"Chicago Fire" interview with Charlie Barnett
December 8, 2014 | Tonight the Universal Channel airs the season 2 finale of NBC hit show "Chicago Fire" in Germany. Charlie Barnett plays the part of Peter Mills who makes it from candidate to squad member in an impressively short period of time. Charlie took some time while shooting to talk to us on the phone about the show, the atmosphere on set and especially about his character Peter, whom he speaks very fondly about. He puts a lot of heart into his acting as well as in his answers and gives us his take on the changes his character has to go through during the first two and a half seasons.
This interview contains spoilers for season 3 of "Chicago Fire"!
© 2012 NBC Universal Media, LLC Universal Channel
"Chicago Fire" is a brillant show with a great balance of fast-paced action and character work. What are your three favorite things about being on the show?
Definitely first and foremost the cast. They really are my family now and I love having such a great group of people in the city. It has been a blessing, especially as this is my first big show. I'm doing this for three years now and it is so nice that I walk in every day and I still like working there. I attribute it to not only the cast but also the crew – we have an incredible crew! I hope this doesn't change.
Secondly, I would say that we get to be within the real elements. We are in Chicago, we use real trucks, we use real tools, nothing is plastic or fake. The policemen and firemen around here are pretty much real policemen and firemen, so we have people who know what they are actually doing and can pull you aside and say "Hey, you look like an idiot!" That is a huge plus.
And lastly – the food is really good on set.
Watching "Chicago Fire" it feels like the city itself is kind of an important character. What is your favorite thing about the "Windy City"?
Well, being in New York and being in L.A., so being in the film and television hubs, can be a huge benefit to your career, but I think it can also be hindered if you are always surrounded by it and are in the middle of it. And I appreciate that we are in a city like Chicago, which is not consumed by Hollywood and is its own individual place. It's really kind of a workmen's city where people pry themselves on being honest – you know, that doesn't always happen here. And also on being loyal and being family-people. I really appreciate the city.
Peter is such a lovely guy that viewers immediately take into their hearts. What do you personally like most about him? And is there anything you dislike about Peter?
Peter has a little bit of a temper and I can't deny that maybe I have a little bit of a temper as well, so we relate in a lot of ways. But that is not really an issue, I like the negatives and the positives of each character I get to play. I like recognizing them and I like appreciating them, because each one of them gives the balance of who you are. I appreciate my own faults and I hope to overcome them, but they make me who I am. So there is not really anything that I don't like about Peter. If anything it is his quick temper. He has been getting in a lot of trouble he doesn't necessarily have to be in. He is a loyal man at heart and as much as he tries to be that person for himself, for his family and for the house he sometimes falls short, because he is just that kind of a person. If I had the chance to really be Peter, I would let him take a step back and let things fall into place. I think the things would be easier for him, but I also as an actor enjoy playing him.
© 2012 NBC Universal Media, LLC Universal Channel
Your character Peter is a paramedic now, but still dreams of being a firefighter and thought about a career as a police officer as well. What do you think is driving Peter in his career choices?
Wanting to be a cop fell into a time where he didn't really know where he wanted to be and who he wanted to be or what he wanted to do. He does have this passion for serving and for helping people. At the firehouse the situation became over-complicated because of his father's past and because of his relationship with Dawson and the falling-out of that relationship, more importantly. Also this strange past with Peters mother, Boden and his father – even I don't really know the history behind this. It got a little bit to personal and made things more complicated, and I think that is why he tried to run away. He decided to be a cop because he didn't know where to go. Peter wanted to do this service, but didn't how to do it and he knew it wasn't going to be easy in the firehouse. Once he got past that he got to see that he was a firefighter inside.
And of course with being a paramedic, well that is a real-life situation that happens. When you get into a situation where you get injured and you are not in a position where you can do your best serving in a fire force you have to step down and you have to get into a place that at least serves the house and as well looks out for your own best interest. With the vertigo Peter got: that makes it difficult to climb ladders and could easily risk a person's life. That is a risk that you can't take – legally and morally.
