fit the description of an offender that just robbed a house that was around my. That was around my mom's house. And it doesn't matter why I was running in leopard print drawers in the tall, white teeth. They leave those details out. But imagine the paddy whack pulls up. Harvey police pop out. They got guns drawn on. All I'm doing is begging them not to shoot me. They put me in handcuffs. They throw me in the paddy wagon. They drove up a block, make a long story longer. They realized that I wasn't the person who they were looking for. And I remember asking a police officer, because at this point, it's like, midnight, and I was only supposed to be taking out the garbage. I remember asking him, like, can you just walk me back to my. To my house, let my mom know where I've been? And he said, no problem. Dropped me off on my front line. He said, I gotta go back to the car, grab some paperwork, and I'll meet you. He goes in the car, does a U turn. So now I gotta go to the door, tell my mama where I've been. Luckily, she could tell from my wrist that I had been handcuffed for a long time. They were pretty tight, thank God. My little brother actually noticed the lights driving away from the window. And I remember being like, man, see, that's why I don't like cops now, right? Growing up in Harvey, you didn't really respect cops, especially not first and foremost. And then I got this job, and I. At first I remember, I was like, you know what? I want to play a character. There's nothing like the cop that should have dropped me off and told my mama where I was. But then you get the job, and then you start to be reminded of the good cops, and I was mad at myself. Because I forgot that my basketball coach my freshman year was a cop. And he was so dope, so nice, so benevolent, that once I reminded myself of that, I was like, okay, I do have a great example of what it means to be a cop with integrity and how to, you know, look out and lock in with young minds, because that's the. You know what I mean? And so there have been these. These examples over time of, like, what not to be and. And exactly what to be. And I've been grateful to be able to. To lock in and identify those people within this cop space.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jesse, I want to get to you, but I want to just follow up with one question here. Did you ever get pushback from fans or people being like, yo, why are you playing a cop? Why are you doing that?

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a little bit.

[Matt Rodriguez]

That's got to be.

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah. But once you lock in on the show, when you actually can see the stories that we tell, those are you different people who haven't really locked in and looked at it?

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

You know what I mean? Once you see it, you're like, oh, okay. I kind of get it. And it's easier to understand these cops once you can understand the human. The human perspective. You know what I'm saying? Everybody's human and nobody's perfect. And so once you can unpack those layers, I think it's a lot easier to watch.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jesse, how about for you?

[Jesse Schramm]

I think the coolest thing about being an actor is you get to pretend to walk in someone else's shoes. But we're very blessed on our shows. I've gotten to go through different boot camps. I've gotten to shadow a bit. We have Susie Schelling, who's our medical advisor on set, Vicki Schlossner. I've modeled Hannah after Dr. Melissa Dennis and OB GYN. And the human side, I feel like the thing that I learned the most was, okay, so there's a doctor. They know everything. One, hopefully so. But everybody needs to start somewhere. And you have a lot more empathy, I think, for your characters or for a cop or a paramedic or a doctor. You see them. I've gotten to see them more as humans. They're superheroes 1000% and also superhuman. And the choices that they have to make, the sacrifices that they make, that their families make and those that are affected by their line of work. I remember when I first got on the show, I was a recurring guest star, and they hadn't put me through medical training yet. And Toria DeVito found out and she was like, what? And I was immediately in training the next day. And they had brought me to. I think it was Cook county or Rush, and. And I had gone through this boot camp where I learned how to hold the scalpel. I learned about how to put on my gloves. Really little things that you need to know how to do. The gloves are the most important part of a medical show, just so you know. But you're learning all of these things. And then they put me through a simulation, and I was so blessed because they put me through, like, I was with an actual OB and they put me through a birthing simulation. I'm still in shock when I tell you there was this mannequin that they put gel inside and they did all of these different things. Baby was coming out, and there was a real nurse. And they're just putting me through these simulations about the shoulder dislocation. Like, all of these different possibilities that I never would have been exposed to or hadn't seen on TikTok yet, and all those things. And it was just this, like, I remember walking by Navy Pier afterwards being fully in shock. One looking at any person and just being like, if you've given birth, you're in shock. Insane. And thank you. Oh, my God, we do not value you enough. Like, that's insane. And also, like, it makes me emotional because, my God, the people that choose to be here in these moments that on a split second, within seven seconds, need to figure out how to get a baby shoulder through so that they're not paralyzed or no longer here. You know, what the pressure that they are under and what they choose to do on a daily basis is a superhero. Like, I don't care what anybody says. That is a skill and a choice that still mind boggles me. So I feel like the other blessing is you're exposed to these people that actually want to share how they go about things and about life. And I think what I loved upon that meeting and also Dr. Fong Le in Chicago, before I got my training, answered a lot of questions for me. But it's when I got to ask three different things. And I loved that I was surrounded by women, too. It's like, okay, as a doctor, what does that mean? What does this medical mean? As Vicky, what do you think personally? And now as the doctor that needs to present this, how do you go about this in the world? And so to get to learn people on a human level of, like, they go home to their family. They don't just live at the hospital in a white coat to serve us. You know, it's. Everybody has life and they still show up and still need to. To be brilliant.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Jesse Schramm]

