Series veteran Marlyne Barrett recently announced she's leaving the longrunning medical drama. Every Chicago Med main cast member who's left the show — and what

Series veteran Marlyne Barrett recently announced she's leaving the long-running medical drama.

Every *Chicago Med *main cast member who's left the show — and what they're doing now

Series veteran Marlyne Barrett recently announced she's leaving the long-running medical drama.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is an SEO timely writer at **. She joined the team in 2025.

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September 2, 2025 12:00 p.m. ET

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Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood; Guy Lockhard as Dr. Dylan Scott; Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning. Credit:

George Burns Jr/NBC (2); Elizabeth Sisson/NBC

- NBC's hit medical drama *Chicago Med* is currently gearing up for its 11th season.

- Original cast member Marlyne Barrett announced her exit following season 10.

- S. Epatha Merkerson and Oliver Platt are the only original stars still on the show.

NBC's *Chicago Med* has 10 seasons of tense medical drama, heart-palpitating romance, and life-or-death emergencies under its belt. Heading into its 11th season, the series remains a cornerstone of the *Chicago* universe, which also includes *Chicago Fire* (2012–present) and *Chicago P.D.* (2014–present).

As with any long-running series, cast shake-ups are inevitable. Of the original ensemble, only S. Epatha Merkerson and Oliver Platt are still employed at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.

Season 8, which aired between 2022 and 2023, marked a particularly dramatic shift, with the departures of key cast members like Brian Tee, Nick Gehlfuss, and Guy Lockard. Most recently, Marlyne Barrett, who played charge nurse Maggie Lockwood since day one, confirmed her exit.

While these departures paved the way for a new generation of doctors and nurses to flex their stethoscopes, it's worth taking a moment to look back at the familiar faces who walked the halls of Gaffney and see what they've been up to since.

Here's the original *Chicago Med *cast, then and now.

Rachel DiPillo as Dr. Sarah Reese (seasons 1-3)

Rachel DiPillo as Dr. Sarah Reese on 'Chicago Med'; Rachel DiPillo attends NBC's 'Chicago' press day on Oct. 24, 2016 in Chicago.

Elizabeth Sisson/NBC; Daniel Boczarski/Getty

During *Chicago Med*'s first three seasons, Rachel DiPillo played Dr. Sarah Reese, a medical student interested in pathology. But after graduating from medical school, Sarah left pathology behind and became a psychiatry resident.

DiPillo reprised her role in the season 4 premiere, in which it was revealed that she was being transferred to Baylor following a tense fallout with Dr. Charles (Platt). She later returned in a recurring role during season 10.

Since leaving *Chicago Med*, DiPillo hasn't taken on many new projects, making her return in *Chicago Med* season 10 all the more welcome by fans.

Colin Donnell as Dr. Connor Rhodes (seasons 1-5)

Colin Donnell as Dr. Connor Rhodes on 'Chicago Med'; Colin Donnell attends the New York City Center gala performance of 'Ragtime' on Oct. 30, 2024.

Elizabeth Sisson/NBC; Manoli Figetakis/Getty

Colin Donnell portrayed cardiothoracic fellow Dr. Connor Rhodes for the first four seasons of *Chicago Med*.

Fortunately for fans, the character wasn't killed off, and showrunners Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov previously told ** there's a possibility Donnell could return in the future.

In the season 5 premiere, Connor left both the hospital and Chicago behind, reeling from the back-to-back deaths of his father, Cornelius Rhodes (D.W. Moffett), and his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling), who died by suicide after murdering Cornelius in a twisted attempt to win him back.

'Chicago Med' star Luke Mitchell previews a 'more emotional' Ripley in season 10

Every 'Chicago Fire' main cast member who's left the series — and what they've been up to since

"The hospital became a reminder of the tragedy but he made friends there, built a career there," Frolov told EW. "So there are a lot of mixed emotions there at the end having to say goodbye to it."**

Donnell has stayed busy. He starred on Peacock's drama miniseries *Irreverent *(2022) and made appearances on *FBI: International *(2024) and *Zero Day *(2025). Donnell also returned to the theater, with roles in *Almost Famous *(2019), *The Shark Is Broken *(2023), and *Ragtime *(2024–present).

