Otis from “Chicago Hearth,” performed by Yuri Sardarov, was a beloved, pivotal member of the forged for eight seasons, however he has not graced the display since 2019 — so what occurred? Sadly, Otis, whose full identify is Brian “Otis” Zvonecek, suffered the identical destiny that so many actual firefighters have suffered: he died on the job. When you’ve saved up with the present, you recognize Sardarov had one of the crucial dramatic Chicago One exits within the historical past of the present, not less than onscreen. Upon risking his life to extinguish a four-alarm mattress manufacturing unit hearth, Otis was tragically and fatally wounded, later dying within the hospital regardless of receiving medical consideration. (You may hear the hearts breaking in every single place.)

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Whereas various components can contribute to a franchise killing a personality, together with contract disputes and inventive variations, that wasn’t the case for Sardarov. In keeping with “Chicago Hearth” showrunner Derek Hass, Sardarov’s character was sacrificed for the integrity of the present’s plot. Otis’ loss of life, irrespective of how tragic, bolstered that, in the actual world of firefighting, there are casualties. “However then two, once we determined it was going to be Otis, there was some discuss, ‘Will we make it Ritter?’ nevertheless it felt like that was nearly not as severe,” Hass defined to TVLine. “It nearly would not be the identical scenario or impact, as a result of he was such a brand new character that the viewers would assume, ‘Oh, we have been simply doing that deliberately from the start,’ as a result of it would not have had the stakes that it might have if it have been a core forged member.” He added, “After which we simply determined it might be Otis as a result of he lives with Cruz and Brett, and he is on Casey’s truck, and he is in Boden’s home, and he is finest buddies with Mouch, and owns a bar with Herrmann…”

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Unsurprisingly, followers took Otis’ loss of life actually exhausting. Nevertheless, Sardarov has performed some fairly thrilling issues since leaving the present.

As Derek Haas defined to TVLine, Yuri Sardarov was refreshingly open to the thought of leaving the “Chicago Hearth” forged after he notified him about his stunning character arc. After exiting the present, Sardarov spoke to The Chicago Tribune and revealed he was enthusiastic about embracing a brand new chapter of life, even when the loss of life of his iconic character compelled him to embrace the change. “Nevertheless it’s this bizarre ‘I’m free, I can do no matter I need’ feeling,” he mentioned about his post-“Chicago Hearth” feelings. “I’ve to honor that chance.” He continued, “For the previous few years I have been on-and-off writing. All types of writing, whether or not that is movie and tv or perhaps a guide sooner or later. That is all the time been one thing that is tugged at me.” Sardarov additionally cited an actor’s lack of management on tv versus the liberty he’d need to pursue his personal artistic actions.

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In the identical interview, Sardarov revealed he and his then-girlfriend have been gearing as much as transfer from his “residence” of Chicago to Los Angeles as a result of it “was the best choice in the intervening time.” However a change of surroundings is not all that he is skilled since leaving the beloved NBC property. For starters, he is made good use of his time away from the Chicago One universe, proving he isn’t an actor Hollywood will not forged. The “Chicago Hearth” alum has appeared in six tasks over the previous six years, most notably in two episodes of “The Rookie” and one episode of “FBI: Worldwide.” He additionally appeared in 2023’s “Daddy,” a comedy about fatherhood. Sardarov’s most up-to-date credit score is a 2024 movie known as “The Invite,” the place he performed the function of Sasha.

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On the non-public entrance, in 2023, he posed for British Vogue together with his new bride, Madi Minju, after they eloped. “Thanks for capturing our elopement and congratulations on being a featured artist in British Vogue,” he captioned the Instagram submit.