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Here's Who Was in the Chicago Med Cast in Season 1
The third entry in the One Chicago universe started off with such a bang — and many of your current faves.
Chicago Med — the third series to join the One Chicago family — began when the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center first reopened its new Emergency Department doors to the city of Chicago. In the very first episode, which aired in November of 2015, hospital workers and civilians gathered to celebrate the grand opening, which was interrupted by an influx of emergency patients who had been victims in a train derailment.
That very first dramatic scene was just the start of eight seasons (and counting!) of medical mysteries, emergencies, dramatic romances, and much, much more.
Here are all of the now-familiar faces who were part of Chicago Med's inaugural season.
Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead
Seasons 1-8
The brother to Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) from Chicago P.D., Dr. William "Will" Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) was always a commanding presence in the ED. Throughout the first season, he had to step up many times to make sure everyone else was doing their jobs correctly, which in Episode 5 ("Malignant") resulted in him telling his brother that one of the doctors had delayed treatment on Chicago Fire's Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg).
Halstead's long-lasting love affair with Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) also began in the first season, despite Natalie's mother-in-law's wishes. In Episode 6 ("Bound"), the woman noticed Will looking at Natalie and told him that it was too soon after Natalie's late husband's death for her to be with someone new.
Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning
Seasons 1-7
When audiences first met Natalie, she was pregnant with her late husband's child and working closely with Dr. Halstead to take care of dozens of patients from the train derailment. In Episode 2 ("iNO"), she and Will fought over which of their patients deserved the final nitrous oxide tank, and Will accused her of being swayed by her pregnancy because she wanted to give the resource to an abandoned baby.
Aside from her fights and eventual romantic storyline with Will, Natalie had an eventful first season. She gave birth to her son, Owen, in Episode 6 ("Bound") and returned soon after to a number of heavy cases. Because she specialized in pediatrics, Manning ofter worked with children and infants, and had to call CPS frequently as she found disturbing issues.
Colin Donnell as Dr. Connor Rhodes
Seasons 1-5
In the first episode ("Derailed"), Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) was on the train that flew off the tracks and he promptly jumped in to help everyone around him. He ultimately performed CPR in an ambulance and stayed with the patient until reaching the ED, where Dr. Halstead asked what he was doing. "I'm your new trauma fellow," Rhodes said, not even missing a beat.
This kick-started a bit of a rivalry between the two doctors, and Will later made a passive aggressive comment about Connor's wealthy childhood neighborhood.
Connor's past became a bigger theme throughout the first season, too, as his wealthy father Cornelius Rhodes (D.W. Moffett) made infrequent appearances and would chastise Connor for his career choices. At the end of the season, Connor's mentor, Dr. Downey (Gregg Henry) passed away, revealing a softer side of the younger doctor.
Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi
Seasons 1-8
Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) was an infectious disease specialist within the Emergency Department, so he always had plenty of challenging cases on his hands. In the first season, he delivered a placenta on his own and almost had to perform a hysterectomy when the process went awry, in Episode 2 ("iNO").
Though he didn't have to wade through too much of his own personal drama in Season 1, his relationship with a nurse in the department became a big part of his character's storyline in the later seasons.
Yaya DaCosta as April Sexton
Seasons 1-8
April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) was a talented and dedicated nurse in the department, whose first big scene happened when she found Dr. Rhodes sewing his own wound back up after the train incident. She complimented him on his plastic surgery-like sutures, and welcomed him to Gaffney — a jarring difference from his welcome from Will.
In that first season, April began a love affair with the father of a patient who ultimately proposed to her. In Season 2, she suffered from a miscarriage, which ended her relationship, and she later began dating Ethan.
Rachel DiPillo as Sarah Reese
Seasons 1-4
Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo) began the show as a timid newcomer there for her clinical rotation. In the pilot episode, she fumbled with finding a vein and other workers had to step in to help her, and then later had to be told to push harder when performing CPR on a little girl who had gone into cardiac arrest.
Reese continued her pattern of freezing during intense moments, but her bonds with her patients throughout the season led her to want to do patient care. She had originally been slated to be part of Pathology and in Episode 18 ("Timing"), she decided to switch to a different field, leaving her without a job.
S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin
Seasons 1-8
One of the hearts of Med, Chief of Services Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) has dealt with plenty of hardship throughout her tenure on the show. She proved herself to be a voice of reason on the staff, and in the pilot episode was seen helping a couple make the decision that they shouldn't let their surrogate die just to keep their baby healthy.
In Season 1, audiences saw pieces of Sharon's personal life with her husband, Bert (Gregory Alan Williams). During that season's finale ("Timing"), Sharon revealed that Bert had left her. She told the charge nurse that he'd said he "wanted to be happy" with the time he had left — and she'd been so shocked that she uncharacteristically missed an important budget meeting.
Oliver Platt as Dr. Daniel Charles
Seasons 1-8
Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) had been the Head of Psychiatry at Gaffney for years, and often steps in to help patients get their bearings. The first time fans witnessed his psychiatric magic occurred during the pilot episode, when a long-term cystic fibrosis patient named Jamie (Adam Farabee) refused treatment for his ongoing condition.
Dr. Charles stepped in and helped Jamie pursue the treatment, and Jamie was later able to receive new lungs — an operation for which Dr. Charles stayed by his side. This softness and care toward patients is cornerstone to his personality, as Dr. Charles has, time and time again, saved patients by reasoning with them.
Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood
Seasons 1-8
Charge Nurse Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) showcased early on that she was friends with just about everyone around her. At the end of the very first episode, she was seen building a crib for Natalie's child, alongside April. During the season finale, she went to find Sharon and helped comfort her when she learned that Bert had left the chief.
One of Maggie's biggest plot lines in Season 1 happened in Episode 12 ("Guilty"), when a drunk driver and the police officer he'd crashed into were brought to Gaffney. The officer's partner tried to interfere with the driver's care, asking to take a blood sample for an accurate blood alcohol reading so that she could charge him. Maggie stepped in and said that their priority was to save the man's life and, when he didn't consent to the blood test, she prevented the officer from touching the patient. This led to Maggie being arrested for standing up for her duties as a caregiver.
Lorena Diaz as Nurse Doris
Seasons 1-8
Nurse Doris (who hasn't yet been given a last name in the show) was often in the middle of dramatic storylines — though usually not ones about her. Although she didn't have a major role in Season 1, she became infamous among fans for often saying sarcastic or derogatory things about her coworkers, sometimes even when they could hear her.
Her most notable storyline occurred in Season 3, when she made comments about the then-fan-favorite couple, Ethan and April. In Episode 1 ("Speak Your Truth"), she accused Ethan of playing favorites with April and revealed that she knew they had become romantically involved.
Stream all of Season 1 of Chicago Med — and the other 7 seasons — on Peacock.
