Millions of viewers came to know Daniel Kyri through firefighter Darren Ritter on NBC’s Chicago Fire. Yet his career began long before Firehouse 51 and spans theater, filmmaking, writing, and television. His 2025 departure from the drama also opened a new chapter in his creative career.
Quick answer: Daniel Kyri is a Chicago-born American actor, writer, filmmaker, and singer. He is best known for playing Darren Ritter on Chicago Fire from 2018 until his farewell storyline in 2025. His earlier work includes acclaimed Chicago theater, The T, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, and Night’s End.
| Key fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Profession | Actor, writer, director, filmmaker, singer |
| Hometown | Chicago, Illinois |
| Best-known role | Darren Ritter, Chicago Fire |
| Joined Chicago Fire | Season 7 in 2018 |
| Became series regular | Season 9 |
| Final Ritter storyline | Season 14, Episode 2 in October 2025 |
| Notable film work | Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, Night’s End |
| Theater credits | Goodman, Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, The Gift Theatre |
| Other major project | Co-writer and star of The T |
| Current status | No longer a Chicago Fire series regular |
Who Is Daniel Kyri?
The Chicago-born performer describes himself as an actor, writer-director, filmmaker, and singer on his official website. His professional identity has never been limited to television work. Chicago’s theater community gave him an important foundation before national audiences knew his name.
He grew up on Chicago’s South Side and developed his creativity through several forms of performance. In a 2020 Wolf Entertainment interview, he recalled writing fiction, singing, doing gymnastics, and participating in After School Matters. He later became an established member of Chicago’s professional theater community.
That local stage background helps explain his career beyond one network television character. His credits include work at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. NewPape readers interested in another stage-to-screen career can also read its Cherry Jones biography.
From Chicago Theater to National Television
Before Firehouse 51, Kyri built a résumé filled with demanding stage roles. His theater work included Objects in the Mirror, Moby Dick, Tug of War, and Ms. Blakk for President. He also played Hamlet in a 2018 Gift Theatre production.
His work in Objects in the Mirror brought a Joseph Jefferson Equity Award nomination for principal actor. His official biography also notes recognition from the Chicago Reader and Windy City Times. These credits show that his television breakthrough followed years of professional work rather than an overnight discovery.
Kyri also helped create The T with Bea Cordelia. The web series focused on the friendship between a Black queer man and a white transgender woman in Chicago. It gave him experience as both a performer and a creator before his biggest television role arrived.
Daniel Kyri and Chicago Fire: How Darren Ritter Changed His Career
Kyri auditioned for Darren Ritter while performing the title role in Hamlet during 2018. According to his own account, the television opportunity came at a time when he was reconsidering his acting path. The role became far larger than its original short-term plan.
Ritter first appeared during Season 7 as a young firefighter rebuilding his confidence after freezing during an emergency. Mouch recognized his potential and helped bring him into Firehouse 51. The character eventually became an established member of the ensemble and Kyri became a series regular.
Representation also became central to Ritter’s importance. Kyri has discussed what portraying a Black gay firefighter meant to him personally and professionally. He later described the experience as helping him approach his work with greater confidence.
According to Kyri’s farewell message, the role ultimately lasted seven years and spanned eight seasons. That run was far longer than the three-episode opportunity originally envisioned for Ritter. It turned a supporting character into the part most closely associated with the actor.
Why Did Darren Ritter Leave Chicago Fire?
News of Kyri’s exit emerged in 2025, before Season 13 had completed its run. The Season 13 finale did not immediately give Ritter a permanent farewell storyline. Instead, the series brought him back briefly during Season 14 to complete the character’s departure.
Season 14 ultimately sent Ritter to New York following developments involving Dwayne. Ritter initially traveled there after learning Dwayne had been shot while working. Their reunion eventually prompted him to leave Chicago and pursue the relationship in New York.
That exit avoided killing the character or permanently closing the door on Firehouse 51. Ritter framed his move as an extended furlough, giving the story a comparatively hopeful conclusion. For another NewPape look at how television performers become closely tied to defining roles, see the site’s Jan Smithers career profile.
What Movies and Shows Has He Appeared In?
Chicago Fire represents his most recognizable television work, but it isn’t his only screen credit. He appeared in Chicago Med before becoming Ritter and later crossed into Chicago P.D. through the One Chicago franchise. His film work includes Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, Killing Eleanor, and the 2022 horror film Night’s End.
