Chicago PD Star Jon Seda Named The Illinois City The Star Of The Show
Suiting up as Intel Unit Detective Antonio Dawson for 115 episodes of NBC's "Chicago P.D." (per IMDb), Jon Seda became seriously familiar with Chi-Town's colorful neighborhoods, bleak industrial wastelands, and crime-ridden back alleys. Starring on the hit police procedural from 2014 through 2019, Seda actually made his first appearance in the One Chicago universe of shows on "Chicago Fire" in 2012, making a total of 47 visits to that series along with 13 episodes of the short-lived "Chicago Justice."
And, as any card-carrying Chi-Hard fan can tell you, all of the stories on "Chicago P.D." are actually shot at locations in and around this sprawling Midwestern metropolis itself. The series also stays in town for interior scenes, utilizing the city's Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. And for genuinely hard-core fans of the show, the good news is that many of the series' real-world locations are open to the public, including Lottie's Pub, The Village Inn, White Palace Grill, Boni Vino Pizza, and others (via Choose Chicago). So, with the show's action interwoven so intimately with the city, it's understandable that Seda might consider Chicago, the show's standout player.
Jon Seda is happy to give the Windy City top billing on Chicago P.D.
As noted above, Jon Seda's Detective Dawson spent his entire working life as a cop, tracking criminals down on the mean streets of Chicago. As for Seda's feelings about the city, his sentiments came out during an appearance with "Chicago P.D." co-stars Jesse Lee Soffer and Patrick Flueger in a 2015 appearance on "Steve Harvey."
As captured in this YouTube clip from the show, Harvey asks the trio of fictional cops how Chicago life is treating them. In reply, Seda states that "Chicago's great, man. Chicago's the star of the show. For us to be able to shoot here, it makes it the best." Harvey then says that the show must have some die-hard fans, prompting Seda to say, "Without the fans, we don't have a show." Seda called out Chicago's role on the series once more, noting that the fans repeatedly turn up to see their fave "Chicago P.D." actors filming on locations throughout the city. And while Seda joined the cast of the time-traveling series "La Brea" after leaving "Chicago P.D." in Season 6, he joked about a possible return to the show in a comment he made on NBC Insider. Responding to a fan's tweet wishing for Detective Dawson to return to his old Chicago beat, Seda responded: "Maybe there's a portal that leads to Chicago? #crossover #LaBrea #onechicago"