Now heading into its 15th season, the TV series honors the legacy of Backdraft and the Windy City’s firefighters
“Tony, don’t ever call me again.”
That’s how actor David Eigenberg ends an interview with him and his fellow Chicago Fire actor Tony Ferraris.
“See you, loser,” Ferraris replies.
There’s no culture quite like fire service culture, and you know you’re among “your people” when you start razzing on each other. Instilling that authenticity into Chicago Fire has been essential to those who bring the hit TV series to audiences.
Take Ferraris, for instance. He’s a real-life, now retired firefighter in Chicago who plays himself on the show, which has been renewed for a 15th season. That milestone coincides with another milestone in “fire service entertainment,” the 35th anniversary of Backdraft. That movie, which is set in Chicago, brought the realities of firefighting into the public eye, and today, it’s Chicago Firethat carries that torch.
Before Chicago Fire, Ferraris was a seasoned veteran at Squad 2, a highly functional, specialized unit. When he arrived on set, he brought an injection of Chicago grit with him. His co-star Eigenberg, who plays Christopher Herrmann, notes that Ferraris’ presence did bring realism to the show.
“Tony fit in as a person into this strange machination or fantasy, but being real brought a gravity to it. Tony snapped in. He got it. And he wasn’t about trying to be the next thing, which pretty much is what the show is about in terms of entertainment and the bullshit stardom and all that crap. We’re there because we enjoy each other,” Eigenberg says. “Tony … just clicked right in.”
For Ferraris, joining the cast of Chicago Fire wasn’t a calculated career move. It was an unexpected one that began when his buddy asked him to go to an open casting call for extras.
“I really didn’t want to do it,” Ferraris recalls. “I’m more of a shy, stand-back kind of guy until I’m very comfortable, then I’ll come out and talk … they picked me and it was a weird thing.”
To maintain their edge and pay tribute to the training that keeps firefighters skilled and alive, the cast routinely travels to the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) in Champaign, Ill. The IFSI is recognized as one of the premier training and research facilities in the Midwest.
For Eigenberg, these trips are both a reality check and a lesson in humility, especially when dealing with the nation’s volunteer firefighters.
“My ignorance coming into working on this is I didn’t know that 70-something percent of the nation is volunteer element,” Eigenberg admits. “I so deeply admire the men and the women that hop into this and for no pay, and really to look after the people of the community.”
But just because they’re actors doesn’t mean Ferraris, a former IFSI instructor, lets them off easy in the burn tower.
“I always ask them to turn it up a little bit, let’s get it hot and nasty in here, and let’s do our thing,” Ferraris says. “It’s a very controlled environment. Nobody’s ever in danger but it’s fun to take them in. David’s old hat; he loves it. We brought (Chicago Fire actor Jake Lockett) down there a couple years ago, and I had them ratchet up the heat and get it real shitty in there to see the looks on their faces when they come out. It’s interesting to see so it gives them a little bit more of an eye opener.”
Being at work on Chicago Fire is kind of like being at the firehouse, Ferraris adds. “A lot of ball busting, good times. We help each other. It’s a great work environment to be in.”
Eigenberg, who admits he “enjoys being abused by people” in good fun, clicked with Ferraris instantly. He remembers visiting the real Squad 2 early on to win over Ferraris’ real-life colleagues.
“The first couple times I went down there, guys were like, ‘Hey,’ and I was immediately as mean as they are to Tony in front of his guys there. And we laughed. And then they kind of go, ‘Oh, OK, you’re not a princess actor.’”
That mutual respect translated into real-world experiences. Ferraris would often take Eigenberg on ride-alongs, letting him sample the real adrenaline.
“When that rig starts going and you watch the driver as an actor … you’re just trying to clock them, but man, when you’re swerving out of the lane and going into oncoming traffic and these guys aren’t batting an eye and the horn is getting hit and the sirens are going, and they’re checking both ways at intersections … that puts a real buzz in your pants,” says Eigenberg. “Even though I’m not going to do anything when we get there. But you get to gear up to at least fit in.”
Though Eigenberg has had a lengthy acting career, including his role as Steve Brady on the hit series Sex and the City, he says his time in the fictional Firehouse 51 remains his proudest achievement because of the real-world community it reflects.
“This has been the highlight of my career, being amongst the people that we are, the men and women ... We’ve had tragedies, real-life tragedies with first responders and first responder families and amongst ourselves. And we have, possibly because of the impact of first responders, we’ve risen to the occasion to look after each other.”
Ultimately, whether looking back at the legacy of Backdraft or looking forward to the next season of Chicago Fire, the core message remains unchanged: a deep, enduring respect and admiration for Chicago’s real first responders.
As Eigenberg puts it: “We are still in awe of the real firefighters that we get to work with because they’re incredible human beings. Their sacrifice is palpable.”
