Exclusive Interview: Jake Lockett on the Emotional Depth of ‘Chicago Fire,’ Sam’s Boundaries, and His Short Film ‘A Rush of Peace’

Jake Lockett is heating up the screen with his nuanced and captivating portrayal of Sam Carver in the hit NBC series, Chicago Fire. As a series regular, Lockett has quickly become a standout in the ensemble cast, delivering a performance that combines strength, vulnerability, and depth. His character, Sam, is known for his clear boundaries and tough exterior, but as the series progresses, Lockett expertly reveals the layers beneath, showcasing Sam’s emotional complexity and growth. With his natural talent and ability to connect with audiences, Lockett continues to solidify his place as one of the most compelling actors on television today.

But his talents go far beyond acting. Lockett is a multifaceted artist who has stepped behind the camera to direct, bringing a new dimension to his creative work. His directorial debut, A Rush of Peace, is a powerful allegorical short film that explores addiction and personal transformation, adding another layer to his storytelling repertoire.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of chatting with Jake Lockett about the emotional depth he brings to Sam’s journey on Chicago Fire, his powerful short film A Rush of Peace, and much more.

PC: You’ve had such an interesting journey into the arts. I know you did a play in high school, and your father asked if you’d considered pursuing it professionally, to which you initially said no. What ultimately led you back into the creative field? What changed your perspective?
Jake: I love that question. It was one of those things where I asked myself, “Where can I be happiest?” You see people in life doing things because it makes sense financially or because it’s what others expect them to do. For me, as I got into a career in engineering, I realized I wasn’t excited about it. I felt that if I was going to spend eight, ten, or even twelve hours a day, five to six days a week working, I needed to be excited about what I was doing. I watched too many people do things they didn’t love, only to come home and have three or four hours a night to spend with their families. While that’s totally fine—sometimes work is just a means to an end—I wanted it to be more than that. I wanted to enjoy the process. I got back into performing, starting with music on stage, doing simple things like open mics. That led me to audition for plays, short films, and student films while I was in Seattle, and that’s when I realized this was the direction I wanted to go.

PC: That’s such an important lesson for anyone following your career about chasing their dreams. As you mentioned, there are so many facets to your talent—you act, direct, produce (even though I know you’re not a fan of producing), and create music. How have all of these different disciplines supported one another?
Jake: There’s so much to that. The biggest thing is organization. As an actor, sometimes people get caught up in the idea of, “I’m the actor, I’m creative,” which is completely valid. You do need to lean into that and exercise that muscle. But what often gets overlooked is the diligence required for the job. It’s work. You want the results of a job, not the results of a hobby. It’s about understanding both sides of that. I’m fortunate that I have a bit of a balance between my right brain and left brain. My logical side says, “What’s the answer?” while my creative side says, “There is no answer.” It’s a bit of a torment at times, but it’s also helped me recognize the steps you have to take to at least give yourself a chance. Like I said, if you treat it like a hobby, you’ll get the results of a hobby. Sometimes there are flashes of success, but for the most part, you have to treat it like a job.

PC: That’s such an interesting contrast with your engineering background, where you’re looking for answers and often find them, compared to the creative side of your brain, where it’s more of an exploration. You’re one of the stars of Chicago Fire. Change seems to be a major theme this season, both for you and your character, especially with your promotion to series regular. Congratulations, by the way. One of the great things about television is that you get the chance to live with a character for an extended period. As Sam’s world and relationships have expanded, was there a new or existing relationship you were most excited to explore?
Jake: There’s a relationship with Tori that’s being investigated, and it’s really interesting. They’ve given me such a great opportunity to explore Sam’s past and how it blends into the present. One thing I’ve always said, and I think it bears repeating, is that Sam is very good at boundaries. He understands that not everyone has earned the right to know everything about him, which is a valuable lesson. It’s something I’m trying to learn from him as well, because in real life, I tend to be too much of an open book, and not everyone deserves that level of access. That’s a lesson I’ve taken from Sam.

