An early part of Cruz’s personality in the show was the provision of comic relief alongside fellow cast member and friend, Yuri Sardarov, who plays the character Otis. “We have sort of parallel trajectories,” Miñoso told CBR. “Just because we happen to be the same age. I got married on the show like two years after I actually got married from the show; my wife is a former [Chicago Fire] makeup artist. I have so many more responsibilities and so many more people to look after and take care of now than I did before, when I just was an actor, kind of broke and working at bars and doing what I could to survive.” He goes on to add, “So in that aspect, you grow up. Every human being, you get into your 30s and 40s, and you’re like, well, I’ve only got about 30 or 40 [years] left. So you’re looking at life through a different lens.”

In recent episodes of Chicago Fire, Miñoso has been the center of attention due to his Flaco storyline. Having decided in the first season of the show, to let the gang leader, Flaco (José Antonio García) die in a fire. Cruz was faced with the prospect of his secret being unearthed, when Flaco’s cousin, Junior (Richard Cabral), emerged from prison and informed the firefighter he knew his secret. While some of his actions can be rightly called into question, Miñoso believes Cruz’s heart is in the right place. He explains:

Joe Cruz is an Interesting Character to Follow

With the state of play in Cruz’s life, we are likely set to see a version of the character we have not seen in a while. His dealings with Junior, and his bid to cover his tracks will most likely illicit a different sort of mindset. Especially as he will seek to keep his secret away from “fire cop,” Taylor Kinney’s Lieutenant Severide. It is one of the gifts of the Joe Cruz, that the character can operate in different spheres, and Miñoso acknowledges as much. “And as an actor, I tell people I think I’ve got the best job in the One Chicago universe,” the actor explains. “I’ve gotten to play so many different facets of this character from so many different angles. Sometimes some characters get limited to just doing the dramatic arc or the romantic arc or the funny arc, and I’ve played in all of those sandboxes.”

Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays on NBC. Stream past episodes on Peacock.