So, yeah, I learned the human side and the superhero side for sure.

[Larois Hawkins]

I love how you said that, Jesse Tram not to cut you off, but everybody has life and they. And everybody has the choice to make to show up, to save life. You know what I mean? And others save somebody else's life. It's kind of wild. I grew up in Harvey, Illinois, where I would hear gunshots all the time, but I didn't feel compelled to run towards the gunshots. At water. Where he hears gunshots, he perks up. He's like, where did that come from? I got to go that direction.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

You know what I mean? In order to save life. So I think it's very, very important for us to just continue to support our first responders, whether you're a cop, a paramedic, a doctor, because it is. It's unbelievable.

[Jesse Schramm]

I feel like it's also made me a way more chill patient where I'm just kind of like, yeah, I'm going to be the cool one. I'm going to be the easy patient.

[Matt Rodriguez]

But do you find. Because my husband's a doctor and I find I diagnose people because after a while you're like, well, he's going to tell you to use Afrin and then you should rinse your nose twice a day. And like, do you find you're diagnosing things or like, people come to you for support and especially, you know, Hanukkah, Jocelyn and Jess.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah. I mean, I don't do it well, but I did one time there was a lovely man and he was on, like, an elect Electric, like, chair, and he, his chair, like, bumped over the sidewalk and he completely fell. And I, like, me and my girlfriend ran over and wanted to make sure he was okay. And he was, like, a little woozy. But I remember being like, I gave back in this chair. I was like, on three. One, two, three. Okay. And he, like, scooted away, but he seemed kind of out of it. But I talked to Michelle later. I was like, did I do a good job? And she was like, he definitely had a concussion. You should have called 91 1. So, yeah, maybe a little bit of like, like, confidence. I shouldn't have. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

People are more injured because of you.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah, Actually my fault, believe it or not.

[Larois Hawkins]

Maddie Rodriguez, you.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Are you throwing cuffs around? Are you, like, arresting people?

[Larois Hawkins]

No. You know, it's very hard sometimes for people to separate.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, of course.

[Larois Hawkins]

Larois from at water. I get dms often time from citizens in my neighborhood. And they. And they dry snitch on each other. And I'd be like, ma', am, I'm not sure exactly what you want me to do. It's not Wednesday night. I don't even have on my props. I'm gonna have a hard time, you know what I'm saying? Doing anything. And then. And then I feel bad. Maddie Rodriguez, because they. They told me about the crime. And right after an episode of Chicago pd, the news comes on and you hear shots fired at the Popeyes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Okay.

[Larois Hawkins]

And I'm like, that's my fault. That's my fault.

[Matt Rodriguez]

So how many people here are from Chicago or. Okay, great. Yes. Chicago. Chicago. Gosh, I've only been here seven years. You two and the. Jesse, you grew up in Buffalo Grove.

[Jesse Schramm]

Yes, I did.

[Matt Rodriguez]

The Royce you grew up in Harvey. You two are both not from here. Right, Right. You're Canada. But like, what a city. How lucky are we to do what we do in this city? You don't have to be in la.

[Larois Hawkins]

The greatest city in the world.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Greatest city in the world.

[Larois Hawkins]

The greatest city in the world.

