What role did Sophia Bush play on Chicago PD? Character details explored
Chicago PD is a police drama in the One Chicago franchise that examines the lives of the officers and detectives of the Chicago Police Department’s 21st District. It features uniformed patrol officers and the elite Intelligence Unit investigating crimes in the city.
Sophia Bush joined the cast in the series premiere episode, portraying Intelligence Unit Detective Erin Lindsay. Lindsay was tough and committed to seeking justice through her detective work. Her life was complicated because Hank Voight trained her after she endured an unstable childhood.
Bush appeared in four seasons between 2014 and 2017. Her character was put through professional setbacks in the series finale in season 4, where she got an FBI job in New York to exit the series.
Background of Detective Erin Lindsay in Chicago PD
Portrayed by Sophia Bush in Chicago PD, Erin Lindsay was raised in adversity. Her addicted mother, Bunny, raised Lindsay in an unstable life surrounded by crime. Lindsay was repeatedly arrested by the time. She was only 14 when she committed crimes such as theft and simple battery.
It was an act by Sergeant Hank Voight that turned around her life. Voight saw potential in her to change her life around and became her guardian to guide her in life. This guidance was life-altering in that it led Lindsay to leave her checkered past behind and turn to policing as a career.
Voight's bond with Lindsay increased over time and eventually became a father-daughter relationship. Voight's support and trust in her increased to be key in developing her professionally and in life to solidify their lifelong connection.
Sophia Bush as Erin Lindsay in Chicago PD
Detective Erin Lindsay, portrayed by Sophia Bush, was part of the Chicago Police Department's Intelligence Unit in Chicago PD. Her responsibility was to solve major crimes such as homicide, organized crime, and illegal drug trafficking. Lindsay was essential to the crew because of her work ethic and competencies.
In the unit, Lindsay partnered with Detective Jay Halstead. Their working relationship was formed around a month before the events in Season 1 and was built around respect for each other and working efficiently to solve various investigations. The relationship eventually developed into a romantic one over time.
Detective Erin Lindsay’s character developed considerably over the series run. Her most intense plot was coming head-to-head with serial killer Gregory Yates. This experience left her poorly shaken in the aftermath of the murder of her childhood buddy, Nadia DeCotis. This experience led Lindsay to temporarily leave the Intelligence Unit to process her grief and guilt.
Lindsay's tumultuous relationship with her mother, Bunny, was yet another point of focus. When Bunny reappeared in Lindsay's life, trouble followed because unresolved issues in Lindsay's checkered childhood materialized to interfere with her emotional balance and working concentration.
In her working life, Lindsay was confronted by crises in ethics, most notably by shoving a gun down a suspect's throat during an interrogation. This led to an internal investigation, and to avoid termination, she resigned to take an FBI job in New York to depart from the Police Department in Chicago.
Departure of Sophia Bush from series
Sophia Bush left Chicago PD after Season 4 due to a "sustained barrage of abusive conduct" during production. Her departure was fueled by intractable working conditions, in part in response to supposed alleged misconduct by co-star Jason Beghe.
In an interview with Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast in December 2018, Bush hinted that she was mistreated while working on the production.
"And one was a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior. And you know you start to lose your way when someone assaults you in a room full of people and everyone literally looks away, looks at the floor, looks at the ceiling, and you're the one woman in the room, and every man who is twice your size doesn't do something, you go, 'Oh, that wasn't worth defending? I'm not worth defending?'"
Bush also described the physical hardships endured by working in extreme Chicago weather, noting that working in "30 below zero" was not healthy.
"It’s literally 30 degrees below zero. So it's 62 degrees below freezing. And you’re telling we have to keep working outside?"
Detective Lindsay was scripted off the series by leaving to take an FBI job in New York, leaving an empty spot in the Intelligence Unit. In response to this development, Tracy Spiridakos was hired in Season 4 of Chicago PD to act in the role of Detective Hailey Upton and was later added to series regular status in Season 5.
New episodes of Chicago PD air every Wednesday on NBC at 10 pm ET and can be streamed on Peacock the next day.