His past has come back to hit him a couple of times in the show already, and I’m excited to continue exploring how his history informs who he is now. It ebbs and flows—nothing is ever truly done or gone. In life, you don’t just “get over” things; you learn to deal with them, whether it’s trauma, relationships, or anything else. But those experiences always linger—it’s just a matter of how well you’ve learned to understand and give them space. I don’t think Sam is great at that. He deals with things, then pushes them away, only to have them resurface. Continuing to explore that as an actor is such a learning process because you’re always trying to understand the character’s history and what led them to this moment, this feeling. Sam is constantly dealing with that, and through him, I get to learn more about it.

As the character grows and as I stay with him longer, things change. His truths shift, and I discover more about him as we go. It’s something I didn’t fully appreciate before, but I’m thrilled to be able to play someone so complex and evolving.

PC: That change feels very slice-of-life. You also have family members who are firefighters. One of the powerful things about filmmaking is its ability to shine a light on different walks of life that people might not be familiar with. How much did you lean on your family when you initially took on this role, and how did you bring that authenticity to the screen? Is there a different level of responsibility in being a part of this project, especially since throughout your career, you’ve done such a fantastic job aligning yourself with projects that have something to say?
Jake: I appreciate that. I completely agree—having something to say is important. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have a choice in the projects you take on, and other times, you don’t. As an actor, you’re always looking for the next job and asking yourself how to be a part of it. For Chicago Fire, I leaned on my family more for inspiration than information. Thankfully, on this show, we have plenty of resources to help us understand what real-life experiences are like for firefighters. Whether it’s doing ride-alongs with the squads or consulting with our experts, we’re constantly learning. Our producers are legitimate ex-firefighters. Tony, who’s on the show, was a real squad member for 25 years before retiring just last year. These are the people we rely on.

As far as my family goes, I didn’t need to go to them for specifics because we already had access to experts. But there’s definitely a level of respect involved. You want to portray them in a way that’s true and honest. They’re humans—they’re not perfect—but they do a job that’s all about sacrifice. This past summer, I went to the Illinois Fire Safety Institute and worked alongside volunteer and career firefighters. It’s intense. Some of the rooms get up to a thousand degrees, and sometimes you can’t even see your hand in front of your face. Being a firefighter is a truly death-defying experience, so ensuring that we portray that reality and don’t lose sight of the weight of what they do is really important.

PC: You’ve definitely accomplished that. As you mentioned earlier, when we first meet your character, he’s someone who is very clear about his boundaries, but as the audience gets to know him, we start to see those walls come down, revealing a much more vulnerable side. As an actor, how have you created space for yourself to explore that vulnerability and growth in your performance? How much of your director’s brain plays a role in that?
Jake: That’s a great question. There’s so much that goes into it. You start with what’s on the page—the words you’re given to stand on—and fortunately, they’ve provided me with some amazing scenes and writing to work with. Developing that vulnerability requires personal growth as a human. It’s an actory thing, but you really do need to learn your instrument—yourself. You have to figure out what’s true for you, and that takes time, discipline, and a bit of courage to face your own boundaries.

Some of the best things you can do as an actor involve going to therapy—not just for self-healing or understanding your own worth, but also because it helps you understand who you are. You start to find keys within yourself, in both your body and your art, that help you move past the mental barriers and tap into your heart space. And that’s hard.

On our show, there’s always this sense of family and fun—we’re always ribbing each other, and it never stops. But as an actor, I have to be aware that if a scene requires more emotional depth and less lightheartedness, I need to create that space. Sometimes that means stepping away, taking time to prepare so that when I step into the room, I can bring the necessary heart to the scene.

As a director, I’ve learned from the incredible directors I’ve worked with on this show that they create space for actors too. There’s a balance between how much a director needs to step in while also protecting the actor’s space. You hire actors because you see their creativity, talent, and willingness to collaborate. When they want to collaborate, they’ll let you know. When they need space, you have to trust them and give it to them. Of course, there are times when a director needs to step in, and that’s perfectly valid.

