'Chicago P.D.' Star Opens up About Sophia Bush's Exit

08/31/2017 03:57 pm EDT

Sophia Bush has officially departed Chicago P.D., and the actress filling the void she left behind is speaking out about the shake-up.

Tracy Spiridakos has been promoted to a series regular after her small role as Det. Hailey Upton in several episodes. While her character won't be a full on recast of Bush's Det. Erin Lindsay, she will be placed into a similar position. She'll be partnered up with Det. Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), just as Bush's character was.

Spiridakos is making sure that fans know she isn't trying to replace Bush, but instead honoring her time on the show while bringing something new to the table.

"I don't think of it as stepping into it, I think of it as stepping aside," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "[Sophia's] presence is there, and she's wonderful. I had so much fun working with her. And her character's presence is involved in that. So it's not that she's just forgotten."

She doesn't see herself as a replacement for Bush but instead as a new character in the mix.

"I also think that my character was there before she left and so they got to know each other a little bit beforehand," she said. "So I guess for me I just feel like Upton's an addition to the team. I don't think of it as a stepping-in sort of position."

Spiridakos isn't the only member of the Chicago P.D. family speaking out about the exit. Producer Dick Wolf has very straightforward with his thoughts on how the show will proceed without Bush.

"I don't think (the departure) will have any effect at all," he said.

Chicago P.D. returns with new episodes on Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. EST on NBC.

Photo Credit: NBC / Matt Dinerstein

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