Chris Klemko
Chris Klemko is a firefighter with the Bristol Fire Department.
He does not play a firefighter on TV, but he did get a chance recently to be an extra in an episode of NBC TV show Chicago Fire, which follows the lives of firefighters at a fictitious Chicago firehouse.
Alas, Klemko did not get to play a firefighter on the show, despite his real-life qualifications in that regard.
Klemko, a fan of the show, said he was looking at its website recently when he saw a call for extras. He responded with an email and supplied information the show’s producers wanted. Later he received notification to come on down for a filming in Chicago on Feb. 6.
Acting has not been a lifelong ambition for Klemko.
“I have never done anything even remotely close to this,” Klemko said.
On Feb. 6, Klemko had to report to the set at 6 a.m. He had been instructed to bring a suit for the scene he might be in.
He and other extras hopefuls sat in a room and waited. Eventually the director came in and started picking people he wanted in the scene, including Klemko.
For his regular day job, Klemko, 27, is a heavy equipment operator for Walsh Construction, currently working on the I-94 project at Highway 50. Much of his other time is spent working for the Bristol Fire Department, sometimes at the drop of a hat. He has been on the department for 7 years. He likes that his job at Walsh and his role on the fire department allow him to do two things he really loves.
The Chicago Fire episode Klemko was involved in will air later this month or next month.
So what scene was this on a dramatic show like Chicago Fire? Klemko can’t say,other than to say it involved a banquet.
“They don’t want you to give away anything,” Klemko said “All I know is that it will be good.”
