Which Chicago Fire Actor Is a Real Firefighter?

Dick Wolf’s famous One Chicago franchise glorifies the most important jobs and the people who save lives: doctors, firefighters, and police officers. The three iconic shows do a great job at showcasing the dangers these brave people go through, but the actors are staying safe, nonetheless. Or are they? Not everyone, let’s say.

Chicago Fire in particular often shows the most harrowing sequences and risky rescues out of the three shows, and to stay true to the realities of firefighters’ work, they have actual professionals as on-set consultants. But one of them didn’t fancy staying behind-the-scenes — and became a star of the show and a fan favorite.

Which Chicago Fire Star Is an Actual Firefighter?

While the absolute majority of the show’s cast consists of actors, obviously, one character is portrayed by his real-life counterpart and namesake. One person saves the good people of Chicago during the day and the fictional people of One Chicago during, well, also the day, just a different one. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, really, but prefers to sleep at night when possible.

Tony Ferraris has been around for the entire duration of Chicago Fire: from the pilot episode, when he was just a background character, to the Season 12 finale, where he’s already one of the fan favorites and has his own decent on-screen presence.

Funnily enough, Tony Ferraris is portrayed by… Anthony Ferraris. He didn’t feel like changing his name, and rightfully so: Chicago Fire allows him to be forever remembered as the brave firefighter he is. Just like his fictional counterpart, the real Anthony Ferraris is a firefighter — and, like him, he’s also a Rescue Squad Engineer.

While not one of the major characters, Tony is beloved by fans, and his actor’s real-life heroics play a significant part in that.

The cast and crew of Chicago Fire have stated on multiple occasions how proud they are to have an actual firefighter among them, and Ferraris’ experience and expertise have proven invaluable to make the show’s rescues look and feel realistic without going overboard with them.

So the next time you binge Chicago Fire, pay attention to Tony and keep in mind that that guy might have just saved some lives a few hours before starring in an episode.