Here's Why Colin Donnell Really Left Chicago Med
In 2019, "Chicago Med" fans got dealt a surprising blow when series regular Colin Donnell aka Dr. Connor Rhodes announced he'd be saying goodbye after appearing in the first four seasons. But what many didn't know was exactly why "The Affair" and "Arrow" star was leaving — or in this case, being given the boot.
"I'm really very happy and thankful to ('Chicago Med') that they gave me the exit that they did," Donnell told Us Weekly that September, describing his character's open-ended departure. "He left on his own terms, which I thought was really lovely for the character and for me personally," the actor said.
Donnell's departure came after the "Chicago Med" Season 5 premiere, which saw Dr. Rhodes confirm his suspicion that Norma Kuhling's Dr. Ava Bekker had murdered his father. Bekker, who was Rhodes' lover, later commits suicide and Rhodes decides to leave the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center to start a new life elsewhere. Donnell's exit from the show was ultimately blamed on "creative reasons," but what does that mean exactly? What's the real reason Donnell was written off of "Chicago Med" after spending nearly half a decade as a regular?
Dr. Rhodes' story wasn't going anywhere, according to producers
While it may appear that decision for Donnell to leave was mutual, his time on "Chicago Med" reportedly came to an end because the showrunners had nothing left for him.
"The cast departures stem from creative reasons related to the characters' story evolution," sources told Deadline at the time. It was a move that not only left Donnell temporarily out of a job, but one that forced him and his wife to actually move from the Windy City altogether. "We came here just after getting married to a new job and quickly fell in love with everything Chicago has to offer," Donnell wrote in a July 2019 Instagram post. "Thanks for all the memories, we'll visit often."
Since his departure, Donnell has appeared in several different projects, including the TV movies "To Catch a Spy" and "Love on Iceland," as well as the Australian mini-series "Irreverent," which is currently filming.