Is Luke Kleintank leaving ‘FBI: International?’

The cast of FBI: International is getting a bit of a make-over ahead of season four as one of its prominent stars makes a surprising exit after 3 seasons.

The series from Law & Order mastermind Dick Wolf is the second spin-off in the FBI franchise and follows a team of Special Agents called the “Fly Team” stationed in Budapest as they deal with threats against the U.S. from all over the world. It’s actually filmed in Hungary, which gives the show a special oomph.

Despite good results throughout its first three seasons, with a solid four to five million viewers tuning in each week, the team has had some massive shake-ups throughout FBI: International‘s run.

Why Luke Kleintank left FBI: International

These kinds of police procedural dramas usually last for decades when they’re successful, and that success hinges on a very charismatic lead that becomes synonymous with the show over time (think NCIS‘ Mark Harmon as Jethro Gibbs or Law & Order‘s Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy). FBI: International, however, is enjoying no such luck, as leading man Luke Kleintank decided to leave the show after three seasons to spend more time with his family.

Shooting so much of the series abroad was a “big jump” according to Kleintank, who played the head of the Fly Team, Scott Forrester. In a 2022 statement to Parade, Kleintank said his decision to leave was “driven by my unwavering commitment to my family, whose love and well-being are paramount in my life.”

Before Kleintank’s exit, the show also switched showrunners ahead of its third season with Matt Olmstead replacing Derek Haas. And that wasn’t all. Icelandic actress Heida Reed (who played the team’s second-in-command Special Agent Jamie Kellett) followed Kleintank and exited FBI: International in the middle of season three.

Season 4 will naturally have some new faces, even if they might be familiar to fans of the genre. Jesse Lee Soffer, who gained recognition for playing Detective Jason “Jay” Halstead in the Chicago franchise, is taking over for Kleintank in the lead role of FBI: International. He is not reprising the Chicago role, despite both franchises being Dick Wolf creations, and instead will play a brand new, currently undisclosed, character.