Tracy Spiridakos says this 'Chicago P.D.' trick helped new 'Anna Pigeon' show

Bryan Alexander, USA TODAYFri, August 7, 2026 at 2:01 PM UTC

0

Starring as the titular Glacier National Park ranger in USA Network's"Anna Pigeon," actress Tracy Spiridakos required no additional training for a takedown and handcuffing scene set in the breathtaking Montana wilderness.

Spiridakos, 38, tapped into skills – and a TV cuffing technique – ingrained over seven seasons as Detective Hailey Upton on NBC's "Chicago P.D."

"It's actually funny. I feel like most of us on 'P.D.,' at least what I always did, I'd just hold the cuffs to the person's hands and be like, 'Hold on to these,'" Spiridakos tells USA TODAY.

The time-honored trick, which prevents injury, came in handy with Anna Pigeon's arrest in Episode 1 (premiering Aug. 7, 10 p.m. ET/PT and streaming on Crave).

"I did a very similar thing when we shot in the park," Spiridakos says. "I was like: 'I don't want to hurt your wrists. So I'll just fumble these around your hands and then you just hold them.'"

Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals. Playing the title heroine from Nevada Barr's best-selling "Anna Pigeon" mystery novels, Spiridakos infuses a Nancy Drew-style ranger to former city slicker Pigeon, who is dropped into the "Northern Exposure"-esque national park office.

Executive-produced and directed by "Back to the Future" star Lea Thompson, the outdoor series is the kind of fresh-start project that Spiridakos was seeking after the fan favorite left the gritty streets of "Chicago P.D." in 2024. Anna is a complicated character dealing with a mysterious trauma that has compelled the career change to become a ranger.

"She's dealing with grief, and yet there's humor on the show. It has a far lighter tone," Spiridakos says. "We find out more about this trauma, and it's still a procedural where we're solving a mystery every week."

Shot entirely on location in the Canadian Rockies outside Calgary, Alberta, work each day was an outdoor adventure. The TV ranger cabins, built specially for filming, were placed next to a creek with beautiful vistas.

“We would joke that if we could just install some plumbing into the park cabins, we'd all want to stay there,” says Spiridakos, who reluctantly commuted back to a Calgary hotel with plumbing. “It was insanely beautiful out there."

Along with working with quirky characters like young ranger protégé Zoey Bear Child (Paulina Alexis), Anna spends her ranger time improving the national park in small ways, including admonishing a careless park litterer.

"That was our first day, first scene," Spiridakos says. "It says so much about Anna. It shows her sassiness."

Advertisement

The park ranger devotes energy into the park's bald eagle nest livestream webcam that becomes an online viewing favorite. When the camera is vandalized, Anna climbs the towering tree to fix it, bringing her face-to-face with the nesting eagle. Spiridakos did the climbing and the real-life viewing of the trained eagle in separate takes.

"I had done some climbing before, but never rappelling up a tree like that, pulling yourself up,” Spiridakos says. “It was an incredible experience. The eagle was massive and beautiful. It was hard to believe how responsive it was to the handler.”

A different wildlife scene, in which Anna helps free a caged cougar, required a real cougar scene partner.

“It’s a surreal experience being so close to such an incredible animal,” says Spiridakos, who was never in the same frame as the big cat. “The cougar had its moment, and then we shot me in my moment. We were never in each other’s spaces. But Anna does have her way with wildlife.”

Spiridakos and partner Jesse Lee Soffer love their new family member

The actress has a way with animals, too. After the "heartbreaking" death of her 12-year companion, a Rottweiler named Nala, Spiridakos and her partner, former "Chicago P.D." star Jesse Lee Soffer, rescued a new Rottweiler named Cali.

“She’s just amazing, the best part of my day,” Spiridakos says. “I adore her, and Jesse loves her too."

Spiridakos returned to 'One Chicago' for crossover: 'Old friends'

Both Soffer and Spiridakos returned to the "One Chicago" universe for March's three-hour crossover event, with FBI Special Agent Hailey Upton throwing the cuffs on a key suspect in the central attack. The Chicago homecoming was gratifying.

“I was on the set for a couple of months. I love that character and I love that group of people,” Spiridakos says. “It’s like putting on an old hat and hanging out with old friends. We’re all really, really close.”

But she's not looking for a permanent return, instead manifesting a Season 2 renewal for "Anna Pigeon." Season 1 covers only the first two books of 19 existing adventures.

"We do have our 'Anna Pigeon' going on, so let's put that out there and get a second season. But I'd love to go play with the 'P.D.' people again sometime. I'd be down for that for sure."

How to watch 'Anna Pigeon'

The 10-episode "Anna Pigeon" airs Friday nights on USA Network starting Aug. 7 (10 p.m. ET/PT) while streaming on Crave through the Oct. 9 finale.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tracy Spiridakos says this 'Chicago P.D.' trick helped new 'Anna Pigeon' show

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”