Three Rivers native to make TV debut on ‘Chicago Fire’

THREE RIVERS — The cast of the longtime NBC drama Chicago Fire will be joined by a West Michigan native who will make her television debut.

Two seconds into a teaser for the 13th episode of Chicago Fire’s 11th season, the world was already introduced to Three Rivers native Corinne Gahan.

“It’s been really exciting. Because sometimes, with these co-star roles, you don’t even know if you’re going to make it onto the episode,” Gahan told WOOD TV-8.

In fact, Gahan almost didn’t make her audition in December.

“I was very sick with COVID the week I got the audition. And my voice probably didn’t even sound the same — I was coughing in between takes,” Gahan said. “I almost didn’t do it because I didn’t feel well and the chances of getting role can be sometimes really slim.”

But she sent it in and landed the role of facility manager. Filming finished in January.

Before living in the big city of Chicago, Gahan grew up in the small city of Three Rivers, where she was involved with choir, dance and musicals in her schools and local groups. She credits the community’s support of the arts as a catalyst for her success.

“They really did help keep creativity alive,” Gahan explained. “I never felt going into the acting career was ever considered weird or odd or that I shouldn’t do it. Everybody was really supportive, even from when I was a child up until when I was graduating.”

Gahan graduated from Three Rivers in 2012 and attended Western Michigan and Northern Illinois to earn a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. In 2016, she further deepened her performing arts experience at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia.

While she runs her own virtual assistant company, VARE, Gahan’s dream is to become a full-time actress. Looking back at her upbringing in St. Joseph County, she thanks her family who told her to never give up on it.

“Even when the recession hit in ’08 and times were really, really hard, they never tried to shock me with the reality of, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t do that,’ because things were so unstable at the time,” Gahan said. “They still stayed tried and true that I should really work hard for what I want. So I think they really did a good job of instilling not only the hard work ethic, but still staying true to what you want to do and what you want to pursue.”

Season 11, episode 13 of Chicago Fire, Gahan’s television debut, airs Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. on WOOD TV-8.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Three Rivers native to make TV debut on ‘Chicago Fire’