What is Jesse Spencer doing now that “House” is done?
—Carita Holmes, Marietta, Ga.
If you will recall, Spencer’s character Dr. Robert Chase was written out of “House” early—returning for the finale—which was to enable him to shoot the pilot for an NBC series, “Chicago Fire.”
In the new series, the Melbourne, Australia-born actor plays Lieutenant Matthew Casey, who is struggling in both his personal and professional lives, after losing one of his men in a fire. “It was the right thing. It came along straightaway, so I saw the opportunity and I took it,” says Spencer, who says he isn’t concerned if the new show runs as long as “House.”
“You don’t think that far ahead. When we started ‘House,’ it was the Untitled David Shore Project. We took it month to month. As the show progressed, it took different directions and things changed all the time. I really like the experience of a long-running TV show, which is why I signed on for this.”
Another reason that Spencer, 33, says he signed on to the new series is that unlike “House,” which was a procedural show, this one will involve more action.
It is also a different world for him. While he did have a learning curve on how to play a doctor for “House,” the medical world was a comfortable one for him, as several members of his family are doctors.
With “Chicago Fire,” it was a whole new experience, which required some firefighter training and ride-alongs to get a feel for the men who risk their lives battling blazes.
“This is a much more physical, shoot-from-the-hips show, in which we are really going to explore the characters and go into their professional lives, as well as their personal lives,” Spencer says. “Obviously, the physicality of the show is very, very important.”
