Why Monica Raymund's Gabriela Dawson Left Chicago Fire

The One Chicago Universe now includes three shows (a fourth, "Chicago Justice" lasted just one season before it was canceled). But the series that started it all was "Chicago Fire," which debuted back in 2012. Adding to the immersion of the interconnected shows is the fact they frequently make use of Windy City locales when not shooting on Chicago based soundstages. For former "Chicago Fire" star Monica Raymund, however, the procedural's location wasn't ideal. The actor portrayed paramedic Gabriela Dawson for six seasons  but harbored ambitions to move to Los Angeles. When her "Chicago Fire" contract came to an end she opted not to renew, instead pursuing her desire to move westward which meant she could no longer commit to the Chicago-based filming of NBC's drama.

Dawson debuted on "Chicago Fire" all the way back in its first season. The Paramedic in Charge of Ambulance 61, she married Jesse Spencer's Matthew Casey and the pair tried to have children unsuccessfully. This eventually led to a breakup, after which Dawson relocated to Puerto Rico to provide medical expertise in a whole new setting.

Monica Raymund, meanwhile, also left Chicago behind, but not for Puerto Rico. The actor spoke to the Chicago Tribune where she revealed that her six-year contract with "Chicago Fire" was coming to an end prior to departure and she felt "hungry to explore a different role, a different story." This led her to relocate to Los Angeles, where she could "plant some roots," which meant she had to bid farewell to the show on which she'd starred for six seasons. After season 6, Raymund showed up briefly in seasons 7 and 8 but was essentially gone from season 7 onwards.

"Chicago Fire" has undergone numerous cast changes over the years, with Kara Killmer leaving the firefighting series in season 12 and Jack Lockett's Sam Carver departing after season 13. Monica Raymund had a solid run on the NBC show before she, too, left. As paramedic and candidate of Truck 81, Gabriela Dawson proved her bravery on numerous occasions, and was present for some of the best seasons of "Chicago Fire." But at the end of season six, her contract expired alongside several other of the five original "Chicago Fire" cast members. While Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, and Eamonn Walker all secured deals to return, Raymund took the opportunity to head for Tinseltown.

In response, the writers crafted a story that saw Sam Porretta's Chief Karl Hatcher offer Gabriela the chance to work with a rescue team abroad. After she told her then husband, Matthew Casey, that she wanted to try for another child despite previous complications and major risks, the pair's relationship fell apart. By the end of the season six finale, Gabriela decided to accept the job offer, leaving for Puerto Rico in an emotional close to her "Chicago Fire" story.

Having to write Raymund out of the show, however, came as somewhat of a shock to the writers. Speaking to TVLine, ahead of "Chicago Fire" season 7, showrunner Derek Haas said that he and the writers "had to adjust [their] plans greatly." He added, "I was definitely caught off-guard that she was not going to come back. That's not to say that she didn't give us plenty of time, because she did. But in my head, that was all just end-of-year negotiating or whatever. I didn't think that she really wasn't going to come back."

It seems Monica Raymund had no hard feelings about her time on "Chicago Fire." Upon her departure, she posted a message to her social media (via The Hollywood Reporter) where she said it had been "an honor" to play Gabriela Dawson, and "one of the most meaningful experiences of [her] life." She went on to thank the fans, adding, "I'll always be proud to have played a fierce paramedic with such an incredible cast and crew."

In her Chicago Tribune interview, the actor said she "loved being able to play a first responder" and elaborated on her decision to leave. "I had been in Chicago for five years," she explained, "and just personally where I was in my life, I was ready to create my home and kind of plant some roots in Los Angeles." Raymund went on to describe her time on "Chicago Fire" as "kind of a double-edged sword," pointing to the job security and the ability to "delve into a storyline and to flesh it out over that amount of time" as positives. "To get that opportunity is extremely rare and special," she added. "Job security is always the two favorite words an actor can say. But sometimes you have to take a risk to diversify your opportunities."

That risk involved leaving the One Chicago Universe behind and heading West. Since then, the actor has returned for recurring roles "Chicago Med" and "Chicago P.D.," but her biggest project has been Starz crime drama "Hightown" on which she starred for three seasons as Jackie Quiñones (alongside producing and directing two episodes). The show was cancelled after season 3, but Raymund continued to direct, overseeing several episodes of "Dexter: Resurrection" — one of the best TV shows of 2025.