Who is Lisseth Chavez? All about the One Chicago star and her role

Lisseth Chavez is an American actress best known for playing Officer Vanessa Rojas in Chicago P.D. season 7. Before joining the popular NBC police drama, she appeared in other well-known shows such as The Fosters, Station 19, and The OA.

Her character, Rojas, was a brave and street-smart undercover cop with a mysterious past. She quickly earned a place in Sergeant Voight’s Intelligence Unit. Even though her time on the show was short, fans praised her strong and memorable performance.

After leaving Chicago P.D., Lisseth Chavez went on to star in Legends of Tomorrow and later appeared in The Rookie.

In Chicago P.D., she first appeared in season 7, episode 2, Assets. Rojas worked undercover as a bartender named Nina Rodriguez, where she caught the attention of Officer Kevin Atwater and Sergeant Hank Voight during a shootout. Impressed by her courage, Voight offered her a trial position in the Intelligence Unit.

To help her fit in, she was paired with Detective Hailey Upton. Their friendship and teamwork quickly became fan favorites.

Director Eriq La Salle once said, “Voight said it best: He said, ‘She’s got a level of street that you just can’t buy.’” He also shared that having a woman of color like Chavez in the mix brought new depth and diversity to the show.

Rojas was also part of the big crossover event “Infection,” which linked Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D. Her storylines often showed her emotional side and tough background, including growing up in foster care and facing painful memories from her past.

However, Rojas did not return for season 8. The show never explained her exit on-screen. Behind the scenes, production changes and the pandemic led to creative shifts that ended her storyline early.

After leaving, Chavez joined “Legends of Tomorrow” as “Esperanza ‘Spooner’ Cruz,” gaining even more popularity among DC fans.

Showrunner Rick Eid later explained that the writers tried to include a reason for Rojas’s absence in season 8 but decided to leave it open-ended. This means fans can still hope for her return to the “One Chicago” world someday.

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