While it’s true that the One Chicago universe has had its fair share of memorable guest stars, I can’t say that I’ve been as excited about any of them as I am now.
The recent addition of actor and singer Steven Strait to Chicago Fire has given fans a little something extra to look forward to each week.
Now that Violet is finally ready for a new love interest, helpful-bystander-turned-romantic-prospect Flynn Calhoun is here to woo our favorite paramedic in charge.
If Flynn looks familiar to you, it’s probably because Steven Strait’s extensive acting catalog has graced your screen in one way or another.
He started acting as a teenager, and even in his earliest roles, Strait stood out right away as a heartthrob.
He’s played everything from an angry super-powered teen hell-bent on avenging his father to a dreamy warlock in a film full of other dreamy warlocks.
In more recent years, he’s found success in starring TV roles on major hits like The Expanse.
We’re taking a look at some of Steven Strait’s most memorable roles.
Which is your favorite?
Flynn Calhoun on Chicago Fire
I’ll be honest, the goatee threw me off, and I didn’t recognize Strait immediately when he showed up on Chicago Fire.
On this show, fan favorite Violet Mikami’s love life has been complicated thus far, and that’s putting it mildly.
She’s dealt with unimaginable grief after watching her boyfriend die, and then a situationship with another coworker that fizzled out horribly.
Since they met on a call, Flynn has taken Violet on a couple of dates, and we’ve seen some next-level wooing.
When he realized he’d have to cancel a date with Violet, he showed up to tell her in person so that she didn’t think she was being blown off by text. What a guy, am I right?
There’s no word yet on how long this relationship will last (or if it could be an endgame ship for the show), but we’ll happily continue to enjoy all the screen time Strait gets.
Watch Chicago Fire Online
Jim Holden on The Expanse
As far as books-turned-TV-shows go, The Expanse is one of the most wildly successful examples of the genre.
Strait plays Jim Holden, captain of a spaceship called the Rocinante.
The show is set in the far future, and it can be a little hard to follow if you aren’t familiar with the source material, but it’s worth a binge.
In this futuristic universe, Strait’s character is the biological child of eight parents, who combined their DNA to create him and raised him on Earth (Montana, to be exact).
After he learned the truth that his conception was planned so he could inherit a losing battle for territory, Holden ran away and joined the Navy, got himself discharged, and then escaped … to space.
If you’re into sci-fi, have a penchant for characters who will turn themselves inside out for what they believe is right, and have time to work through six seasons of TV, The Expanse is a great option.
Watch The Expanse Online
Warren Peace in Disney’s Sky High
Picture it.
The year is 2005. Miniskirts worn over jeans are considered fashionable and the first video ever has just been uploaded to YouTube.
In a year that historians will look back on and call “extremely weird,” Disney released a campy teen superhero comedy called Sky High, and I fell in love with one Steven Strait.
The movie focuses on the teenage son of famous superheroes, his best friend and next-door neighbor, and their fresh start at an aptly named high school situated miles above the clouds.
The protagonist, Will, learns on his first day that he already has an arch-nemesis: Warren Peace, the son of a supervillain who was taken down by — you guessed it — Will’s parents.
Warren is hot (no, I mean that literally; his superpower is fire-based), and Strait perfectly portrayed the ideal 2005 version of a teen bad boy.
A red streak in his hair is included for extra bad-boy emphasis.
Watch Sky High Online
Brooks on Revenge
Few shows were as drama-filled as the ABC hit Revenge starring Emily Van Camp.
Somehow, the dark look behind the closed doors of the Hamptons’ richest families only lasted four seasons, but the show is still well-loved by its fans.
Steven Strait wasn’t on the drama for very long; his arc only lasted for two episodes during Revenge Season 3.
Still, his character (a P.I. named Brooks) made an impression.
Watch Revenge Online
Caleb Danvers in The Covenant
Here’s the thing. Between 2005 and 2009, the “hot people doing supernatural stuff” genre was huge.
This era gave us Supernatural, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and True Blood. It was a good time to be a teenager, okay?
From deep in the bowels of this genre came an instant classic: The Covenant.
Steven Strait joined fellow heartthrobs Sebastian Stan, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway, and Chace Crawford to deliver an extremely moody, slightly horny teen warlock flick with more shirtless scenes than Baywatch.
There’s nothing I can really say to convince you to watch this movie if you haven’t already, but it’s the perfect blend of cringe and nostalgia if you’re looking for a way to kill a couple of hours.
It’s how I’ll be spending my weekend, anyway.
Watch The Covenant (2006) Online
Stevie Evans on Magic City
The short-lived Starz series Magic City may not have taken off as fans hoped, but two seasons was long enough for Steven Strait to leave his mark.
Set in Miami in 1959, the show takes a look at the dark secrets hidden by powerful people.
The Evans family owns the Miramar Playa hotel, and Stevie spends his days flirting with trouble (and women) while his father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) attempts to groom him to be his successor.
Stevie isn’t exactly what you’d call a gentleman, but he’s got the kind of face that lets him get away with … well, everything.
The show is sultry, heated, and dramatic; a great way for fans of historical fiction and handsome playboys to escape to a new universe.
Would Magic City be green-lit today? Probably not. But for a couple of years, it made about a half a million people happy.
Watch Magic City Online
Henry in Life Like (2019)
What is it about a future with human-like androids taking care of us that gets people so hot and bothered?
Another take on the robot uprising nightmare, Life Like is a thriller that sees a young couple learn a hard lesson when their robot slave gets a little too helpful.
No spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Steven Strait plays the part of a sexy, evil robot at least as well as Michael Fassbender in the Alien franchise, and that’s saying something.
Life Like is worth a watch, but you might want to turn off your Alexa device first.
Watch Life Like Online
What did I miss?
Let me know in the comments if you have any favorite Steven Strait shows or movies not on this list.
If you watch any that I’ve recommended, I want to hear your thoughts!
Don’t miss Steven Strait on Chicago Fire, Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.