Exiting Chicago Fire Star Daniel Kyri Says Emotional Goodbye To His Character Darren Ritter: 'You Made History'

Just days after sharing behind-the-scenes shots of his "limited" Chicago Fire return, Daniel Kyri is now officially saying goodbye to the NBC series.

"I filmed my last scenes as [Darren] Ritter [and] I'm still so amazed that my first-ever TV gig — a role that was originally meant for just three episodes — turned into seven incredible years (SEVEN?!?!! Whatttt???!) and spanned eight seasons of this iconic show!" Kyri wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. "While I know I may never find another cast and crew as amazing as this one, I intend to carry what I've learned from you to every set in the future."

The actor went on to thank his reps, Wolf Entertainment and "everyone involved in the creation of Darren Ritter, to every writer who recognized me [and] aligned with my intention [and] vision for the potential of this character." He also thanked fans for embracing and celebrating Ritter "for every aspect of his humanity."

Kyri also acknowledged his co-stars, highlighting their "relentless loyalty, compassion [and] love throughout my time on this show [and] now as I move through this enormous transition in my life."

He ended his emotional farewell by paying tribute to his character: "Chicago Fire changed my life. Bringing Darren Ritter to the screen has transformed [and] healed me in equal measure. He is a man who embodies empathy, humility, compassion, and unwavering bravery to save lives. His heroism is further fortified by the way he navigates the world — a gay Black firefighter who is proud, fierce, loyal [and] whole — a possibility I never got to see onscreen in my childhood but desperately craved... I am so humbled [and] proud to have portrayed you. I'm thrilled that my inner child would have looked at you each week in awe of everything you represent. You made history. Thank you so much, Darren Ritter. And goodbye."

It was first revealed in May that Kyri and fellow series regular Jake Lockett would be leaving the drama ahead of Season 14. But Ritter was not formally written out of the series in the Season 13 finale, which left the door open for Kyri to return and wrap up his character's storyline. Back in May, showrunner Andrea Newman told TVLine that they didn't have a set plan for addressing his departure, but that there were "lots of possibilities there."

Read Kyri's full statement below, then hit the comments with your reactions to his emotional goodbye!