‘The Good Doctor’ Is Losing a Cast Member to His Senate Run
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Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor
Image via ABC
Hill Harper is trading the Operating Room for the United States Congress as it has just been confirmed, via TVLine that the actor who portrays Dr. Marcus Andrews in the hit medical drama, The Good Doctor will not be returning for Season 7. The news comes four months after Harper officially declared his interest in running for the U.S. Senate office of the state of Michigan. Harper aims to succeed the retiring incumbent Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow who has held the seat since 2001, when she became Michigan’s first female U.S. Senator. Running as a Democrat, Harper will face off against Michigan congresswoman, Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst.

Harper’s potential exit from the series was set up in the Season 6 finale, where viewers saw his character resign from his position as St. Bonaventure’s president. His decision came amidst allegations of questionable character following his romance with Nurse Dalisay Villanueva (Elfina Luk). Harper’s exit now means that The Good Doctor currently features only two series regulars who have been part of the show since its inception in 2017, leaving behind the show’s main lead Freddie Highmore who plays Dr. Shaun Murphy, and Richard Schiff who portrays Shaun’s surrogate father, Dr. Aaron Glassman. Also departing the series ahead of the Season 7 premiere is Brandon Larracuente, who joined the show in the recurring role of Dr. Danny Perez in Season 5.

Harper is a Brown University and Harvard Law alum who, over the years, has been a recipient of 8 honorary degrees. He touts himself as the most progressive candidate in the race and has been vocal about his support for his support for universal healthcare and abolition of the filibuster. Harper’s campaign spokesperson shared a statement saying:

“Hill Harper feels strongly that there is a crisis in American democracy — too often, the government only works for the rich and powerful while the rest of us struggle to find a voice. Hill is dedicating his efforts full time to fixing that, and he’s running for the U.S. Senate as an active union member to give working people more of a voice in Congress.”

When Will ‘The Good Doctor’ Season 7 Premiere?
Hill Harper and Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor
Image via ABC
The Good Doctor saw its regular airtime slot changed following the end of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. ABC announced that it has moved the show from its longtime Monday 10 PM slot to Tuesday at 10 PM. Season 7 is set to premiere on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 10:00 P.M. ET on ABC. The change is said to align with ABC’s new primetime line-up for winter/spring 2024, which includes The Bachelor on Mondays. The Good Doctor’s arrival tweaked the slot of traditional Tuesday shows, with The Rookie moving from 8 PM to the 9 PM slot and Will Trent giving up its 10 PM slot and moving to 8 PM. You can stream previous episodes of The Good Doctor on Hulu in the U.S.

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The Good Doctor
The series follows Shaun Murphy, a young autistic surgeon from the small city of Casper, Wyoming, where he had a troubled past. He relocates to San Jose, California, to work at the prestigious San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital.