Ill. Deputy Police Chief Basks in Spotlight of 'The Bear' Role

Grief and beef are the two prevailing themes of the hit TV show "The Bear."

The first season of the critically acclaimed show, set in Chicago, follows a beleaguered fine-dining chef as he tries to turn around his older brother's Italian beef joint in the wake of his brother's suicide.

Along the way, he and his compatriots get into more than a fair bit of trouble with the law, including a "C" rating from the public health department and a short stint in jail.

That's where Nick Zakula, Deputy Chief of the Niles Police Department, enters the frame.

Zakula has a credit in the series finale, "Braciole," as a guard in the jail where one of the main characters finds himself after seriously injuring a man at a party in the restaurant where much of the show is set.

He was cast in the role after the production crew came to look over the Niles Police Department's jail area, or lockup, as a possible shooting location. After deciding that the space was a fit for the show, the crew asked if any officers were willing to work as extras for the scene.

"Apparently they needed an older, balding police officer to fill that role," Zakula said.

The crew put him in a different police uniform with a different name on the name tag and some face makeup and filmed the take between six and eight times, Zakula said.

"It's just amazing how much equipment they bring in and how much gear and how many people it takes to do," he said. "When you see it on TV, it's just a short little scene."

Zakula said his direction was to deliver his lines deadpan. Asked how he felt about his ability to do that, he said he felt pretty good.

"That's pretty natural," he said.

The main actor he worked with while shooting was Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Richie Jerimovich in the show. But he was cautious about engaging with Moss-Bachrach, who was portraying one of the most emotional moments in his character's development.

"They were extremely focused on their craft, and they took it very seriously," Zakula said. "So we didn't have a lot of back and forth conversation and I didn't want to interrupt their focus or anything like that."

Kevin Regal, Niles Police school resource officer, also appeared in Zakula's scene, doing paperwork at a desk.

At the time they shot the scene, Zakula had no idea what the story of the show was.

"I didn't have a full idea of what the show was going to be by just filming that scene," he said. "Obviously someone had been arrested. I didn't know the backstory or what led up to [it]."

But now that the show is out, he said he's a fan — and he said he thinks it's true to the Chicago he knows.

"I think the director did a really good job of profiling Chicago," he said."I thought it was cool to see some of the places that got profiled in the city."

And while no fans of the show have recognized him on the street, Zakula said the calls of "was that you?" from friends and family across the state have rolled in.

"It's been really fun for me getting phone calls and text messages and emails from friends that I went to high school or college with that I have not seen in years that have seen me," he said.

Friends might also have a chance to occasionally spot Zakula at a restaurant, ordering an Italian beef with hot and sweet peppers and cheese fries on the side. He doesn't have a favorite Italian beef joint, though.

"I enjoy trying different places and the subtle differences they have," he said.

The Bear has been renewed for a second season.

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