Colin Donnell Considers a Potential Chicago Med Return: 'There's Still Some Stuff Left to Explore' With Connor
It’s been three seasons since Colin Donnell‘s Dr. Connor Rhodes checked out of Chicago Med, and in that time, many other docs and nurses have come and gone through the Windy City hospital. But some have found their back, like Jessy Schram’s Dr. Hannah Asher and Yaya DaCosta’s April Sexton, prompting TVLine to ask showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider if they’ve ever considered bringing back fan-favorite Connor.
“I don’t think you can ever rule that out,” Frolov told us, adding that the idea has been discussed in the writers’ room. Added Schneider: “Colin was a guy we loved working with. He was a very strong member of the cast for a long time, and we would welcome to see him again.”
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So would Donnell be open to reprising his role? “I loved my time on Chicago Med, and I loved Andy and Diane,” the actor said while promoting his upcoming Peacock series Irreverent (premiering Nov. 30). “I loved our crew so much, the cast was so wonderful, and I know they’ve had a lot of comings and goings since I’ve left myself. But yeah, why ever close a door?”
“I had such a great time, and I have such a fondness not only for the whole universe of the Chicago shows, but I love the city of Chicago itself so much,” Donnell continues. “If it ever came a knockin’, let’s see if the schedules work out. It’d be fun to revisit that guy.”
When Donnell last appeared on the NBC drama in the Season 5 premiere, Connor’s ex-girlfriend Ava admitted to killing Connor’s father for them, then slit her own throat in front of him. After he was unable to save Ava’s life, Connor decided he need a fresh start somewhere far away from this tragedy. At the time, Frolov and Schneider told TVLine that Connor likely took a job at the Mayo Clinic, but Donnell suspects that his character might not still be there.
“I have a feeling that Connor never was one to stay put somewhere too long. He’s got a little bit of wanderlust in there,” Donnell shares.
That would certainly be in line with the Connor that viewers first met in the series premiere, who seemed haunted when he joined the hospital after a stint abroad. “That was the great thing about bringing that character in in the first place: When you’ve returned home and found a place that you want to sort of embrace again, there’s a lot to be mined there. I think there’s still some stuff left to explore, should they decide to do that,” Donnell says.
Looking back at his dramatic final episode, Donnell believes the writers “handled it very well.”
“I thought it was a bold ending, which I think is always a great way if you’re going to exit a series and it’s not going to be a death for that particular character,” Donnell says. “Of course, there was a death involved in the exit. But I think him leaving on his own terms and sort of making the decision for himself was a big step and taking some ownership over his life, which I think we explored over the course of the seasons… And I think they did a good job of really saying, ‘All right, this is what I need to do for me.’ His focus was to really take care of himself at the time, and to do that, he needed to take off.”
Press PLAY above to watch our chat with Donnell, then hit the comments to let us know if you’ve been missing Connor Rhodes.
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