Torrey DeVitto reveals how her surprising return to Chicago Med is all thanks to Nick Gehlfuss
Chicago Med fans were left shocked after the season eight finale when they watched Dr Will Halstead leave Chicago and fly to Seattle where he reunited with his former love, Dr Natalie Manning, and her son – and it was all thanks to star Nick Gehlfuss.
Torrey DeVitto, who played Natalie for six seasons before leaving in 2021, has now revealed that Nick reached out to Torrey, pleading with her to return to allow their characters the happy ever after they deserved.
"My agents got a call asking if I would come back and then I personally got a call from Nick Gehlfuss. Nick is like a brother to me. It was pretty much an instant yes to come back and see this out with him," she told Entertainment Tonight.
"Stepping back into Natalie’s shoes felt like coming back home and seeing family. It felt like no time had passed. She will always be such a big part of me," she added, calling it a "joy" to return to the hit NBC series.
Will's decision to leave Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, the fictional hospital, came after he sabotaged Jack Dayton's OR 2.0 system and then decided to hand in his resignation. In a heartwarming moment at the end of the episode, the character was then reunited with his ex-fiancee Natalie and her son Owen at the airport. "I'm never going to let you go," Natalie told him after he asked how long he should stay.
The One Chicago franchise launched in 2012 with Chicago Fire. Chicago P.D. came next and the series' now also includes Chicago Med. The series follows the professional and private lives of the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, and legal professionals who serve the city of Chicago.
Chicago Fire stars Taylor Kinney and Miranda Rae Mayo, while Jason Beghe and Marina Squerciati star in PD.
Torrey and Marina are now close friends, and Torrey previously told HELLO! she considers Marina "a safe space".
"Marina and I really get each other, I find her to be so smart," she said.
"My friendship with Arielle [Kebbel] - well, we've been friends since we were 12," she continued, speaking of the former 9-1-1 actress. "We grew up together and it was so special because we both started acting at the same time, and we both had shows on NBC at the same time together. I'm so grateful for that friendship, because there's so many times where it feels like she is the one person I can call and complain to, when somebody else would say, 'Oh get over it.'"
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