All About Rome Flynn, Who Plays Derrick Gibson in Chicago Fire Season 12
The 32-year-old actor is also an accomplished musician and social media star.
Is it getting hot in here — or is there just a new firefighter on the block who fans definitely want to meet? Rome Flynn has officially joined Chicago Fire as Derrick Gibson in Season 12.
The actor first hinted at his casting in December 2023, when he posted a picture to his Instagram Stories of a firefighter jacket labeled "Chicago" and "Gibson" draped over the back of a chair.
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"Help [is] on the way, I'm coming to Chicago Fire Jan. 24th," he captioned the post.
A month later, the star shared a TikTok in which a member of production helped him put on his firefighter gear.
Read on to learn more about Rome Flynn and the exciting roles he played before turning up the heat on Chicago Fire.
Rome Flynn's Music Career
Chicago Fire is something of a homecoming for Flynn, who is originally from the Windy City. An accomplished television actor, he is also passionate about basketball and is a skilled musician.
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He has releasing several infectious songs via his YouTube channel and Spotify, including the singles "I Wanna Know" and "Keep Me In My Mind." Flynn is also active on TikTok, where he's amassed more than 2 million followers.
Rome Flynn's TV Shows, From The Bold and the Beautiful to Grey's Anatomy
Flynn skyrocketed to success on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as Zende Forrester from 2015-2017. In 2018, Flynn won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series. He was the first Afro-Latino Daytime Emmy winner in history, an accomplishment that both humbled and motivated him, as he reflected in a 2022 conversation with PopSugar.
"It's crazy we're still having a lot of firsts," he said. "To be a part of that is amazing. It's humbling... But it also just tells me we still need a lot to at least give equal representation to Artists on these platforms, so that they get the congratulations that they deserve and the right affirmation they deserve."
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In 2017, Flynn first made the shift to prime time with guest appearances on NCIS: New Orleans and MacGyver. From 2017 to 2019, Flynn shined in his recurring role as RK in Seasons 5-6 of The Haves and the Have Nots.
From 2018 to 2020, Flynn made a splash in the drama series How to Get Away With Murder, appearing in Seasons 4-6 as Gabriel Maddox. In 2020, he appeared in his first of two episodes of Family Reunion. In 2021, Flynn also had a prominent role in Dear White People and began a two-season run on With Love.
In 2022, Flynn joined the Season 18 cast for three episodes of Grey's Anatomy as Wendall Ndugu and earned a Season 2 role in Raising Dion as Tevin Wakefield.
Rome Flynn's Movie Roles: From Drumline: A New Beat to Fantasy Football
Before making waves as The Bold and the Beautiful's Zende Forrester, Flynn made his acting debut as Leon in the 2014 television film Drumline: A New Beat. Flynn has appeared in several television films since, including Ten: Murder Island (2017), the 2018 web film The Thinning: New World Order, and A Christmas Duet (2019).
One of Flynn's more recent film roles was as Anderson Fisher in the sports comedy Fantasy Football. In March 2023, he told Latina.com that his career goal is to play a Marvel character.
"I would love to be in the MCU," he said. "To play a superhero as an Afro-Latino, or include my identity in any project would be a huge accomplishment for me," he said.
He added that he also wants to try darker genres: "I would love to be in a psychological thriller where I get to play with the lines of reality, because I do think that’s the hardest thing to do in order to get people to buy into outrageous concepts."
Who does Rome Flynn play on Chicago Fire?
Flynn made his debut in Chicago Fire during Season 12, as a recurring character named Derrick Gibson, a confident ex-boxer with a troubled past. The 32-year-old actor made his explosive first appearance in Season 12, Episode 2 ("Call Me McHolland") when Firehouse 51 and Firehouse 46 joined forces to put out an e-bicycle shop fire. When this resulted in a 51 member in danger, Gibson (from 46) jumped in to help.
Truck 51's Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) was impressed by Gibson's work, and upon learning he was a CFD floater, recruited him to 51. Gibson's timing couldn't have been more perfect: The station had recently bid farewell to Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende) and needed to fill his vacancy.
Does Rome Flynn have any children?
Flynn has one daughter, Kimiko, 9, born in December 2014.
In 2023, Flynn told Ebony, "Parenthood is the ultimate equalizer when it comes to our lives. No matter who you are, it vehemently affects you when you have a kid... It unites us, no matter what race we are. It’s one of the few things that connects us, and it’s definitely one of the most important roles I’ll ever play."
Watch Chicago Fire Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
Originally published Jan 22, 2024.
