Chicago Fire may be Hanako Greensmith's first exposure to many audiences, but she has been working to get to this point for a very long time.
Greensmith joined the Chicago Fire cast in Season 8 as Paramedic Violet Mikami.
Since then, despite various changes to Chicago Fire, such as a new fire chief coming to the series, Greensmith's character has appeared in over 70 episodes as well as two crossover roles in the fellow Chicago franchise series, Chicago Med.
4 Things To Know About Chicago Fire's Hanako Greensmith
Hanako Has Acted Professionally Since College
Hanako Greensmith has been a professional actor since she was in college, but she has had a love of the craft since her early days.
Speaking on the Wesam's World podcast in June 2024, Greensmith revealed she had been acting for "probably about 10 years now:"
"I mean it depends on what you count. I did my first musical when I was 13. I would say since college probably. Probably about 10 years now."
She joked that she had been a performer since she was young but would not put a starting marker on her career until she graduated from college.
Greensmith - now 27 years old (born November 11, 1196) - told the Chicago Fire fan podcast, Meet Me at Molly's, that her love of theater dates back to being a young child, saying that after her family pushed her towards playing cello, she discovered a passion for singing:
"I really wanted to be, like, daddy's girl and learn how to play cello. I just don't have the temperament or the focus for like four to six hours of practice every day. When I recognized that, I got more into singing and I loved that, and I got into musical theatre through that."
She would go on to join the local theater community in New York City, becoming a member of the Clocktower Players' Teen Troupe in her early teens.
The New York City native graduated from New York's Pace University in 2018, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater.
Greensmith joins notable alumni from Pace like TV chef Rachel Ray, The Batman's Paul Dano, and Hawaii Five-O actress Michelle Borth.
Chicago Fire Is Hanako's First Major Longterm Role
After several bit parts on other TV shows, Hanako Greensmith finally got her big break on Chicago Fire as the paramedic Violet Mikami.
She first arrived on the scene in the One Chicago universe in Chicago Fire Season 8 as a smaller recurring part for Seasons 8 and 9. She would then get promoted to the series' main cast starting in Season 10, a role she still exists in today.
On getting her big break with Chicago Fire, Greensmith credits her small appearance on an episode of FBI as one of the reasons she got the part.
She said on Meet Us At Molly's, FBI "share[d] the same office" as Chicago Fire and it was her persistence of "going in for years into that office" for auditions that eventually got her in the door:
"Yeah so 'FBI' as you probably know and indicated already is tied with 'Fire' as well. They share the same office. So, I had been going in for years into that office, and they were so sweet at that casting office. They kept saying, 'One day, one day something will happen, I promise.'"
"FBI was kind of my first thing," Greensmith continued, saying they brought her on in a smaller part first just to "make sure that [she] could get through being on set:"
"So, 'FBI' was kind of my first thing. I think they wanted to make sure that I could get through being on set and they could make sure I could deliver when the time came."
The actual process of getting the part of Violet Mikami came together quickly, according to Greensmith. She revealed she "only had one audition" and was probably because they "needed someone pretty last-minute:"
"And then with 'Fire,' honestly, it is insane how quickly it happened. Maybe it is because they needed someone pretty last minute. But I only had one audition. I did not even have to go to a callback. Which is insane, because I had never had that happen. Then, they pretty much checked my availability and said, Great, welcome to Chicago.'"
Working on Chicago Fire Has Made Hanako Fearful of Everything
Being a part of the Chicago Fire universe has made Hanako Greensmith has made her afraid of just about everything.
In an interview with The Knockturnal, Greensmith said that her time playing a paramedic on TV has made her "fearful of everything:"
"I would say now, I am just fearful of everything. Having been a paramedic on our show, I am like, 'Cool so I would definitely not want to think about cockroaches crawling into my ear, or choking on Christmas ornaments, or accidentally almost guillotining your own head off.' There are so many things that I learned to be fearful of now that I can see the worst-case scenario of what a paramedic call might look like."
She also took time to say that playing a paramedic has also given her "so much respect" for the everyday people who work in healthcare in real life:
"I have so much respect for paramedics, in a way that I would not have had if I never gotten this job. And I think also coming in during the [COVID-19] pandemic was a whole thing too, realizing what sacrifices that all of these people have made and what trauma that they now will inevitably have having been so much in the forefront of the pandemic"
Greensmith called getting to play a paramedic, "an incredible honor" and humbling experience:
"I am incredibly humbled to just be portraying an idea of what this person might be. It has been an incredible honor to also understand more of what this occupation really looks like for an everyday person."
Hanako Wants To Play Queer Funny Characters
Despite Hanako Greensmith enjoying her success on Chicago Fire, she is also open to playing new and exciting characters.
When asked during her appearance on Wesam's World what characters she is drawn to, Greensmith let slip that she would like to play someone who is "funny indie queer."
She pointed to the 2023 comedy Bottoms as an example of the kind of roles she means, saying that "there is something really electric about [the idea of comedy]" to her:
"I have never gotten to do it, but I love the idea of playing funny indie queer characters. Like the ones from 'Bottoms.' Did you see 'Bottoms?' I recommend it. It is an absolute fever dream. But it is just so entertaining, and the humor does not take itself too seriously. There is something really electric about it that I feel very connected to. I think that would be so fun to be part of. Because doing comedy with the right scene partner, as you know, is explosive in the best way."
How To Follow Hanako Greensmith Online
Fans looking to keep up with Hanako Greensmith can do so on Instagram (@hanakogreensmith).
Hanako Greensmith can be seen now in Chicago Fire streaming on Peacock and debuting new episodes every Wednesday on NBC at 9 p.m. ET.
