Sophia Bush Likens ‘Chicago P.D.’ Exit to Escaping a ‘Burning Building’
Sophia Bush has broken silence once again about her sudden departure from the hit NBC drama series Chicago P.D.
The actress first addressed her exit from the series back in October when Instagram followers began theorizing she had been removed from the show against her volition, to which Bush clarified in a response: "Took me a long time and a lot of hard work to get out of that show. Please don’t demean my capabilities by degrading my position. I left because I wanted to. End of story.”
The actress has since remained mum on her reason for walking away from the show until just recently, when she spoke about her choice in more detail on Refinery 29's Unstyled podcast Monday (December 18).
"I don't have to give everyone the specific break down of exactly why I left until I'm ready to do that. But, the overarching theme for me was that I landed my dream job," Bush started. "I landed this job that, since I was 20 years old and trying to become an actor, I said I wanted. And aspects of it, don't get me wrong, were wonderful. But, I realized…by the end of the second season I couldn't do that job anymore."
The One Tree Hill alum, who featured in the show's leading role for four seasons from its inception in 2014, mentioned that she'd confronted her Chicago P.D. highers between seasons three and four, ahead of securing various other projects for herself, including a developmental deal with 20th Century Fox.
"I said, ‘Here's where we are. Here's everything you're aware of. Here's how I'm coming to you today. If something really drastic doesn't change, I'm leaving at the end of the year' — because I understand how the business works and how women are treated — I said, ‘I'm giving you not two weeks notice and I'm not coming in here throwing s--t and breaking lamps and saying I'm never coming back," Bush revealed. "I'm giving you 23 episodes notice. I'm giving you that much time. So there will be no conversation in which I was hysterical, emotional, in which I was being a quote irrational female or whatever you want to put on it. I'm literally sitting in front of you like cool as a cucumber."
The John Tucker Must Die performer told Refinery 29 that she'd given her bosses an ultimatum that needed to be met by Christmas or she would be leaving next April. Given the outcome, it seems those requirements had not been met.
Bush affirms, however, that despite the difficult exchange she had with her supervisors her final decision allowed a massive weight to be lifted off her chest.
"What you start to realize is that—like if your house was burning down, you wouldn't hang out inside because your brother was in there and you loved him. You'd be like, ‘Yo, I love you. Let's get out of this house!'" the actress stated. "For me, not to put it on anybody else, but for me, it felt like I was trapped in a burning building. I was just so unhappy and it was my dream job and I was miserable and I had to go."