TheOne Chicagofranchise of TV shows has remained popular since its inception back in 2012. It started withChicago Firebut has since grown to encompass four shows in total, includingChicago P.D.and more recently,Chicago Justice. Between them, they collectively average nearly seven million viewers per showand have consistently maintained good ratings.
Our focus is, however, onChicago Med.The medical show among them, the series takes place ata fictional Chicagohospital Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. It follows the work of a diverse group of medical professionals and hospital management staff as they traverse a range of issues in their personal and professional lives while trying to provide affordable healthcare to those who need it most. Following its continued popularity, the show was recently renewed for a ninth season. Here’s a cast and character guide covering the main characters across all eight seasons of the show so far.
S. Epatha Merekerson as Ms. Sharon Goodwin
Ms. Sharon Goodwin has been around since Season 1 and is still a stalwart of the show. She’s a former charge nurse whose exceptional managerial and interpersonal skills set her apart. She’s now the hospital’s Executive Director of Patient and Medical Services. She may not be a doctor, but she’s shown on many occasions whata skilled medical professionalshe is, often jumping into emergency situations and effortlessly rolling back the years despite it being years since she practiced.
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Always one to stand up for what’s right and fight for her patients and staff against all manner of unjust boardroom members, shareholders, and policies, her most endearing quality has been her humanity. She’s played by the excellent veteran actress,S. Epatha Merkerson. Merkerson has been around the acting world since the ’80s and appeared in films likeBlack Snake Moan,as well as hit shows likeThe Cosby ShowandFrasier. She’s been nominated for and won a host of awards including an Emmy Award.
Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead
He’s been one of the most popular characters on the show since Season 1. As an emergency medicine practitioner, Dr. Will Halstead has shown turns of brilliance. He has general surgical experience and has saved many patients' lives since he’s also an exceptional diagnostician, finding innovative means to diagnose and treat rare disorders and illnesses that most doctors would miss. He’s also one of the nicest people on the show, sometimes too nice for his own good since he often has a bleeding heart that causes him to bend rules for his patients and friends.
Dr. Halstead is also known forthe romantic linkshe’s had with other doctors on the show, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Dr. Natalie Manning has often been one of the core storylines in the show. At the end of Season 8, it seems he may finally be leaving the show, though with some unexpectedly touching moments providing a great send-off. He’s played byNick Gehlfuss, an actor with credits in films likeEquity,and recurring roles in shows likeShameless.
Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi
Being a stickler for the rules but also an amazing ED doctor with a Navy background often makes Dr. Ethan Choi one of the most valuable assets at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. His tough-guy persona is always tempered by his warm and caring nature. His military background makes him rigid at times, but his character development in later seasons shows a softer and more open-minded side to him.
Since the early seasons, his relationship with ED nurse April Sexton has provided much of his intrigue on the show and the couple prove that when something is meant to be, it’s not easy to let go off. Dr. Choi is played by the amazingBrian Tee. Tee is a talented Japanese-American actor who’s had appearances in blockbuster films likeThe Wolverineand who’s also famous amongsuperhero fanatics and gamersfor playing Shredder inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the ShadowsandLiu Kang in the web series,Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood
Charge Nurse Maggie Lockwood has been a mainstay of the show since Season 1. Her personal life often provides some of the most intriguing subplots while she’s remained one of its most endearing characters for her kind nature. She’s often able to keep a cool head and has brilliant supervisory skills sinceshe basically runs the ED. Her other skills include being trained as a surgical nurse.
Her vast experience means she’s able to lend her hand during delicate and highly specialized procedures that other nurses wouldn’t know how to handle. Season 8 also seems to indicate that she will also be leaving the show. Maggie is played byMarlyne Barrett, who’s had recurring roles on shows likeThe WireandKings.
Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning
Another main character from the early seasons, Dr. Natalie Manning is a specialist in pediatrics and emergency medicine. This often made her one of the ED’s most valuable doctors, and she had the skill and experience to back it up. Having lost her husband who was killed in action during military service,she raises her young son alone. However, she and Dr. Halstead’s affinity for each other develops into a strong bond in the show.
Dr. Manning’s flaw is that she often lets personal feelings cloud her work, and she sometimes becomes emotionally invested in her patients' struggles. She’s portrayed byTorrey DeVittowho left the show in season seven but returned for some unexpected guest appearances in Season 8. DeVitto is an actress and former fashion model known for shows likeOne Tree Hill,Pretty Little Liars,andThe Vampire Diaries.
Yaya DaCosta as April Sexton
Nurse April Sexton has been a part of the show since Season 1. After taking a brief hiatus, she returned in Season 8. April and Dr. Choi’s sometimes tragic love story has contributed to some great dramatic twists. An ED nurse, April is highly skilled and later adds to her resume by becoming a Nurse Practitioner, trained to treat some medical conditions without a doctor.
The character is played byYaya DaCosta. The beautiful actress was the runner-up on the third cycle ofAmerica’s Next Top Model.DaCosta currently has a recurring role onNetflix’sThe Lincoln Lawyer,and has played Whitney Houston inWhitney,the film biopic of the legendary artist.
Oliver Platt as Dr. Daniel Charles
The show’s psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Charles is easily one of its most likable characters. His gentle manner is matched by his brilliant skill and patient skills that often allow him to make brilliant diagnoses that most doctors wouldn’t even think to investigate. His relationship drama also provides a lot of entertainment since he’s been married more than once.
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Dr. Charles is played by the brilliantOliver Platt. Platt is a veteran actor, who’s been around since the late ’80s and appeared in films likeX-Men: First Class,Shut In, andThe 9th Life of Louis Drax.He was also a main character onThe Big Cand has previously been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.
Dominic Rains as Dr. Crockett Marcel
A late entrant to the show since season five, Dr. Crockett Marcel was quick to establish himself as one of its most popular characters and is still a part of its main cast. With a tragic past that includes losing his daughter to leukemia, Dr. Marcel has been troubled but is also an amazing physician and surgeon.Something of a charmer, he’s also had a few romantic escapades with other characters and often forms the center of the show’s intrigue.
Dr. Marcel is Played by the very suave and personable actor,Dominic Rains. Rains is an Iranian-American actor who had appearances in films likeCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.He’s also no stranger to medically-themes shows since he’s also had a recurring role onGeneral Hospital.
Collin Donnell as Dr. Connor Rhodes
Dr. Connor Rhodes was one of the most popular and intriguing characters from the early seasons. A brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, his skill was matched only by his charisma and heart. His fractious relationship with his wealthy father and volatile love life ultimately send him down a tragic path.
Before that, however, Dr. Rhodes was a beloved part of the show and one of the chief protagonists that contributed to its success. Dr. Rhodes was played byCollin Donell. Donnell’s looks made him popular with his mostly female fans. He’s best known for main roles in shows likePan AmandArrow,and had a recurring role in the titillating show,The Affair.
Steven Weber as Dr. Dean Archer
Dr. Dean Archer was a late addition to the show but has also become one of its most intriguing. He and Dr. Choi know each other from their military service. While Dr. Archer initially starts out beingunlikeable and antagonistic, his character development sees him soften a lot and has cemented him as one of the main characters. He can be a little dismissive of mental health patients, despite suffering from PTSD himself and having a son who struggles with addiction.
Dr. Archer is nevertheless a wise and skilled doctor with surgical experience. He’s played well by veteran actorSteven Weberwho has a long and impressive filmography that includes playing the lead role as Jack Torrancein the 1997 TV adaption of Stephen King’s,The Shining.
