Why Susan Weller From Chicago Fire Looks So Familiar
Before the One Chicago franchise was a massive web of TV shows all intertwining into one another on NBC, it all got started with "Chicago Fire." The drama series first aired in 2012, centering around the firefighters and paramedics working for the city of Chicago. Similar to a show like "Grey's Anatomy," "Chicago Fire" has featured an immense rotating cast of characters throughout its various subplots to keep viewers interested and coming back for more.
Looking back at the hundreds of "Chicago Fire" episodes, it can be hard to remember all of the characters who have come and gone throughout the series' history. Particularly, in the show's fifth season, there was the inclusion of Susan Weller, a consultant to Matthew Casey's (Jesse Spencer) aspiring political career. If you were watching the episodes and thought that Weller looked familiar, that's because actor Lauren Stamile has quite an extensive history on American television outside of her short-lived run on the NBC primetime series.
Lauren Stamile's big break was in The WB's Off Centre
Lauren Stamile had a variety of acting jobs early in her career, including guest roles on TV shows like "The West Wing," "Scrubs," and "The Drew Carey Show." What could be considered the actor's big break, however, was the short-lived WB sitcom called "Off Centre." The show centered around a British man (Sean Maguire) and an American guy (Eddie Kaye Thomas) who share an apartment in Manhattan. The show was in the style of a classic buddy comedy but through a distinctly early-2000s lens.
Unlike the scope of her previous TV roles, Stamile was one of the series regulars on "Off Centre." She played Liz Lombardi, the main love interest of the American guy, aka Mike Platt, and appeared in all 29 episodes of the show before it was canceled in 2002. While "Off Centre" is mostly long forgotten, it was an important role in Stamile's budding TV career and paved the way for her future on the small screen.
Stamile had recurring roles on shows like Grey's Anatomy and Community
As previously mentioned, Lauren Stamile is no stranger to a guest role on a major network series, whether it be a comedy or a drama. Two of her biggest recurring roles were her parts on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Community." In "Grey's Anatomy," Stamile played Nurse Rose, who had a short-lived relationship with Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). She appeared in Seasons 4 and 5 of the medical drama, getting in the mix of the complicated relationship between McDreamy and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo).
As for her role in "Community," Stamile portrayed Michelle Slater, a stats professor who gets romantically involved with her student (and "Community" star) Jeff Winger (Joel McHale). After Season 1, Stamile literally disappeared from the show after teaching Jeff a thing or two about being in a serious relationship. It was briefly mentioned in Season 2 that Professor Slater was "still missing," but that was the last we heard of her character.
Stamile was an expert CIA operative in Burn Notice
Arguably, Lauren Stamile's most recognizable role to date has been her portrayal of a CIA operative in the espionage series "Burn Notice." Along with shows like "Suits," "Mr. Robot," and "Psych," "Burn Notice" helped define the USA Network's slate of original programming in the 2000s and 2010s. The series follows Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), who unexpectedly gets shut out of the spy world without explanation. After airing for seven seasons and a spin-off TV movie, "Burn Notice" came to an end in 2013.
Stamile recurred on the series as Dani Pearce, who was brought on in Season 5 to investigate the death of Max (Grant Snow). She becomes Westen's point of contact in the CIA and the pair develop a copacetic relationship despite their rocky beginnings. Pearce left "Burn Notice" in Season 6 after transferring to Mumbai for a new job, but Stamile's take on the emotionally complex character definitely left a major mark on the show.