Daniel Kyri (born October 10, 1995) is an American actor best known for portraying Darren Ritter on Chicago Fire.
Early life and education
Kyri grew up on the South Side of Chicago.[1] He performed in plays as a child,[2] crediting his mother for his love of the arts and enrolling him in the After School Matters program when he was 13.[3] In 2007, he appeared in the controversial CBS reality show Kid Nation when he was 10 years old, going by the name D.K.[2] He won a $20,000 "gold star" awarded by his peers.[4]
In 2018, Kyri had the title role in the Gift Theatre production of Hamlet, giving what the Chicago Tribune called "a standout performance."[2] With Bea Cordelia, he co-wrote and starred in a web series called The T about the relationship between a white trans woman and a Black queer man in Chicago.[1] It premiered with a screening at the Chicago Cultural Center.[7]
Kyri is best known for playing Darren Ritter on Chicago Fire.[8] He auditioned for Chicago Fire in 2018, with the role of Ritter initially intended to last 2-3 episodes. He was a recurring guest appearing in most episodes over the next two years, before being promoted to series regular in August 2020.[1][9]
Kyri has a role as a YouTube paranormal investigator in the 2022 Shudder lo-fi horror film Night's End.[10][11]
Personal life
Kyri identifies as queer.[1][12] He has said, "I can't say I had very many examples, of Black queer people growing up... I spent a lot of my youth lost at sea, reconciling with my sexuality."[6]
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