THE BIG PICTURE
– Jocelyn Hudson promoted to series regular on Season 13 of Chicago Fire after impressing bosses.
– Hudson’s character, Lyla Novak, has proven pivotal to the fire department team.
– Hudson, with experience in procedurals, joins an ensemble of talented actors for upcoming season.

A new paramedic at Ambulance 61 has just received a well-deserved promotion for Season 13 of Chicago Fire. Jocelyn Hudson who joined the procedural drama series in Season 12 as a new paramedic named Lyla Novak will feature regularly for the upcoming Season 13 recently greenlit by NBC. April was brought on to the team to replace Lennox (played by Wesam Keesh) who left after his character was dismissed by the team’s boss, Boden. Her character has proven pivotal to the fire department team and, as a reward, we’re learning via Deadline that her role has been upgraded.

In addition to Keesh, Chicago Fire saw a couple of departures in Season 12, including longtime series regular, Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) who joined the show in Season 3 as a replacement for the deceased Leslie Shay (Shiri Appleby). With Kilmer’s character leaving mid-way through Season 12 alongside a couple of other departures, the show created room for new characters to step up, and it’s exciting to see Hudson move up the ranks following her impressive performance in Season 12. Hudson’s Lyla was introduced in the back half of Season 12 as a new paramedic who was content with just freelancing. However, she later agreed to join the team on a full-time basis and immediately made an impact on the squad. Lyla often steps in to take charge and fill the gaps whenever necessary, traits that have impressed the bosses and will be interesting to see how her arc plays out for the upcoming Season.

Jocelyn Hudon’s Star Is On The Rise

While Hudon might be a newcomer to the One Chicago franchise, she is no stranger to procedurals and comes to Chicago Fire with some wealth of experience to leave an impression on the show. She has previously featured in equally successful procedurals such as Criminal Minds, 9-1-1, and The Rookie: Feds. Quite a versatile performer, Hudon has featured in other TV shows, notably, the FX series Dave, Guillermo del Toro’s horror series, The Strain, 21 Thunder, Ice, and When Hope Calls.

Hudon is a familiar face among Hallmark audiences, having appeared in romantic comedies such as Falling in Love in Niagra and Romance With a Twist. She recently took on the leading role in the romantic drama, The Fall co-starring Thomas Cocquerel and Jeremy Sumpter. For her performance as Lacey Huxley, a 30-year-old woman torn between two lovers, she was nominated for Best Actress at the 2024 Mammoth Film Festival.

Hudon joins other current series regulars Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, Eamonn Walker, Miranda Rae Mayo, Christian Stolte, Hanako Greensmith, and Joe Minoso, who will all return when Season 13 premieres on NBC. Stay tuned for more updates on Chicago Fire.