In 2018, Chicago fire Fans met Darren Ritter, a loyal and caring firefighter who never backs down when someone is in need. The man behind the now fan-favorite character is actor Daniel Curry, who grew up in Chicago and continues to make the city proud. We spoke with Daniel about how he found his way into the world of Wolf Entertainment, what life is like on set, and what he likes most about his character.
Q: How did you end up playing Darren Ritter on Chicago Fire?
A: In 2018, I was working on a series of theater productions scheduled until the end of the year, and decided that I would take a break from acting once the year was over – I thought I would get a “real job”. “And make some money and try to get back into acting later.
One day, Claire Simone, who was searching for… Chicago is one At that time, he invited me to play a role in… Chicago PD. I was previously in an episode of Chicago Med. I got into it and I auditioned, and I was given a really nice compliment and felt really good about the whole thing. She called later and said, There's another role I want you to be in. It's a manager session, the next step after the initial test, but this time it was for that Chicago fire. I went in and auditioned for a potential recurring character, which is usually just a few episodes. Now I met the executive producer, Reza Tabrizi, and he gave me some direction and we really had fun. A few days later I got the job.
My first episode was a crossover episode. It was one of the scariest experiences I've ever had, just because it was my first time in a situation like that, with the whole gate and all the dead bodies and the actors and the multiple cameras and the smoke and the fire — I did the best I could. He could! They kept asking me back, and Darren Ritter was born.
Q: What does a typical day on set look like for you?
A: I try to get to the set on the earlier side, just so I can have some time to sit in my trailer and adjust. During that time I will meditate or play music and stretch. I just try to see what my body needs so I can carry it through the day. Then I'll do hair and makeup and either look to my side in the chair or maybe just start socializing with my colleagues backstage. Then I'll go to the set and we'll have a rehearsal and then we'll rehearse marks and then I'll plug in, and once all the lights are set up, we start with one. This first step is always a little lesson for me. We do not do table reading fireso you're really using that as an opportunity to learn a lot about how the scene moves and what it wants from you. I try to take the pressure off and use that as my place to learn, and then we go ahead and start cooking with gas.
Q: Do you have a favorite opening moment or story you can share?
A: One of my favorite moments on set was the day we filmed.”Dead winter“In Season 9. The firehouse is called to a homeless camp, and Ritter meets and forms a special bond with the fire victim, a young woman named Vanessa. The actress who played Vanessa, Samantha Ashley, was completely new to appearing in a group as large as ours. However She was very skilled, very focused and really wanted to do a good job. Just a few years ago I was in her shoes, and I still remember how she felt so it became my job for the day to be of service to her, and to help her as much as I could. She and I ended up filming some scenes Brilliant Together – they even added scenes for us because our chemistry was so important. That day taught me a lot about myself and the job, and opened my eyes to some things that I don't think I had thought about before. As a performer on this show, I'm really in service of the story Overall I'm in service of the integrity of the show. This support of a fellow actor helped me not only step outside of myself a little, but also find more of my character and helped us all navigate the story.
Q: What do you like most about your personality?
A: What I like most about Ritter is that he has a good sense of boundaries. Boundaries are very important in our healing processes – as we work through different things, boundaries are how we protect our healing. Ritter is the type of person who respects boundaries, and doesn't often cross them without having a good reason to do so. He also knows when to negotiate and when to make sacrifices for others, and Ritter does this for the people he cares about in his life. He's also often the voice of reason, and I love the value he adds to the show in that way. There will be instances where they turn to Ritter, and the expression on his face tells us as the audience how we feel about the situation. It's valuable for comedy, it's valuable for drama, it's valuable for storytelling. Because he is a restricted person, his reactions and the opinions he forms are strongly based on his identity.
Q: How does it feel to represent Chicago on screen?
A: It's complicated. Having grown up here and lived here as long as I have, I have known many different Chicago cities, and I see the good and the bad in the city. We are one of the most segregated cities in the country, yet I have also seen people in many communities connecting across their differences. This is where we live Chicago firein those exceptional cases where people transcend division and come together. Of course all of this exists in the context of the city's history as well, so for example, if we show a young black firefighter saving the life of a cop, we do so with an understanding of the tensions that exist between the black community and the police in Chicago. However, in those cases, what matters is the characters' ability to overcome any difference and save a life. What's so poignant about the road Chicago is one Displays that represent our city and its citizens are ways we celebrate the best aspects of people in crisis. To have any role in showing how you can have the worst day of your life and still show up for your neighbor is something that I feel is very important to me, and something that is very intrinsic to Chicago. I love this city, and it's a great honor to do what I do, be honest with my experiences and use them to the benefit of our show.
Q: What is your favorite episode of Chicago Fire?
A: One of my favorites is the S7E4,”This is not charityThere's a scene between Mosch, Herman, and Ritter that I love, where Mosch says to Ritter, “Welcome to 51.” Mosch becomes a real mentor to Ritter in this episode – he's an experienced firefighter who sees a young man who's frustrated and down on himself and responds by acknowledging the value he brings to the team. There's something There's something to be said for the power of positive male mentorship, and you really see it on screen that it's special to have two experienced firefighters sit down with Ritter and tell him, “You can do this,” and watch Ritter He begins to believe it himself.
He watches Chicago fire at 9/8c on NBC and air episodes the next day peacock.