His official project page also highlights The Thing About Harry and directing work alongside his acting projects. That range fits the broader career he describes as a multidisciplinary artist. Acting remains one part of a creative résumé that also includes writing and filmmaking.
A useful comparison is NewPape’s Erin Moran biography, which examines how one signature television character can dominate public recognition. Kyri faces a similar visibility challenge, though his stage and creative work provide a much broader foundation. His post-Chicago Fire years could make that range more visible to mainstream audiences.
How Old Is Daniel Kyri?
Published sources currently disagree about his birth year, so readers should treat a precise age claim carefully. IMDb and TV Insider list October 10, 1994, while the current Wikipedia entry lists October 10, 1995. That one-year conflict prevents a completely reliable age statement without confirmation from Kyri or another primary record.
The date is consistently reported as October 10, but the year is disputed. Many biography sites repeat one version without acknowledging the conflict between sources. A careful profile should distinguish verified information from repeated online claims instead of presenting uncertain data as settled fact.
His Work and Queer Representation
Kyri has publicly identified as queer and spoken about growing up without enough examples of Black queer people in popular culture. Those experiences shaped how he approached Ritter and his earlier creative work. They also influenced his views about showing up authentically in auditions and professional spaces.
Ritter’s story therefore mattered beyond the normal progression of a network drama character. Kyri has spoken openly about the confidence he developed while playing an out Black firefighter for a large national audience. In 2025, he said his work on the series strengthened his belief that his identity contributes to his creativity.
That theme also predates Chicago Fire. The T centered queer and transgender friendship in Chicago and allowed him to help shape the material himself. His career shows a consistent interest in representation across both independent projects and mainstream television.
What Is He Doing After Chicago Fire?
As of October 2026, Kyri is no longer a regular on Chicago Fire. Recent coverage of the show’s fifteenth season lists Ritter among the established characters who have departed Firehouse 51. The series has since added several new cast members following those exits.
His public biography still presents him as a multidisciplinary performer rather than someone focused only on television acting. His previous work already includes directing, writing, stage acting, film, and music. That history leaves several possible directions for his career after a seven-year run on network television.
No clearly verified 2026 screen role has yet displaced Ritter as his next major mainstream project. That makes unsupported claims about a specific “next show” premature. Readers looking for current information should prioritize announcements from the actor, production companies, or established entertainment trades.
Why His Career Is Bigger Than Darren Ritter
A long-running television role can easily obscure everything that came before it. Kyri entered Chicago Fire with professional theater credentials, independent filmmaking experience, and years in Chicago’s arts community. Those foundations remained present throughout his network television success.
His departure also left no connection to the character that made him widely known. Ritter received an open-ended exit instead of a definitive death or irreversible ending. That gives both the character and actor more flexibility following their eight-season association.
The next phase will show whether wider audiences follow him into projects outside the One Chicago universe. His earlier work suggests he has more creative options than a conventional television résumé might indicate. For NewPape readers, that makes his post-Ritter career worth watching rather than treating his Firehouse 51 exit as an ending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Daniel Kyri?
He is an American actor, writer, director, filmmaker, and singer from Chicago. He is best known nationally for playing Darren Ritter on NBC’s Chicago Fire. His professional background also includes major Chicago theaters and independent screen projects.
Why did Darren Ritter leave Chicago Fire?
Ritter left Chicago during Season 14 after reconnecting with Dwayne following a shooting in New York. He eventually moved there and continued their relationship. The storyline gave him a hopeful departure rather than killing the character.
Could Ritter return to Chicago Fire?
The story did not make a future appearance impossible. Ritter described his move in terms that left the door open, although no permanent return has been announced. Any future appearance would need confirmation from NBC or the production.
Is he queer?
Yes, he has publicly identified as queer and has discussed his experiences in several interviews. He has connected those experiences with his approach to performance and representation. His work on Ritter and The T has been especially important in those conversations.
What is his age?
Public databases disagree on whether he was born in 1994 or 1995. Both versions list an October 10 birthday, but that discrepancy changes the calculated age. Until a primary source resolves it, presenting one age as indisputable would be misleading.
What is he doing now?
His regular Chicago Fire run has ended, and no newly announced project has yet replaced Ritter as his defining mainstream role. His established work spans theater, writing, filmmaking, directing, and screen acting. Those areas provide the clearest guide to where his career could move next.
