Nick Gehlfuss is just like Us — reeling over Dr. Dean Archer being revealed as the father of Dr. Hannah Asher’s baby on Chicago Med. But what will happen when Hannah’s ex-boyfriend, Dr. Will Halstead, finds out?
“He certainly makes his thoughts known about Hannah and Archer and this news, this bomb of a news,” Gehlfuss, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the Wednesday, October 8, episode, which will mark the return of his character, Will Halstead.
“Let’s just say fans of the relationships will be very satisfied with what transpires with Will and Hannah, among other things that I can’t necessarily say at this moment,” he added.
Gehlfuss promised Will’s reunion with ex Hannah (Jessy Schram) amid her pregnancy is “going to be so awkward and perfectly tense at times, and then beautiful and emotional.”
Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead and Jessy Schram as Dr. Hannah Asher in ‘Chicago Med’. George Burns Jr/NBC (2)
Will and Hannah had an instant flirtation when they met during season 5 of the NBC series. By season 6, they were a couple but after Hannah had a drug relapse, she decided to leave Chicago and go to rehab.
At the time, Hannah asked Will to go with her, but he opted to stay in Chicago and their romantic relationship came to an end.
Gehlfuss exited Chicago Med after the season 8 finale, which aired in May 2023. During the episode, Will left the Windy City and landed in Seattle where his ex-fiancée, Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto), and her son Owen (Frankie DeMaio), meet him, seemingly confirming they are back together.
Hannah, meanwhile, dated Dr. Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell) on and off during season 9 and 10 before discovering during the season 10 finale in May that she is pregnant. During the season 11 premiere on October 1, Hannah revealed that her longtime best friend and ally Dr. Archer (Steven Weber) is the father — and not Ripley like many assumed.
Jessy Schram as Dr. Hannah Asher and Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead in ‘Chicago Med’. George Burns Jr/NBC
While some fans were shocked that Archer, who is much older than Hannah, is the father of her child, Gehlfuss told Us that it wasn’t that big of a stretch. (Hannah and Archer have decided to coparent the baby, but as “friends.”)
“I didn’t see it coming, but I’m not surprised. I think that I had thought they might have gotten intimate because they were confiding in each other in such a way. But did I know that he was going to be the father of her baby? No,” Gehlfuss confessed. “I was like, ‘Wow. OK.’ I think I found out that news pretty much before I played the scene with Hannah, so I got to use all of that.”
Romances have run high in the Windy City since Chicago Fire’s 2012 debut and the addition of Chicago P.D. in 2014 and Chicago Med in 2015. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive […]
He noted that his character’s return — for a two-episode arch — was a lot like “catching up” with his old friends. “It was just a wonderful reunion,” the actor said.
While fans will have to wait and see how Will and Hannah interact on Wednesday’s episode, Gehlfuss told Us that most of his cameo this season is centered around Will’s own parenthood journey.
“Will is in father mode trying to figure out his family dynamic,” Gehlfuss said of Will’s life since leaving Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. “I think his relationship with Natalie has been great, probably by the mere fact that they haven’t been working at the same hospital. I imagine she’s at a children’s hospital specifically, and he’s at an emergency department somewhere else. But there’s been a change, and his dynamic with Owen has been very tense.”
The TV star explained that Will’s attempt to “smooth things out” with Owen results in him bringing Natalie’s son to Chicago for a “boy’s weekend.” Things get dicey after the pair stop at the hospital on their way to a Chicago Bears game.
“I think Will’s going home to figure out his new home in a way. I don’t know if he knows that, but I think that’s part of it,” Gehlfuss teased. “Certainly, to just get away from Seattle and try and repair some things. It’s a true boy’s weekend, and it certainly gets interrupted.”
Gehlfuss returns to Chicago Med on NBC Wednesday, October 8, at 8 p.m. ET. His character’s story line will continue on Wednesday, October 15, at 8 p.m. ET.
You’ll also be able to catch Gehlfuss in another Dick Wolf show next year when CIA premieres on CBS with Gehlfuss playing a “by-the-book, seasoned and smart” FBI agent alongside Tom Ellis’ “rule-breaking loose cannon” CIA agent.
