“He is a man who embodies empathy, humility, compassion, and unwavering bravery to save lives,” he said of his character. “His heroism is

further fortified by the way he navigates the world — a gay Black firefighter who is proud, fierce, loyal, & whole — a possibility I never got to see onscreen in my childhood but desperately craved.”

 

 

Kyri gushed that he’s “so humbled & proud” to have portrayed this character, adding, “I’m thrilled that my inner child would have looked at you each week in awe of everything you represent. You made history. Thank you so much, Darren Ritter. And goodbye.”

Kyri first joined in season 7 as a recurring guest star. After two seasons, he was promoted to a series regular in season 9.

He confirmed that season 13 would be his last in April, sharing in an Instagram Stories post, “I’ll miss this character, and it’s time to move on. Thank you to the cast, crew & the awesome fans.”

 

 

Earlier this month, he teased an upcoming appearance on season 14 by sharing a photo from the set and saying he is “back” but “for a limited time only.”

He first expressed gratitude to Dick Wolf’s production company, Wolf Entertainment, as well as “everyone involved in the creation of Darren Ritter, to every writer who recognized me & aligned with my intention & vision for the potential of this character.”

Kyri also thanked the fans “who embraced & celebrated Ritter for every aspect of his humanity,” teasing that he can’t wait for them to see what season 14 has in store for him.

He then shouted out some of his costars “who have shown up for me with relentless loyalty, compassion, & love throughout my time on this show & now as I move through this enormous transition in my life.”

“Each one of you has become so incredibly important to me, & the care (& patience!) you’ve shown is entirely indispensable,” he added. “Thank you so much for the gift of your friendship.”