After more than a year away from the blaze, Eamonn Walker is finally stepping back into the world of Chicago Fire — and for the man

behind Wallace Boden, it feels like coming home in the truest sense. Sitting down with reporters, Walker’s trademark calm and sincerity

colored every word as he reflected on the moment he walked back onto the Firehouse 51 set.

 

 

For over a decade, Walker’s portrayal of Boden anchored Chicago Fire with moral gravity and quiet strength. His exit in Season 12 was written as a victory — Boden’s promotion to Deputy Commissioner — but for both the cast and the actor, it was also a heartfelt goodbye. When the time came to leave, Walker admits, it felt unfinished. “You can never really leave something that’s been part of your life for that long,” he said. “Boden lives inside me.”

 

 

Returning after that emotional farewell, Walker described being overwhelmed by the warmth of the reunion. “I walked onto the lot and the entire cast and crew just stopped. There was this round of applause, this feeling that I was walking back into a family that never forgot me,” he recalled. “It hit me — I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that energy, that heartbeat.”

The actor also expressed deep gratitude toward fans who have flooded social media with messages under the hashtag #BodenBack. “I’ve read so many of the comments,” he smiled. “To feel that kind of love after all these years — it’s humbling. It reminds me why this show matters.”

As for whether this return is a brief visit or the start of a new chapter, Walker remains coy. “If they write it, I’ll always come back,” he said with a grin. “Because Chicago Fire isn’t just a job — it’s family. And like Boden says, once you’re part of 51, you carry it with you.”

After more than a decade of leading with heart and honor, Eamonn Walker’s return isn’t just a television comeback — it’s a rekindling of the flame that keeps Chicago Fire burning.