You can’t keep Chicago PD‘s Kim Burgess down. After her latest life-threatening experience, Marina Squerciati’s character gets out of the hospital in this week’s episode, and it’s not long before she’s right back in the middle of the action. But where does she go in the rest of the season? And at what point does all of the trauma Kim’s been through catch up with her?
Marina Squerciati recently spoke with me as part of my Fall TV Interviews series to preview tonight’s Chicago PD episode and discuss what she’d like to see for Burgess in the rest of Chicago PD season 9. Check out what she had to tell me before the Burgess-centric installment airs tonight on NBC in its usual 10:00 p.m. ET/PT time slot!
Brittany Frederick: Chicago PD fans feel terrible for Kim Burgess as she recovers from yet another traumatic incident. What’s it like for you as the person playing her, to have her go through as much as she has over the last few seasons?
Marina Squerciati: As an actor, it’s really exciting. But I do know that the fans…Generally I hear either two things. “Tell the writers to leave you alone,” or like “You’ve got to stay away from that dude.” Those are the two things I hear.
BF: Over on Chicago Fire we saw Joe Minoso’s character being hesitant on the job after his near-death experience. Will Kim have the same kind of aftereffects, or will she push this latest one down and fight on like she usually does?
MS: I think a little bit of both. I think she’s going to keep soldiering it on. But I think that there’s a lot of trigger points that will come up later on when specifically Roy’s stuff starts rearing its ugly head. That storyline is still very much alive and that’s sort of Burgess’s monster under the bed. So I think it will come up, but for a while it’s going to be just pushing it down.
BF: Given all that she’s endured, Kim’s pretty remarkable. How do you think she maintains her dedication to helping others and her empathy for other people when she’s been through things that would make other people quit?
MS: Not that she’s like a super bubbly optimist, but there are people who wake up and always see the glass half full. If you remember seasons 1, 2 and 3, she was a really bubbly person. And I think that while Intelligence and the job has really hardened her, that’s still who she is and it saves her.
BF: She has obviously leaned so much on Adam Ruzek, but it would be great to see other Chicago PD characters helping out Kim in this difficult time. Is there any other relationship you think would be a great one to explore this season?
MS: As a cast, I have to say, we have been talking a lot about that. That’s really astute that you notice. I’d love to mix up the pairings a bit more, just to explore. I was live-tweeting on Wednesday [for the season 9 premiere] and one of the tweets that got the most traction is the fact that I made fun of Halstead’s character, because [Upton] walked in and is like “Well, how’s Burgess?” And I was like “What do you mean, how’s Burgess? How could he not go to the hospital to see me?” Like”What are you talking about?” (laughs)
I would love to build things with characters that I haven’t really explored. I feel like my relationship with Adam is pretty well explored, even though there’s a lot there. I feel like my relationship with Atwater is, there’s so much there and it’s kind of been latent for a while. Upton and I, the two women on the show, there’s a gold mine. It’s a gold mine, and Upton and I should really introduce ourselves, because I don’t even think we know each other’s first names.
There’s a joke among the fans, and between me and Jesse [Lee Soffer], that we don’t know each other’s first names. So he’ll come by my desk and he’s like “Kate, right?” It’ll be like “Yeah, you’re Jake. Right?” Just that we don’t even speak.
BF: Burgess’ family was mentioned in the Chicago PD season 9 premiere, but One Chicago fans didn’t get to see them on screen. Do you think they’ll pop up at some point this season?
MS: I don’t know. I honestly think that’s just a function of television, but I would’ve liked to have seen my sister, at least. But I hope.
BF: Things have to look up for Kim this season, considering where they’re starting from. What would you like to see for her? What would make her happy by the end of season 9?
MS: I would like her to make detective. I kind of feel like I deserve that gold star. In an episode coming up, Upton and Halstead are flirting and they’re calling each other “Detective.” And I was like, “Can’t believe I’m not a detective yet.” Just think, with all the scars I’ve given to the job. All the blood, sweat and tears. So I’d like to be detective.
Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Article content is (c)2020-2023 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram.
TVBrittanyF.com 