Personally I have to say, me as Charlie, I miss playing a firefighter so much and I guarantee that Peter misses it too. But you have got to stand up and be in a position that is best for everyone. Being a paramedic was a way to still be a part of the group. I was really happy that they didn't just kill me off!
We are happy about that, too! Let's get back to that point, as Season 2 had an intense cliffhanger that left viewers in the dark for several months. How did you and your castmates learn who would and who won't survive?
It was over the summer that we found out, right before we got back to work. It was really hush-hush for a long time. But we knew that something was going to have to happen, because we were coming to a point in the show where none of us had died yet and we were like "Well, somebody has got to go or it doesn't look real, guys!". So I think we were all prepared and it wasn't before around two weeks that it started to trickle through the cast, who would have to go. I know that Lauren [German] was told pretty early on and she wanted to keep it to herself until we were all in a place to hear it and to hear it directly from her. And it sucks, but it is real life in every fire station around the world and it needed to be a part of our world, too, unfortunately. And it is so sad that it had to be her because she is such a great spirit and we loved her. Luckily this is TV-world and so Lauren is fine and we can still meet her.
Are there any frightening things you had to do for your work on "Chicago Fire"?
I have got to say it is pretty hard being in a group of not only men, but also women who are pretty bad-ass – you can quote me on that. I think our girls would go and jump into anything if they get the chance, even more so than any of the guys. You have got to own up and no matter how scared you are you have got to jump into it. I love that kind of energy, because it makes the plot more natural. I think fear is a true response and if you get to see that as an audience member through my face I think it should be established. Every single one of the fires could be a risk.
For me personally... I'm terribly claustrophobic. I admit it, putting on that mask is a little bit terrifying every year that we come back. Being buried underneath it and sitting there for hours while they are setting up the cameras is not that fun. Peter is a paramedic now but I think the opportunity will come again for him to be a firefighter and it will be terrifying again. Something about being locked in makes me freak out, even though I'm trying to keep my cool on set and brush it off in front of the others.
© 2012 NBC Universal Media, LLC Universal Channel
The role of Peter is your first part as a main character on a TV show. Can you tell us what the casting process was like?
From an actor's perspective it was like any other casting opportunity. As an actor in Los Angeles looking for a job, it all moved very quick. I went on the initial audition and then went through a series of call backs. From there I got the phone call and flew out to Chicago two days later. Once the cast got to Chicago, we did a lot of training specific to our roles as firefighters and paramedics before reading the first script. All of that came together to help each of us build our characters.
You started acting at a very young age. Was there a key moment in your life that made you choose this path?
If anything, I have vivid memories of watching "Edward Scissorhands" at six or seven years old and it making me cry for a couple of days. First, because I couldn’t understand why someone who put scissors on someone's hands and not expect them to live a difficult life. But also because of the compassion toward other human beings depicted in the film. It makes you look at people who are living with disabilities or unfortunate situations, and understand how they learn to find a purpose and sense of bliss in life. For me, it initiated a love in seeing how a person's life can be shaped from both the negative and positive circumstances surrounding them. I saw acting as an opportunity to explore a variety of differences in human beings by living in a character's life and really understanding where they are, how they got there and how they have changed throughout the journey. So I suppose it is a love of people that attracted me to acting.
Since myFanbase is an online magazine about U.S. television shows, we would like to know what your favorite shows are?
I’m a huge HBO fanatic. I watch anything and everything on HBO. I also have a lot of guilty pleasures – I watch a little bit of "Bravo" and really love "Project Runway". Big ups to NBC for "State of Affairs". That is definitely my go-to right now. That and "Bob's Burgers", which is the best thing that ever happened.
Thank you very much for taking the time, Charlie, we wish you all the best with all your future projects.
Luisa Schmidt - myFanbase
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