Joe Minoso has been a cornerstone of NBC’s “Chicago Fire” since its inception, bringing depth, humor and emotion to the character of Joe Cruz.
Over the years, Cruz has evolved from a light-hearted, Zumba-loving firefighter to a dedicated family man and experienced squad member with a high stakes.
Minoso’s portrayal consistently captured the balance between Cruz’s vulnerability and fierce loyalty, making him a fan favorite in the “One Chicago” universe.
In this exclusive interview, Minoso reflects on the unique opportunity to revisit storylines from the show’s first season.
Flacco’s storyline, which initially served as Cruz’s defining moment, came full circle in Chicago Fire season 13, providing a deeper exploration of his character’s psyche.
Now a husband and father, the stakes have never been higher for Cruz, as his protective instincts lead him into dangerous situations.
In addition to the gripping storyline, Minoso highlights how Cruz reflects his own life journey, from personal growth to changing responsibilities. For Minoso, playing a noble, expressive Latino male protagonist was not only a career highlight, but a profound responsibility.
As Minoso prepares for a landmark crossover event, his passion for Cruz and the show’s legacy shines through, delivering an unforgettable season for fans.
One of the coolest things about this series being on for so long is that you get to revisit the storyline. What was your reaction to the return of Flaco’s storyline? I believe that was season one.
This is indeed the first season. I’m so impressed and proud that the writers took on the challenge of trying to figure out how to reinvestigate a story from over a decade ago and tried to do it in a new and interesting way.
I really think they succeeded. So I hope we do this justice. I’m excited to unveil Cruz’s biggest plot holes and unanswered questions.
Yes, this is awesome. This is really awesome. It’s great to finally be on my feet.
Yes. I love Richard Cabral. He’s awesome. I’m so excited to see you two together on screen.
No, that guy. He appeared in season one.
But it seems to me that he probably plays the same role in me. He’s the guy who held a knife to Herman’s throat in the Season 1 finale.
Arguably, no, that was actually Flacco’s cousin from Season 1, who was arrested after that fire. He has been there for more than ten years. It makes sense to me.
But he’s an incredible, incredible actor. All I could do was keep up with him. He’s really amazing.
So the stakes are certainly much higher for Cruz this time around. He is now married, has children, and is in various stages of his career. Can you talk a little bit about his mindset and how he’s dealing with this new, scary development?
You know, very obvious.
First and foremost, Cruz is a man who is willing to protect his family at any risk and at any cost, especially his own life. He cares more about taking care of his loved ones than taking care of himself.
I think you’ll see him make a series of unwise decisions for himself, all in an effort to keep his family safe.
Yes, I know the synopsis teases him for making a “devil’s deal,” which I think is a very good turn of phrase. How much trouble can we expect Cruz to get into, and how long will it take before others start to notice?
I think he got himself into as much trouble as possible. There was no way anyone else in the fire department didn’t know.
You will soon learn at the end of episode 9 and the beginning of episode 10 that this secret will no longer be hidden.
So this is going to develop more strongly. You’ll see what happens when Pandora’s Box opens at 51.
Correct. Now Pascal replaces Borden and has a different energy.
You know, I don’t think Boden would be better. This is quite large. Our technical advisor, Steve Chikerotis, has a story that he likes to tell when they first approached him with the idea of eliminating Flaco.
It’s like Michael Brandt and Derek Haas had to flip a coin to decide who would tell him because they were so worried that Chick would hate the idea because of how it would make the firefighters look at the end of the day.
But he said, “No, are you kidding? It’s like a conversation starter.
I don’t know anyone, if they actually had to face that moment, who would say, okay, this is an opportunity to save my family’s life. Who wouldn’t do that, you know? So I think this is a very exciting step for them.
That was a very bold move and decision that we made in Season 1, and to come back in Season 13, we’re able to put an exclamation point on it, to say the least. This is one of the greatest gifts you can have as an actor.
Speaking of which, how do you feel your character has evolved from the beginning to now? What are you most proud of?
Overall, I’m most proud of the opportunity to play a Latino male who has no problem expressing his feelings and is in every way a noble man who has his family’s best interests at heart.
I think we rarely see that in TV and movies.
Being able to play this role is the greatest joy and responsibility of my life.
How has Cruz evolved over time?
In a lot of ways, like me, you know, like we’re almost the same age.
I’ve been married for ten years. I have a mortgage. I have four dogs. I have a lot more people to think about and care for than when I first started this job.
I think the same goes for Cruz. I love seeing his progress. Cruz spent the first three years being like a Zumba instructor, a goofball fireman. Then he joined the team and it was a huge shine. Then he got married.
I tell people I have the best character in the One Chicago universe because I’ve done so many different things and played so many aspects of this character. Frankly, I don’t know what else I could ask for.
Is there anything you want to say about the upcoming big crossover and the rest of the season?
What I can tease is, I don’t think it’s a crossover. I think it’s a three hour movie. It’s not a matter of jumping from one show to another.
It’s like a single-arc storyline, three hours of your favorite Chicago characters intertwined.
Wow! Is it bigger than the infected? Because that’s huge.
Yes. hundred percent. It’s the biggest thing we’ve ever done so far. Figuring out how to pull it off was a huge feat for all three production teams.
So, yeah, it’s incredible. It’s the biggest crossover you’ve ever seen, but it’s not a crossover. Here’s a Chicago movie of the week.
Chicago Fire returns tonight at 9/8c on NBC.
Watch Chicago Fire online