What I find interesting is recognizing when actors are in that in-between space, where they’re trying to figure something out, and when they just need to exist in the moment as the character. That’s where the real magic can happen.

PC: That’s so true about actors seeing themselves as their own instruments. Unless you’re in the creative field, you don’t often think about that. I know you can’t reveal too much, but as a storyteller, a lot of your work involves uncovering your character’s motivations—exploring why they are the way they are and what drives them. What’s the biggest question about Sam that’s going to be answered this season?
Jake: That’s a good question. We haven’t revealed everything yet. This isn’t even something that’s explicitly in the story—it’s more my intuition talking, and I could be completely off—but in life, you eventually figure out what’s worth fighting for and what truly matters to you. It takes time to understand those things. I feel like we’re going to discover what that is for Sam this season—what he thinks is truly worth fighting for.

I don’t want to get too far into it because I have to be mindful of what I can and can’t say. But I love watching characters fight for something, even if it’s the wrong thing, as long as they’re fighting earnestly. That excites me. I find it fascinating when someone, inevitably flawed like we all are, still throws on the gloves and says, “No, I’m going to fight for this with everything I’ve got.”

PC: Beautifully said. Your answers are very poetic. This franchise has stood the test of time. What do you think continues to resonate with audiences, and how will this season build on its legacy?
Jake: It’s a mirror. First off, and I’ve said this before, but it’s important to repeat—we’re standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. Eamonn Walker, who will always be Wallace Boden in our hearts, is no longer a regular on the show, but he and the rest of the original cast set the stage for us. That goes beyond what’s on screen—it’s about the off-screen collaboration and the family atmosphere we’ve built. We spend time at each other’s houses, watching the show together, having dinner, getting to know one another. That kind of genuine camaraderie translates into what you see on screen. You don’t get that familial, “do-whatever-it-takes-to-save-the-person” energy on the show unless there’s some of that happening naturally within the cast. The cast does such a great job continuing that tradition. It’s something the originals instilled in all of us who are part of the show now.

We lean into that. It’s one of the key things that keeps the show strong. And, of course, it goes without saying—but I’m going to say it anyway—it’s the writing. The writers give us these incredible scripts that we get to build on. They’ve worked hard to create compelling relationships, because that’s what people want to see. They want to see the messy, complicated, chaotic dynamics of relationships, because that’s real life. But they also find unique incidents. It must be incredibly challenging, after 200 episodes, to come up with something we haven’t seen before. Part of that comes from the work they do—scouring news articles, researching, and asking, “What’s new? What’s happening in the real world?” because reality is often stranger than fiction.

The combination of fresh storylines and deep, real relationships resonates with people. They want to see what’s going on in the world today, and we offer them an intimate look at that.

PC: I’ve got one final question for you—where can we see the short film you directed? Are there any plans to expand it into a feature? I know you’re focused on acting right now, but the premise behind the short seems so compelling.
Jake: Yes, the more, the merrier! I would love for more people to see it. It’s an allegorical film, so while the action and experiences in it feel very real, it’s not a literal story. I want to preface this by saying there is some gun violence in the film. But the allegory is about addiction and how, sometimes, you have to hit rock bottom before you can be reborn—even when there are people reaching out, trying to connect with you. It’s about finding that moment where change can happen, where hope and light can come through.

The film is called A Rush of Peace. You can check it out at ARushofPeace.com. We’d love more people to see it. If there’s an opportunity to expand it into a feature, I’d love to do that. As a director, you’re always looking at the cut and thinking, “What could I have done differently?” There’s always something that makes me want to explore more. But at the same time, sometimes a story is complete as it is. I feel like we did a great job with it. The team I had around me was amazing.

Hayward [Scott], the lead actor, it’s really his story—his battle with addiction to crystal meth. He wrote the original, and we rewrote it together for the short. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking story. Addiction is still something the world grapples with, and it’s touched so many lives, whether directly or indirectly. I’d love to do more with it, but the timing has to be right.

To keep up with Jake, follow on X and Instagram. New episodes of Chicago Fire air every Wednesday at 9/8c.