Why Elias Koteas Left Chicago PD

For an actor, being a main character on a long-running network television show is, if nothing else, a fantastically lucrative situation. These series tend to pay very well, which is a godsend for serious actors who would love to have the freedom to take roles in indie films (or perhaps work in theater) without having to fret over their finances. Those who are fortunate enough to get cast on such a show can feel a tremendous sense of security — though they are always aware that while the series will go on, it might not necessarily need to go on with their character.

Getting written out of a successful show can be a rough turn of events for an actor, especially if they're an up-and-comer (like Eric Millegan was when his character Zack Addy was killed off on "Bones"). And it's a decision the producers and writers don't make lightly because they're well aware of how potentially devastating a sudden departure can be for a performer. Obviously, it's a different matter if an actor asks out of the show or they become so disruptive to the production that they simply need to go (like John Amos on "Good Times"), but when it's a matter of keeping the show fresh and dramatically compelling, it's typically handled with care.

Take, for instance, the death of Elias Koteas' Detective Alvin Olinsky on NBC's "Chicago P.D." Olinsky had been a significant character on the show since the series' pilot, but when the show's creatives wrote Olinsky into a tight spot during season 5, a difficult decision had to be made. How did this play out behind the scenes?

In a 2018 interview with TVLine, showrunner Rick Eid revealed that killing off Olinsky was a creative choice that "evolved organically." As fans of "Chicago P.D." know, Olinsky died after being stabbed in prison, where he was awaiting trial for having murdered the guy who killed the son of Jason Beghe's Sergeant Hank Voight. Still, Koteas was such a well-liked member of the cast that the show's writers tried to imagine scenarios where his character could possibly pull through.

"I think everything was on the table," Eid told Entertainment Weekly in a separate 2018 interview. "We went through practically every iteration we could think of, and we all just kept coming back to this idea as a really powerful idea. That's ultimately how it all came about." Once the series' creatives had committed to this narrative direction, all they could hope was that Koteas would be okay with this being the absolute end of his time on "Chicago P.D."

According to Eid, it all went smoothly. As he told TVLine:

"From a business perspective, however, this was an extremely difficult decision. Elias is a terrific actor and a good person. He's also been an important part of the show since the very beginning. So this part of the process was really challenging. But Elias handled the news like a true professional and remained committed to the show and his character until the final shot. We will miss him dearly."

The cast, crew, and fans of "Chicago P.D." might've missed Koteas initially, but they clearly got over it. The series is currently concluding its 12th season and is expected to be renewed for Season 13. As for Koteas, an exceptionally talented actor who's given unforgettable performances in films like "Exotica," "The Adjuster," and David Cronenberg's "Crash," has gone back to appearing in small, quirky independent movies. Olinsky's death seems to have worked out well for all involved.