Since the One Chicago franchise became a huge deal for NBC, fans have gotten used to its series undergoing a lot of cast upheaval. One recent example of that is the fact that Toya Turner leaving Chicago P.D.'s cast led to the sudden departure of her character, Officer Kiana Cook. Fortunately for fans of the franchise, however, some One Chicago casting news can be very exciting for viewers.
Before Chicago Med's season 11 returned, viewers were overjoyed to learn that Nick Gehlfuss would be returning as Dr. Will Halstead. While it makes perfect sense that Halstead's return took up a lot of headlines, some fans may not know about another piece of fantastic Chicago Med casting news. After all, it turns out that the former star of one of the best shows ever produced will be joining Chicago Med's cast as an important character.
The Wire's Gbenga Akinnagbe joins Chicago Med's cast as an important character
Deadline reports that Gbenga Akinnagbe will be joining the Chicago Med's season 11 cast in a recurring role. The outlet revealed that Gbenga had been cast as Sharon Goodwin's son, David. Based on past news that had been revealed about the medical drama's upcoming season, Gbenga's character will be important.
As a part of TVLine's September 2025 preview of the upcoming fall TV season, the outlet spoke to Chicago Med's showrunner, Allen MacDonald. MacDonald told the outlet that Sharon's husband and kids were set to play an important role in the beloved character's season 11 storylines. During past Chicago Med seasons, Hampton Fluker portrayed Sharon's son, Michael Goodwin, and Nicolette Robinson was cast as her daughter, Tara Goodwin.
Before joining the cast of Chicago Med, Gbenga Akinnagbe made his television debut as The Wire's Chris Partlow, a character he portrayed between 2004 and 2008. Arguably one of The Wire's most interesting characters, Chris could be cold-blooded in one second and surprisingly caring in the next. The character wouldn't have worked as well if it weren't for Gbenga's usually stoic and occasionally explosive performance.
Since The Wire ended, Gbenga has remained very active as an actor between his roles in shows like The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, Damages, The Deuce, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, and The Old Man. The actor has also appeared in a handful of memorable movies like The Taking of Pelham 123 and Independence Day: Resurgence.