‘Chicago Fire’ Star Rob Morgan Reveals Fans Will See Hopkins’ ‘True Motivation’ in ‘Juicy’ Final Season 14 Episodes (Exclusive)

Chicago Fire is wrapping up Season 14, and Rob Morgan told PopCulture.com what fans can expect.

Morgan only joined the NBC drama in April as Battalion Chief Andre Hopkins, taking over for Dermot Mulroney’s Chief Dom Pascal.

Unlike Pascal, who replaced Eamonn Walker’s Chief Wallace Boden at the beginning of Season 13, Hopkins is already not very well-liked at 51. It could be the fact that he’s shaking things up at the firehouse, particularly going after Taylor Kinney’s Lieutenant Kelly Severide, whose father Benny suspended Hopkins 20 years ago. With only two episodes left of Season 14, Morgan shared just what will be in store and what fans will find out about Hopkins. (Interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

PopCulture: Last week’s episode saw Hopkins wanting to hire someone new for Squad 3 Lieutenant, with Severide under investigation. What can we expect from that storyline moving forward in these final episodes?

Rob Morgan: The writers are very good at writing the twists and turns and keeping you on your seat. And I think they did a great job with the episode that’s airing this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. And all of those questions will be answered by Hopkins. It’s a juicy episode that I think will make a lot of people realize his motivations and things of that nature that I don’t think we wanna miss.

PC: We also saw Severide finding out that Hopkins put in a complaint about him due to him missing too many shifts, working unofficially with OFI. Then Hopkins is basically forced to agree to let him work a case with them. But we do kind of see him slightly change his tune at the end of the episode when he’s talking to his daughter, who had been following along with the case. Could we be seeing a change of heart at all for him with Severide?

Morgan: Well, I think that showed the integrity and the humanity of the character to be able to be persuaded in that way. In the way of just honest, by-the-book practice of the CFD, and the scene with his daughter, where she even kinda exhibits the mouth-of-babes scenario. She kinda tells him, “Hey. Wow. He’s pretty good.” And he’s like, “Yeah. He’s just good. We are doing a great job even though there are some things that’s by the book that still needs to be cleaned up. We are managing a great job.” So I think that was a beautiful moment to show Hopkins in his private life and how even your daughter can make you realize something at the same time.

PC: What can we expect in these final episodes of Season 14?

Morgan: Well, this Wednesday, I think you get a nice cap on what Battalion Chief Andre Hopkins is really bringing to the firehouse. You probably get to see a good button on his journey, being the antagonist in this, as you call it. And then the season finale should be a great one to keep people on the edge of the seat for Season 15.

PC: What are your hopes for Hopkins beyond Season 14?

Morgan: That he still gets to contribute to the fabric of the CFD and making sure people of the City of Chicago are safe and the whole squad and firehouses because he does oversee the other firehouses, that they are also ran in accordance for safety for everyone to make it home.

PC: What is one thing that you’re excited for fans to see with these final episodes?

Morgan: I’m excited for them to see Hopkins and his motivation for it all. I think it’s a good twist here in Episode 20 coming up this Wednesday, and I’m excited to see how fans will react once they see Hopkins’ true motivation.

A new episode of Chicago Fire premieres on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming the next day on Peacock.