Walking Dead Star Quits Chicago Med Before Premiere

Laurie Holden decided to step away from “Chicago Med” before the series even started shooting. She played trauma surgeon Dr. Hannah Tramble in “Chicago Fire” Season 3, Episode 19, which was a backdoor pilot for “Chicago Med” in 2015. Although she was expected to return in a recurring role on the new show, later that year, she made the decision to move on.

Holden expressed her gratitude to the show’s creators, NBC, and her fellow cast members but cited family reasons for her departure. She shared, “Sometimes we must make tough choices, and for family reasons, not doing ‘Chicago Med’ is one of those for me at this time. I know the show is going to be a huge success, and I’ll be watching.”

While “Chicago Med” did not replace Holden’s character, they never provided an explanation for her absence. Before her stint on the medical drama, Holden was already well-known for her role as Andrea Harrison on the popular television series “The Walking Dead.”

Following her departure from “Chicago Med,” Laurie Holden went on to take on new television roles. Just two years later, she joined the cast of FX’s spy drama “The Americans,” playing Stan Beeman’s second wife, Renee. In 2022, Holden took on a small but impactful role in Prime Video’s “The Boys,” where she portrayed the villainous supe Crimson Countess in Season 3. Despite only appearing in a few episodes, the character required extensive stunt work, which Holden was eager to tackle, given her athletic background.