Joe Miñoso Admits Saying Goodbye to Joe Cruz on 'Chicago Fire' Brings Real Grief

Few characters have been as woven into the fabric of Firehouse 51 as Joe Cruz, and few actors have stayed in one role as long as Joe Miñoso has on ‘Chicago Fire’. Starting as a recurring guest star, Miñoso was promoted to series regular in Season 2 and spent 15 seasons as Cruz, the big-hearted everyman and the devoted best friend of Brian “Otis” Zvonecek, who died from injuries sustained in a factory fire in the 2019 Season 8 premiere. Cruz also appeared in 10 episodes of ‘Chicago Med’ and 9 of ‘Chicago P.D.’, letting Miñoso explore the whole One Chicago franchise.

Cruz’s story took a sharp turn in the Season 14 finale. He found out that he and his wife were expecting twins, but the episode ended with several members of Firehouse 51, including Cruz, trapped inside a burning building. Miñoso, who was born in the Bronx, has long called Chicago home after earning a master’s degree at Northern Illinois University and cutting his teeth in the city’s theater scene.

Now that the farewell has aired, Miñoso is speaking candidly about what it costs to leave. He told USA TODAY that after 15 years of living inside someone else’s skin, some level of grief is unavoidable. His final episode as a series regular, the milestone 300th hour, aired Wednesday, November 4.

Miñoso learned about Cruz’s exit on his last day of filming Season 14. He sat in a producer’s office staring at the cast photos on the wall, but within an hour, producers had offered him a directing role on the show. He has called that opportunity a timely, appropriate evolution.

The Season 15 premiere on October 7 revealed that Cruz survived the warehouse fire but suffered a spinal injury that left him unable to walk. New showrunner Victor Teran warned that there would be no miraculous recovery, promising an emotional roller coaster with very real challenges. Teran has described Cruz’s season as a journey of coming to terms with who he is and what matters to him.

The exit was first reported by Deadline in July, which said Miñoso would appear in a handful of Season 15 episodes to wrap up Cruz’s arc. The news arrived after Teran took over from longtime showrunner Andrea Newman and Da’Vinchi was cast as a series regular, playing new firefighter Marcus Burke. It also landed in a busy stretch for the Wolf Entertainment universe, with LaRoyce Hawkins of ‘Chicago P.D.’ and Reid Scott of ‘Law & Order’ also leaving this season.

In his final appearance, Cruz’s wife gives birth to the twins, and Cruz ultimately tells Severide that he will not be rejoining Firehouse 51, deciding to move to Minneapolis. The choice puts his family first, which Miñoso has framed as the Cruz that is most needed in this moment. The episode also gives Cruz a spiritual farewell to Otis, in a scene guaranteed to bring tears to fans.

Miñoso described his final scene with Taylor Kinney’s Severide as the most memorable emotional scene he has ever filmed with his co-star, especially because their characters rarely shared intimate moments. He has also reflected that Cruz’s first real storyline had him possibly sacrificing his livelihood for his brother by leaving a gang member to burn in a building. Seeing Cruz now willing to give up his identity for his family feels, in Miñoso’s view, like coming full circle.

We live for these Stellaride moments. 🤭 Chicago Fire Wednesdays on NBC and next day on Peacock. https://t.co/9uDixF7hHF
— One Chicago (@NBCOneChicago) October 31, 2026

Leaving the firehouse does not mean leaving the franchise behind. Miñoso is expected to direct his first episode later this season, and Teran has said the show is not done with Cruz. Miñoso told TV Insider that leaving Cruz behind “doesn’t mean that Joe Miñoso’s not coming back.”

The exit also comes with a piece of history, as Miñoso says he recently learned that he is the Latino actor with the most episodes as one character in network history. With Cruz gone, only 3 original cast members remain on the series: Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg and Christian Stolte.