‘Chicago Fire’: Dermot Mulroney Previews Pascal’s Grief & When 51 Has to Intervene

“He tries,” says Dermot Mulroney of his character, Chief Dom Pascal, in the aftermath of his wife Monica’s (KaDee Strickland) death.

Chicago Fire returns with a new episode on March 26, “In the Rubble.” In it, in the face of adversity, Pascal searches for justice. Unsurprisingly, he’s not going to be doing well when it comes to dealing with his loss. Below, Mulroney talks Pascal’s grief, Eamonn Walker‘s return as Boden, and more.

You were so good at the end of the last episode. It was so heartbreaking.

Dermot Mulroney: Well, thank you. I must admit, I asked the producers when I took the job, “Please challenge me, make it really hard.” So they sure did. And of course, you remember what takes about two minutes on the television show takes really most of the day and a week and a half leading up to that moment to get there. So thank you. That’s a lot of hard work on everybody’s part, too, and beautiful being across in that scene with. First, Christian Stolte. Then, right away, Hanako Greensmith, and even Steven Weber‘s the doctor in there with KaDee Strickland, so wonderful as Monica. So a tip of the hat to everyone that was in that scene, we worked together so closely. Thank you.

When did you find out that Monica was being killed off?

I found out about two days before they sent me the script. It makes perfect sense. I did get a call, “Get right back to me.” I thought it was like a call almost like you’d get on the show itself. It kind of mirrored reality. “I have some news, it’s okay for you, but your character’s wife’s gets in an unexpected accident.” So yeah, I was told verbally before I read it. I didn’t get surprised in the script read, but you probably know sometimes the script — first time you read the script is pretty close to when you start shooting it. So on the show we never have weeks and weeks of prep. Even preparing this story thought process, you can’t do until you see the script and sometimes just a few days.

How is Pascal handling his grief now going forward? Because based on the promo for the next episode, he’s looking for someone to blame.

Yeah, not well, I would say. He tries. He does return to work. You’d expect him to because he’s a true professional and born to do it. But yeah, he winds up making some bad decisions even and needs to kind of be reined in by his crew. So it’s an amazing depiction of traumatic grief at the workplace. Gosh, I hate to imagine — well, I did when I was shooting these scenes. Imagine how many people get a phone call like that or didn’t have to go to work the next day. The times that I’ve had to do that. It’s a very singular thing, so I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but those of us who have this really, really feels real and it’s such a specific thing to portray. So thanks for asking. Pascal does okay, not great, and the rest of the season is yet unknown to me, so hang in there with him. Yeah, he’s got whatever the stages of grief, he’s not very far along. I think he’s kind of stuck up on anger and can’t get past that right away.

Showrunner Andrea Newman said that we’re going to see Pascal pushed to the edge. What does that look like?

Well, you see him try and do his job. Then you’ll see him put in situation after situation that triggers that. Firefighters deal with people in trauma every day all the time, so it’s not just about putting the fire out. Obviously, we learn that on Chicago Fire, but in this case, each of these incidents, he’s supposed to be in complete control and command of the situation and he’s unable to function without being overwhelmed and managing another way, lashing out at others, blaming. So all of those things, we know them as critical stages in the process and he’s kind of tripping up over each of them. He’s alone. I guess they said they were married for 15 years. I don’t feel like they had previous relationships. They don’t have kids. So it’s like he’s pretty alone at the moment and suddenly, so you’ll see a really hard rendering version of someone in that situation.

What’s it going to take for him to lean on and open up to someone at 51?

Well, look, here’s the trick. They did such a great job of making Pascal kind of put you off a little bit, but then time after time he kept coming through for his guys. So finally they turn the tables — without giving too much away, these guys are really moved to intervene to keep him safe, and when he needs it the most. So it’s really a beautiful kind of flip where a lot of them are still on the fence, maybe especially Kidd [Miranda Rae Mayo], right? Not sure where she stands with her own boss, her own chief. And somewhat too with the older guys, his peers that are under him, Mouch [Christian Stolte] and Herrmann [David Eigenberg], boy, you’ll see how they really have Pascal’s back in his moment of need. So stay tuned for that.

