Joe Miñoso has hung up Joe Cruz's turnout gear. The actor, one of the original cast members of NBC's Chicago Fire, made his exit in the drama's milestone 300th episode, which aired Wednesday, Nov. 4.
In an interview with TheWrap, Miñoso walked through Cruz's farewell and confirmed he'll be back behind the camera. He said he has been assigned an episode to direct, expected to air toward the end of the season, though a date hasn't been set.
How Cruz says goodbye
The episode picks up Cruz's long road back from the serious injury he suffered last season. As he works through physical therapy, he and his wife, Chloe (Kristen Gutoskie), welcome twin daughters, bringing the family to four children. Doctors tell Cruz a full recovery is possible, but after his son objects to him returning to the job, he chooses to walk away from the firehouse.
The send-off includes an emotional scene with Severide (Taylor Kinney), a final squad photo and a visit to the memorial for Otis, Cruz's late best friend. Miñoso told TheWrap he pitched the Otis moment to the writers himself and called the Kinney scene the most rewarding he has shared with his longtime co-star. He also said he learned about the exit on the final day of filming Season 14.
Miñoso isn't leaving the One Chicago family entirely. He and Yuri Sardarov, who played Otis, are planning a rewatch podcast targeted for early in the new year. Through his company, Mass Epiphany Studios, Miñoso also wrote and directed a short film, Long Lost, which he expects to take to festivals in 2027.
For Latino viewers, Cruz has been one of network TV's most consistent Latino leads for well over a decade, growing from a firefighter on Squad 3 into a husband and father at the heart of the show. His departure follows LaRoyce Hawkins' exit from Chicago P.D. earlier this fall, another long-running character of color leaving Dick Wolf's Chicago franchise. Read our coverage: LaRoyce Hawkins Says Goodbye to Chicago P.D.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