Yaya DaCosta as April Sexton (seasons 1-6)

Yaya DaCosta as April Sexton on 'Chicago Med'; Yaya DaCosta attends the premiere of 'The Life Of Chuck' at Hollywood Legion Theater on June 02, 2025 in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Sisson/NBC; Monica Schipper/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

Yaya DaCosta was a core part of *Chicago Med *for its first six seasons. She played April Sexton, a senior emergency department (ED) nurse and proud first-generation Brazilian-American.

In season 6, April took the next step in her career by enrolling in a nurse practitioner program. After completing her training, she returned briefly in season 8 and found a happy ending with Dr. Ethan Choi (Tee). The two married and started a mobile clinic to help underserved communities.

Since then, she's continued working steadily, including on Fox's *Our Kind of People* (2021–2022) and Netflix's *The Lincoln Lawyer* (2023–2024). She also played the title role in Lifetime's *Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story* (2025).

Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning (seasons 1-6)

Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning on 'Chicago Med'; Torrey DeVitto attends the Cavanagh Baker presentation during New York Fashion Week on Sept. 11, 2023.

Elizabeth Sisson/NBC; Manny Carabel/Getty

Torrey DeVitto played Dr. Natalie Manning, an ED pediatrician, for the first six seasons of *Chicago Med*.

In the season 7 premiere, it was revealed that Natalie was fired after confessing to stealing medication for her ailing mother. She returned in the season 8 finale to reunite with her ex-fiancé, Dr. Will Halstead (Gehlfuss).

In a 2024 interview with *Us Weekly*, DeVitto shared that her departure was the result of "a mutual conversation" with the writers. "I'll be very blunt, the last season I was there they wrote my character in a really weird way and wrote her into a big hole that she could not get out of," she added.**

Since leaving the show, DeVitto has become a familiar face on Hallmark, starring in several movies, including *Twas the Night Before Christmas* (2022) and *Love's Greek to Me* (2023).

Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi (seasons 1-8)

Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi on 'Chicago Med'; Brian Tee attends the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 22, 2025 in Santa Monica.

George Burns Jr/NBC via Getty; Amanda Edwards/Getty

For eight seasons, Brian Tee starred as Dr. Ethan Coi on *Chicago Med*.

His final appearance came in season 8's "Could Be the Start of Something New," where Ethan married April and left the hospital to open a mobile clinic serving underserved communities.

EW confirmed that Tee left the show "to spend more time with his family and pursue other opportunities along with acting, including directing and producing."

Over the years, Tee has returned to *Chicago Med* as a director and featured on the Prime Video series *Expats* (2024) and *Reacher* (2025). Next, he'll star with Idris Elba in *A House of Dynamite, a* new political thriller from Oscar-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow.

Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead (seasons 1-8)

Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead on 'Chicago Med'; Nick Gehlfuss attends photocall for 'Chicago Med' on June 17, 2017 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

George Burns Jr/NBC via Getty; Toni Anne Barson/FilmMagic

Nick Gehlfuss helped lead the first eight seasons of *Chicago Med* as Dr. Will Halstead, a former plastic surgeon who finds a home in the ED.

In the season 8 finale, Will resigned after exposing flaws in Jack Dayton's (Sasha Roiz) OR 2.0 system, then moved to Seattle to be with Natalie and her son.

Gehlfuss confirmed his departure was his own decision, telling *Variety*, "It was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I felt I'd taken Dr. Halstead as far as I can go with him. … I want to develop new, different characters."

Gehlfuss is set to appear in the movie *Butterfly in the Typewriter*. In August 2025, EW confirmed he'll return as a guest star in *Chicago Med* season 11.

Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood (seasons 1-10)

Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood on 'Chicago Med; Marlyne Barrett attends the opening ceremony for the 61st Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 17, 2022 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

George Burns Jr/NBC; Arnold Jerocki/WireImage

Marlyne Barrett is one of *Chicago Med*'s longest-running cast members, having played charge nurse Maggie Lockwood for 10 seasons. In Aug. 2025, Barrett announced her decision to step away from the show, with EW confirming her exit was for personal reasons.

While the exact details of her departure haven't been shared, Barrett did reveal in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. This came just three years after her character, Maggie, faced the same diagnosis on the show.

Norma Kuhling as Dr. Ava Bekker (seasons 2-5)

Norma Kuhling as Dr. Ava Bekker on 'Chicago Med'; Norma Kuhling attends the press junket for 'One Chicago' on Oct. 30, 2017 in Chicago.

Elizabeth Sisson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Timothy Hiatt/Getty

Norma Kuhling joined *Chicago Med* in season 2 as Dr. Ava Bekker, a South African trauma surgeon entangled in a turbulent relationship with Connor. Their storyline took a dark turn when Ava confessed to killing Connor's father and died by suicide in the season 5 premiere.

Kuhling never gave a specific reason for her departure, but *Deadline* cited "creative reasons related to the characters' story evolution." She later had a recurring role on *S.W.A.T. *(2021–2022).

Dominic Rains as Dr. Crockett Marcel (seasons 5–9)

Dominic Rains as Dr. Crockett Marcel on 'Chicago Med'; Dominic Rains attends the 'All That's Left of You' premiere during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25, 2025 in Park City, Utah.

George Burns Jr/NBC via Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty

Dominic Rains was introduced to *Chicago Med* in season 5 as Dr. Crockett Marcel. He exited at the end of season 9, with his character seeking a fresh start in Boston after a tragic case involving the death of a young patient and the patient's father.

Since leaving the series, Rains hasn't taken on any new acting roles. According to his Instagram, he has been focused on advocacy work related to Palestine.

Kristen Hager as Dr. Stevie Hammer (season 7)

Kristen Hager as Dr. Stevie Hammer on 'Chicago Med'; Kristen Hager at NBC's 'Suits LA' premiere at One Universal on Feb. 20, 2025 in Los Angeles.

George Burns Jr/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Kristen Hager's Dr. Stevie Hammer was an attending physician and Will's med school rival. She debuted in the season 7 premiere and made her final appearance in episode 14, when the character left to reconnect with her husband.

Hager was pregnant during filming, which may have contributed to her departure. However, producer Andrew Schneider told *Variety* that the writers felt her story had come to a natural conclusion, but noted, "We'd love to have her back."

Following* Chicago Med*, Hager had a recurring role on the short-lived *Suits *spinoff *Suits LA* (2025).

Guy Lockard as Dr. Dylan Scott (seasons 7-8)

Guy Lockard as Dr. Dylan Scott on 'Chicago Med'; Guy Lockard attends the Audio Publishers Association's 2023 Audie Awards on March 28, 2023 in New York City.

George Burns Jr/NBC; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty for Audio Publishers Association

Guy Lockard stepped into the role of Dr. Dylan Scott, a police officer-turned-pediatric emergency physician, on seasons 7 and 8 of *Chicago Med. *

His character left the hospital and Chicago in the season 8 premiere following the death of Jo (Riley Voelkel), an undercover cop he dated.

"He was a former cop and that dynamic and his being caught between those two worlds is what was so interesting in his character," Schneider told *TVLine* at the time. "We felt we really played that out with a number of storylines, and finally with the death of the woman he loved, we felt this would be a good time for him to move on."

Since exiting *Chicago Med*, Lockard has popped up on *The Blacklist* (2023), *FBI *(2024), and *NCIS: Origins *(2025).

Where can I watch Chicago Med?**

All 10 seasons of *Chicago Med* are currently available to stream on Peacock. Season 11 premieres on Oct. 1, 2025.

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