You said something about safe because the promo makes it look like he’s doing a rescue himself and hanging off of something.

Yeah. Did they show that? Yeah. We did that.

Is he doing that because of his grief? Is that part of his dealing with it?

Well, it would be his part of not dealing with it very well and not being able to control impulses like that when he sees someone — without going into too much detail, but he’s seeing someone in a crush situation that’s similar to how she was found. So he acts without thinking, which is exactly the opposite of what a chief is supposed to do. So that’s what they’re showing.

And it’s such a physical event. I lucked out the way that they wrote it really matched some of the stuff that I can do well physically. So I hope they used a lot of the footage. But we really, Taylor [Kinney] is a great athlete and the two of us really scrambled up this thing. Ultimately, we’re also on safety cables, et cetera, but that was a really physical day. So looking forward to seeing that. I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s such an honor to work with a great stunt crew, special effects. Of course, they build these structures in advance so everyone’s safe, the stunt man that’s there all day in and out, but in such an uncomfortable long day for so many people. So they do it better than anybody and it’s amazing to work with especially these specialty crews on Chicago Fire.

Eamonn Walker is coming back for an episode. Talk about working with him and what’s the Pascal and Boden dynamic like? Andrea told me it’s contentious.

[Laughs] She says contentious. Well, it sure is. Okay, good. I’m glad I can give that away. They do it so incredibly. The way they bring him back isn’t in any just normal situation here, too. I’ll only tell you a little bit, but one of our incidents went really badly, and so we are under investigation, so who has to come and investigate his own house but Deputy Commissioner Boden? So then they throw down it almost like Sergio Leone or Rashomon even really cinematic. They go really hard on making it a very separate type of episode. So he goes full inquisitor, really bears down on each of the officers. Kidd’s interviewed. Herrmann’s accused of mishandling this situation, miscounting. It’s really dire and it’s a super tense episode.

Working with Eamonn Walker was wonderful because he’s such a warm person and everyone was so happy to have him back. But the minute he becomes Boden and Boden at his most steely resolve, such a fun thing to watch. And so yes, they pit Pascal’s steel against his and it’s really a great standoff. That plays to the future as well. So I sure hope they have him back. That was immense for — everyone’s thrilled. The directors, producers, the whole crew was thrilled to see Eamonn back in his role on his white shirt. Really amazing.

Before Monica’s death, Pascal had kind of been talking about possibly retiring soon, and we know the whole thing going on with Herrmann and Mouch and who’s going to take which position at 51. But Pascal says he doesn’t think Herrmann really wants it. What are those dynamics like going forward, and what is Pascal seeing in Herrmann that made him say that?

Yeah, no, I don’t know. Herrmann’s like hot and cold. He’s so unpredictable. It’s what we love about him the most and so amazing to work in this taut little storyline about who’s going to rise up in the house and then they throw me in and I’m a full stopper. I’m only piecing it together myself how connected people are, viewers are to this storyline. What’s going to happen? Who’s going to ascend the climb the ranks? So all I know is doesn’t bother me who it is. You see so reliably that Pascal respects somebody who does the job right, that measures up to his high standard. So you got to do that if you’re going to make waves. But now I’m speaking ahead of the scripts, but maybe I share this with Pascal and would wish it upon him that he should probably immerse himself in work as a way to cope and just stay there and make sure nobody takes his seat. I feel like he’s verging on that, that it’s a better fit than he thought it was going to be at the start of the season. So high hopes.

Yeah, it seems like the job’s all he has left now, which is sad.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for doing this. I cannot wait to see what’s coming up.

Thank you. Yes. The next couple of episodes are just wonderful. They wrote them and they always go all out with the production, the incidents themselves, the next two or three are phenomenal. So thrilled to be involved in what’s a high-point season for them.

Chicago Fire, Wednesdays, 9/8c, NBC