[Matt Rodriguez]

You know, just yesterday, I'm. I'm walking outside, I'm like, oh, look at this car accident. Oh, my God. This car went off the Ed. No, it was a Chicago fire set. It was these two. You saw it. She was on the show yesterday. We were talking about it, looked up

[Jocelyn Houdown]

at the NBC building. We're like, hey, yes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah, that's us. But like, the fact that it is a part of the community and it gives back to the community in a big way. There's a lot of money spent in our town because y', all, like, you know, if you go off set, you spend money at a coffee shop and all this kind of stuff that ripples. But, gosh, there's got to be so many great interactions, because Chicagoans don't give a shit. They will just come up here. What are you doing? What are you going to give you your thoughts. Give them. They'll give their thoughts. They'll share their. Probably their character notes and everything. So do you have interactions that stand out from our beautiful patrons here in Chicago or citizens?

[Jocelyn Houdown]

I. I think they. Yeah, no, we've. I've had a lot of weigh ins on the love interests.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, right. Situations.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

And they're like, what about this? What's gonna happen with this? I was like, I can't tell you. Tune in Wednesdays. Yeah, but I. I love hearing what. What people think.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah, yeah. Do they stop you on the street? Well, they, like, because you. I mean, you people can come up to some of the shooting locations very easily. Do they come up to you or scream it out or both?

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Chase. I've been. I've been chased in the airport.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, yeah. I'm like, do you need Laroise? You should dm Leroy.

[Larois Hawkins]

You've been chased.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

No, just ran after. It's fine. I welcome it.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jesse.

[Jesse Schramm]

Oh, my gosh. I love walking through the streets of Chicago being on this show. And I think when I had, like, my short blonde hair, when I'd come back, for some reason, I was just, like, the most recognizable. Even if I had it pulled back in a hat, someone would be like, Dr. Asher, I was at Disney World once, And someone went, Dr. Asher, congratulations on the baby.

[Larois Hawkins]

I was like, what?

[Jesse Schramm]

I went for a medical test the other day, and I, like, got on the table. No one's like, wait, no, you're pregnant? And I'm like, what? No, I'm not. It's like, it's pretty amazing. But, I mean, it's really fun to be in Chicago because people are proud here. It's also a very friendly city, and people do love to come up and give their opinions. My favorite interactions are those where you're walking down the street and then it goes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

And I just go, yeah.

[Jesse Schramm]

Or it's. You know, I have been stopped by so many people, whether it be at, like, the traffic light on Michigan Avenue or the shoe department at Nordstrom, and I feel blessed to be on a show and play a character that people feel so open and trusting to tell their stories. I mean, I go places and everybody has an opinion on Ripley or Archer and where I'm supposed to be. But, like. Like to get people to feel comfortable enough within a minute to just say, hey, thank you. Where your show is, but also where your character is. I have somebody or themselves have been affected by certain things and to be represented in the way that Chicago Med represents a lot of our characters, I just feel like I get a lot of thank you much. So when I'm on the street and literally, like, buying shoes, and then you'll go through this whole interaction of, like, sorry, I didn't buy the 10 I tried on, but can I have this pair? And then someone will come and sit down, and they're like, this. My fiance didn't make it. Thank you so much. Or this is what I've dealt through. And it's. I just feel like it's so fantastic to be in a city and On a show and in a character that people trust and that people are proud of. And of course, there are always notes that we get. Let's just say that. But we are movie magic. But we do. I think that the best part about it all is people sharing just how much it's affected them.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Art is a mirror. You know, you're holding up a mirror to people's lives, and they're going to connect in some way and put it through their own life experiences. But what you do really does. It's therapy. It's all kinds of things for people.

[Jesse Schramm]

Yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

And I think it's easy to take that for granted sometimes.

[Larois Hawkins]

I've been. I didn't mean to cut you off. I'm sorry. Jesse Shrimp and Maddie Rodriguez. I've been. I've been here long enough to really feel so many. So it's like sometimes I feel like the 96 bulls. You know what I mean?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Larois Hawkins]

And because you just a part of the fabric, you know what I mean? Of the culture of the city. And then sometimes I feel like I should have known. It was a moment. Can I tell you a story?

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah, man.

[Larois Hawkins]

I was. I was. I remember getting pulled over once.

[Hanako Greensmith]

What were you doing?

[Larois Hawkins]

And I wasn't driving, but it was my vehicle. And, you know, I've been on the show for a few seasons, so I'm. I've. Honestly, at that point, I've been waiting on this moment. I was like, yeah, I can't wait to get pulled. And they gonna look at me. They're gonna be like, oh, that's the black dude from Chicago pd. Let them go. You think that's gonna happen until a white officer pulls up and he recognized you as his wife's favorite? Let the record show, I went to jail that day. By the time I took my second mug shot, I knew. I was like, yeah, this is for real. Then I told him. I told him about Brian Luch. I said, I know Luch. And they put me under the jail. Damn near. Yeah. It wasn't that sweet, but I got out one day. It was all good.

