{
  "id": 18237537,
  "title": "Chicago Fire's Joe Miñoso Reflects On Cruz's 'Touching, Beautiful Exit' In Episode 300: 'I Considered It An Honor'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/chicago-fires-joe-minoso-reflects-on-cruzs-touching-beautiful-exit-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-05T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2307456/chicago-fire-cruz-leaving-joe-minoso-final-episode-interview/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Joe Cruz, played by Joe Miñoso, recently celebrated the 300th episode of the TV show Chicago Fire, marking the end of Cruz's journey on Firehouse 51. Miñoso, one of the original cast members, shared his thoughts on how the character's exit was handled. The actor understood the creative decision behind Cruz's temporary absence, which became permanent when Cruz was sidelined due to a severe on-the-job injury. Miñoso reflected on how his character's motivations changed once he became a father and wanted to prioritize his family's well-being. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to explore Cruz's character in a meaningful way, considering it an honor to bring the storyline to its conclusion.",
  "summary": "Original Chicago Fire cast member Joe Miñoso, who plays Cruz, officially left the series during Wednesday's 300th episode - read our full Q&A with the actor.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "‘Chicago Fire’ 300: Taylor Kinney Reflects on the Milestone He Never Thought He’d Hit and His ‘Visceral’ Goodbye to Joe Cruz",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/chicago-fire-300-taylor-kinney-reflects-on-the-milestone-he-never",
        "published": "2026-11-04T18:35:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}