Warning: This story accommodates spoilers from “Does One Door Shut and One other One Open?,” the Season 8 finale of “Chicago Med.”
Nick Gehlfuss is hanging up his lab coat. The actor, who has portrayed Dr. Will Halstead on all eight seasons of “Chicago Med,” has exited the sequence, making his closing look on Wednesday evening’s Season 8 finale. As Will left the hospital following the numerous adjustments at Gaffney, he reunited together with his ex-fiancée, Natalie (Torrey DeVitto, who made a shock look within the episode after leaving on the finish of Season 6).
“It was a troublesome determination, however finally, I felt I’d taken Dr. Halstead so far as I can go together with him. I believe that comes all the way down to a inventive a part of you, or the power or spirit you could have that you simply’re both constructed for a really very long time with one individual or not,” Gehlfuss tells Selection. “I’m interested in the career for the range in it, and eight years is a very long time. It’s two faculty levels! I’m joking now that I mainly have a doctorate in tv.”
Filming the finale was an poignant course of for Gehlfuss.
“It’s overwhelming, due to all of the feelings. It wouldn’t be that method if it didn’t imply a lot. It’s like with love, in case you actually love any individual then you definitely’re going to have very excessive moments and really low moments, as a result of it’s simply so vital to you,” he says. “It was vital to me to present everybody an advance discover of me leaving in order that we didn’t end chilly turkey.”
The finale was filmed in mid-April, a few month and a half after Gehlfuss let the staff know that it was time to depart. “The primary individual I used to be calling was the explanation for all this, Dick Wolf,” he says of the present’s creator. “It was essential to me that he heard it from me first. After which I suppose it was a trickle impact from that time.”
Whereas Natalie and Will’s reunion “feels acceptable,” it wasn’t all the time the plan for the pair to finish up again collectively. As soon as he let the inventive staff know he was leaving, the discussions a few attainable Manstead ending started and he waited for the producers to succeed in out to DeVitto.
“I’ve stored in contact together with her, so it wasn’t as if we hadn’t seen one another since she left the present. But it surely was nice to see her,” Gehlfuss says. “We fell proper again in to our work rhythm as if we didn’t have any break day. It was an exquisite second, and one which I hope deliver some closure to the followers. As a result of this relationship has come full circle for Will and Natalie. I believe Will was searching for components of Natalie in each relationship that adopted their breakup. He by no means actually received over her.”
George Burns Jr/NBC
Being on “Chicago Med” since its debut in 2015 — showing in all 163 episodes — Gehlfuss will take a couple of classes from Will with him as he goes.
“The title William means protector or safety. He protected his sufferers as in the event that they had been his household. The way in which by which he was so dedicated to his work and what he was known as to do on this life, the fervour he had with all of that, I’ll always remember,” he says. “He would take dangers for individuals. Now, there may very well be dialog about was he placing his private stuff in the way in which of his work typically? Did that muddy conditions? Sure. I’ll always remember to remind myself that the lesson I realized that Will Halstead could not have realized, which is to depart your private stuff out of your work! I’ll always remember how he’s additionally a fighter. He simply he simply fought for no matter he felt was essential for himself or his sufferers.”
Now, Gehlfuss is hopeful he’ll get to discover a brand new character.
“I’d like to be a cowboy,” he quips. “I’d like to get open air. I really like being exterior. In the end, I wish to develop new, completely different characters. It was an actual present to have the ability to discover one character for eight years. TV permits that risk after all, and so I look ahead to doing so once more.”
In fact, the door’s by no means closed within the One Chicago universe, ought to there be a chance for Halstead to pop again in. “We had been all in settlement on that, fortunately, as I talked with Dick and the writers,” he says. “Each time it is sensible once more for vital moments, I’d like to don the white lab coat as soon as once more.”
Earlier than we wrap our interview, Gehlfuss asks if he can communicate on to the followers, since he’s not energetic on social media.
“It’s no secret, with out you, we might not have jobs. One of the crucial vital issues we can provide to 1 one other as our time. So thanks all to your time and your help. I’ve been so flattered by the quantity of people who have come as much as me to say one thing constructive about One Chicago and my work. That’s the greatest affirmation of the contract between viewers and storyteller. Whereas Will Halstead is leaving, One Chicago shouldn’t be. Benefit from the seasons to return!”
The One Chicago world has undergone many forged adjustments within the final 12 months, with “Chicago Med” seeing probably the most turnover. Man Lockard, Sarah Rafferty and Asjha Cooper all left earlier within the season, as did Brian Tee, one other authentic sequence star.
“Chicago Med” will return to NBC within the fall.