[Matt Rodriguez]

How has Chicago changed you as a person? Because when you. I mean, you live here, you're a citizen, you know, like it and has it at all. And. And do you. Are you involved in the city in other ways outside of work? I know your days are very long, so it's not like you get to party and do all these kinds of things that people might think your days are 12, 13 hours. But have you integrated yourself into the fabric of the city? I'M just interested in knowing if you. You've found a space outside of work that you connect with.

[Hanako Greensmith]

I've had such a fun time connecting to the queer community of Chicago. I've met some wonderful, wonderful people who have worked on our show and outside of our show. And I got to be on the CFD float this year.

[Matt Rodriguez]

How amazing is that Pride Parade?

[Hanako Greensmith]

So good. Oh, my God, the energy was magnetic. It was such a good time.

[Matt Rodriguez]

If you can ever be in a pride parade, if you want to come out and just do it temporarily for it to be a part of the parade. Truly, it's amazing.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Big ass for, like, 10 minutes.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yes. And then go back in the club or whatever.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah, yeah. The other thing is what I love about Chicago. I moved here from New York, so now I have very different expectations for the apartment. We have a dishwasher, maybe we'll probably have laundry in the building. That is another beautiful thing that Chicago

[Jocelyn Houdown]

has gifted me,

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jocelyn.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Oh, I guess I have mostly integrated into the fitness community.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah, I see your gram. Yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Obviously, step one was the Chicago soul cycle. I mean, it's different, but, yeah, I. I've gone.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Community.

[Matt Rodriguez]

That's great.

[Hanako Greensmith]

It's like her church.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah, it is The Royce. You're still very active with Harvey. We've had you on the show a couple times to talk about the program you have there. One of the high schools, so.

[Larois Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

But has anything changed? Are you more.

[Larois Hawkins]

I mean, I think I've just been able to elevate the impact. You know, I was. I was. Last year, I was extremely blessed to be the man. What do you call that?

[Matt Rodriguez]

Like, the Grand Marshall.

[Larois Hawkins]

Grand Marshall of the Grand Marshall. Speaking of parades, it was the Bud Billiken Parade, which is like an infamous parade for Chicago.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Larois Hawkins]

And traditionally, I just watched the parade on TV at my grandma's house, and then they asked me to be the grand marshal, and I was like, what? Are you serious? And then the Obama foundation got involved, and I kind of, like, did the parade twice as the grand marshal, and then again did another lap with the Obama foundation, which was incredible, you know, so just like I said, being a part of the fabric of those things are crazy. But the impact that I've been able to elevate has also been great, because now, last year was the first year I was able to do it. But there's a scholarship that me and my corporation have been able to initiate, called to be Powerful Scholarship, and we award that every year to a speech team member because I was on the speech team back At Thornton one State a couple times. I say that humbly. But if you. But if you qualify for state and you're on the speech team, if you committed to a college, then we give you a scholarship. And I was able to. Thank you very much. And I was able to award that to two very, very bright young men. One of them is at the University of Illinois or Brand of Champagne. The other one is at Morehouse. And, you know, and so, like I said, you can elevate the level of impact from the city. And so I've been grateful to be able to do that.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jesse, how long. How old were you when you left Buffalo Grove?

[Jesse Schramm]

18. So I left. I've been away for many, many years and then came back. And I think the first thing that I realized is, oh, I think I've become the asshole. Because I'd be in an elevator and I always thought I made eye contact and smiled. But I just have been away for so long, and it was just so nice to be in a room where people make eye contact and just have a conversation, then they go on their way. And I was like, oh, God, I'm so jaded. I've been away for so long. I love the people of Chicago so much. And being back. My family also lives here, so that's such a huge blessing. They're still in the suburbs, but I'm a tourist in Chicago. I go to the dying of the river. I've gone on the Ghost and Gangs walking tour multiple times. I'd like to start my own if they'd ever have me. I give a really great version of it, but, like, I love exploring the city. There's so much here. There's, like. The thing I miss most about Chicago is the music scene. And just on every corner, you can find it. But I think when I went away, I didn't realize how much I missed. One, being able to walk around places. Two, there's an ease, and it's a huge, fantastic city with so much going on with the most hardworking people you could find that just at the end of the day, want to do a good job and have a good life. So it's like. It's less pretentious than most places that I've been.

