Jesse Lee Soffer
Jesse Lee Soffer is an American actor and television director. He is known for portraying Will Munson on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and received three Emmy Award|Emmy] nominations for his work on the show. From 2014 to 2022, he starred as Jay Halstead on the NBC drama Chicago P.D. and guest-starred on Chicago P.D. crossover episodes with Chicago Med and Chicago Fire, as part of the main cast. He is also known for his role as Bobby Brady in the comedy The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel A Very Brady Sequel. In 2024, Soffer played Wesley "Wes" Mitchell, the new International Fly Team leader on the fourth season of CBS drama FBI: International, after the departure of Luke Kleintank, who played Scott Forester.
Early life and education
Jesse Lee Soffer was born in Ossining, New York, to Jill Hindes and Stan Soffer. His father died in 1993, when he was nine years old. Soffer has two younger half-sisters, Shayne and Jenna Hindes, from his mother's second marriage. He also has two older half-siblings from his father's first marriage, Craig and Melissa Soffer. Soffer spent part of his childhood in Tarrytown, New York, and later moved to Newtown, Connecticut, at age 10.Soffer boarded at The Gunnery, graduating in 2003. He played soccer in school and was named to the all-star team during his senior season. He took classes at New York University.
Career
Soffer's acting career began at age 6 when he landed a Kix cereal commercial. In 1993 aged eight, he made his feature film debut with John Goodman and Cathy Moriarty in the comedy Matinee.In 1994, Soffer co-starred as Percival in the drama Safe Passage. In 1995, Soffer co-starred as Bobby Brady in the comedy The Brady Bunch Movie and reprised his role in A Very Brady Sequel a year later. Continuing the pattern of working with Oscar-calibre and A-list talent, Soffer starred as a runaway-turned-sleuth Jamie Kincaid in the TV movie From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. He worked with director Richard Shepard in the AMC TV movie The Royale. In 1998, Soffer was cast as Taylor Donovan with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on the ABC sitcom Two of a Kind. He also originated the role of Max Nickerson on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light in 1999. After four months on the show, he left to focus on his studies.
After graduating from high school, Soffer returned to his television career. In 2004, he took over the role of troubled youth Will Munson on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. He played the role until April 4, 2008. He was nominated three times for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his work on ATWT as well as a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Lead Actor in 2005. In 2007, Soffer returned to his film career and co-starred with Carly Schroeder in Davis Guggenheim's sports drama Gracie, based on a true story. In July 2010, Soffer reprised his role as Will Munson on As the World Turns. During his time on As the World Turns, he was cast in an episode of Dick Wolf's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. However, he was unable to film due to a clash in filming commitments. In 2011, Soffer co-starred in the dystopian science fiction action thriller In Time.
Soffer guest-starred on a number of television series including CSI: Miami, The Mentalist and Rizzoli & Isles. In 2012, he co-starred with Jordana Spiro in the short-lived Fox medical drama The Mob Doctor as Nate Devlin, the streetwise brother of Dr. Grace Devlin. Later that year, he co-starred as Travis Alexander in Lifetime's original movie Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret.
In June 2013, it was reported Soffer had joined the cast of the NBC police procedural drama Chicago P.D., the first spin-off show from the drama Chicago Fire as Det. Jay Halstead. Halstead was introduced in the second-season premiere of Chicago Fire. Chicago P.D. premiered on January 8, 2014. On March 19, 2014, NBC renewed the series for a second season. NBC officially announced that the second season would premiere on September 24, 2014. Soffer did his own stunts on the show.
On August 30, 2022, it was announced that season 10 of Chicago P.D. would be the last one for Soffer. His last appearance was on October 5, 2022, on episode 3. On October 20, 2022, Variety reported Soffer would be back to Chicago P.D. as a director. He directed episode 16 titled "Deadlocked", which aired on March 22, 2023, marking his directorial debut. In March 2024, it was announced that Soffer would direct another episode of Chicago P.D. He directed episode 12 titled "Inventory", which aired on May 15, 2024.
On June 20, 2024, Variety announced Soffer would join the cast of FBI: International for Season 4 as a new series regular after replacing Luke Kleintank, who played Scott Forrester, since its debut and left near the end of Season 3.
Filmography
Actor
Film| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1993 | Matinee | Dennis Loomis | Credited as Jesse Lee |
| 1993 | The Silent Alarm | Boy | Short film |
| 1994 | Safe Passage | Percival, age 9 and 10 | Credited as Jesse Lee |
| 1995 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Bobby Brady | Credited as Jesse Lee |
| 1996 | A Very Brady Sequel | Bobby Brady | Credited as Jesse Lee |
| 2007 | Gracie | Johnny Bowen | |
| 2011 | In Time | Webb |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Wings | Bobby Brady | Episode: "A House to Die For" |
| 1995 | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | Jamie Kincaid | Television film |
| 1996 | The Royale | Billy | Television film |
| 1998 | Two of a Kind | Taylor Donovan | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 1999 | Guiding Light | Max Nickerson #1 | Recurring role |
| 2004–2008; 2010 | As the World Turns | Will Munson | Regular role; 502 episodes |
| 2008 | The Awakening of Spring | Michael | Television film |
| 2008 | CSI: Miami | Shane Huntington | Episode: "And How Does That Make You Kill?" |
| 2009 | The Philanthropist | Dean Fitzsimmons | Episode: "San Diego" |
| 2010 | The Whole Truth | Young lover | Episode: "Young Love" |
| 2011 | The Mentalist | Alan Dinkler | Episode: "List of [The Mentalist episodes|Strawberries and Cream: Part 1]" |
| 2011 | Rizzoli & Isles | Jacob Wilson | Episode: "List of [Rizzoli & Isles episodes|Remember Me]" |
| 2012–2013 | The Mob Doctor | Nate Devlin | Main role; 13 Episodes |
| 2013 | Hatfields & McCoys | Patrick McCoy | Unaired pilot |
| 2013 | Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret | Travis Alexander | Television film |
| 2013–2022 | Chicago Fire | Detective Jay Halstead | Recurring role; 18 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Jay Halstead | Guest role; 2 episodes |
| 2014–2023 | Chicago P.D. | Detective Jay Halstead | Main role; 189 Episodes |
| 2015–2022 | Chicago Med | Detective Jay Halstead | Recurring role; 28 episodes |
| 2024–2025 | FBI: International | Supervisory Special Agent Wesley ‘Wes’ Mitchell | Main role |
Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2023–2025 | Chicago P.D. | Season 10, Episode 16: "Deadlocked" Season 11, Episode 12: "Inventory" Season 13, Episode 2: "Open Wounds" |
| 2023–2025 | - | - |