[Larois Hawkins]

Love it.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Okay, we're going to go through a really quick game. Okay, Just real quick, you're going to raise your hand and say your name so viewer listeners can understand who's raising their hand, because there's no video element here. So real quickly, have you ever stolen or borrowed something from set Raise your hand.

[Larois Hawkins]

Jesse Laroys Hawkins.

[Matt Rodriguez]

The Royce's raise was like a fist just for anyone listening. Power to the people. What'd you steal? The Royce.

[Larois Hawkins]

What? I'm almost embarrassed to say I steal personal items like socks and draws sometimes.

[Jesse Schramm]

I have so many socks.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Jocelyn Houdown]

They stopped giving me socks.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh.

[Larois Hawkins]

I used to bring my handcuffs on.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Okay. All right, You. Have you ever pulled off a prank on set you probably shouldn't have?

[Hanako Greensmith]

I think we all should have.

[Matt Rodriguez]

You all should have.

[Larois Hawkins]

They all should.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Have you ever improvised something that made it. Oh. Have you ever improvised something that made it on set? Onto the show?

[Jesse Schramm]

Jesse Shram.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jesse Shrimp. Yeah.

[Hanako Greensmith]

Green Smith. Yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Very good. You ever been starstruck on set?

[Larois Hawkins]

Oh. Laroise Hawk. In the crossover we had the dad from Smart Guy. Yes. And I felt like I was the only person who knew who he was. They were like, why are you getting him waters and grabbing his coffee? I was like, because that's Mr. Henderson. What do you mean?

[Matt Rodriguez]

Jocelyn?

[Jocelyn Houdown]

Yeah, me also with Dermot, because I love my best friend's wedding. And he came to set, and I

[Hanako Greensmith]

was like, oh, my God. Yeah.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Okay, before we wrap it up here, just one word that kind of represents this. This last season for you. And it can be a couple words, but

[Jocelyn Houdown]

I would say depth.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh.

[Hanako Greensmith]

I would say grit.

[Larois Hawkins]

I would say. I would say family. Family first and foremost. And if I. And if I had the opportunity to expound upon that, it would really be the fact that we get to feed families. You know, every person on the show, in the cast, on the crew, represents a family that we get to feed. And the fact that we've been able to feed families over time is my favorite. In my humble opinion, that's the best part about it.

[Jesse Schramm]

I want to say, like, overcome, but that's not a great word. I wanted to say new birth, but then I don't want to lead anybody astray.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Oh, we didn't even talk about your baby.

[Jesse Schramm]

It's. I would say, God. Yeah. A rebirth. A rebirth.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Okay. But that's not a clue as to what. How the season ends.

[Jesse Schramm]

Correct.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Listen, thank you all. You're all so lovely. It's so great to be able to do this with you. And you're lovely as well. Thank you so much.

[Larois Hawkins]

Let's give Maddie Rodriguez some love.

[Brian Lucci]

At the same time, y'.

[Hanako Greensmith]

All.

[Larois Hawkins]

Clapping up for.

[Matt Rodriguez]

And you very much, don't forget to listen to the official One Chicago podcast. Wherever you listen to your podcast and watch One Chicago on Wednesday nights on NBC.

[Jesse Schramm]

Thank you guys. Being here.

[Brian Lucci]

Let me tell you something, we have the best fans and show business. Thanks to everyone who made it out to C2E2 and thank you for listening to the pod and loving our shows. You can catch all our one Chicago shows every Wednesday night or anytime on Peacock and you're gonna want to taste what we got cooking once. Chicago airs on One Wednesday night at 87 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 John Yell Kastner at SpokMedia. Our showrunner is Derek, our producer is Maggie Debrizzi and our audio producers are Jason Mark and Kelly Kauf. 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'.

[Matt Rodriguez]

Hara.

[Brian Lucci]

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

[Jesse Schramm]

Spring just slid into your DMs. Grab that boho, look for that rooftop dinner, those sandals that can keep up with you and hang some string lights to give your patio a glow up. Spring's calling Ross. Work your magic.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Magic.

[Matt Rodriguez]

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadowdark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s and man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the Shadowdark every Thursday night at 8pm Eastern on YouTube.com theglasscannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join

[Brian Lucci]

us in the dark.