Hill Harper Officially Out at The Good Doctor Amid Real-Life Senate Bid (Exclusive)
It’s official: U.S. Senate hopeful Hill Harper will not return to The Good Doctor for Season 7, TVLine has confirmed exclusively.
“Hill Harper feels strongly that there is a crisis in American democracy — too often, government only works for the rich and powerful while the rest of us struggle to find a voice,” Harper’s campaign spokesperson tells TVLine. “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.”
Neither ABC nor Sony Pictures Television could be reached for comment.
Official word of his departure comes four months after the actor announced his candidacy. He is running for political office in the state of Michigan, where he will challenge Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin for the seat currently held by outgoing senator Debbie Stabenow.
Harper, who played Dr. Marcus Andrews, was one of three remaining series regulars from The Good Doctor Season 1, including leading man Freddie Highmore (who stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy) and Richard Schiff (who plays Shaun’s surrogate father, Dr. Aaron Glassman).
In the Season 6 finale, Andrews resigned as St. Bonaventure president, setting up Harper’s exit.
Harper is one of two cast members departing the ABC medical drama ahead of Season 7. As previously reported, Brandon Larracuente, who scrubbed in last fall as surgical resident Dr. Danny Perez, will not be back following the Season 6 finale.
Harper is a lawyer-turned-actor who graduated from Brown University (with Latin honors) and Harvard Law. Prior to The Good Doctor, he starred as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the long-running CBS procedural CSI: NY, which ran for nine seasons and ended in 2013.
The Good Doctor Season 7 premieres on a new night, Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 10/9c on ABC.
Now this is a show that I think needs to end. Just my opinion, obviously, but to me it seems to have ran it’s course.
100% agree
Yes 👍
I watched about 4 episodes of the show and didn’t like it.
You know what I did? Stopped watching it. Amazing right?!
No need to get snarky buddy 😘
Should have been gone a couple of years ago
I love this show. It is interesting that all the good shows get canceled while others that promote sex and promiscuity continue ti thrive
Remember when Shaun lost his virginity with Carly?
That’s totally understandable. When you want change to happen you have to be dedicated and focused on this goal. And personally I like Hill Harper his role not so much.
Loved Dr. Andrews and love Hill Harper!. At least we got the Carlton dance!
As long as they don’t kill him off to keep the possibility open of his return. I hated when they killed off Dr. Melendez.
So many of the best characters have left. Dr. Melendez, Dr Brown and now Dr. Andrews. Dr Murphy, Dr Glassman and Dr Lim are the only ones I like.
That’s why I stopped watching a few years ago. I loved Dr. Claire Brown ♥️
You also have to understand though Antonita Thomas is a British actor and where it’s kind of diffrent where when they sign up for a show there signed up for x ammount of seasons
No they wrote him out after the season 6 finale as resigning as hospital president and at the time you just had the writers strike and I think he informed abc and shore productions before he announced that he might be running for the open senate seat in his home state and he seems like a down to earth guy that would actually work with the other side of the aisle something sadly missing in today’s world where the extremes on both sides have exposed both party’s ad bad who would rather name call then do sonething
I bet Hill Harper will be a breath of fresh air. Good luck.
I love The Good Dr. Can’t wait until it resumes.
Not much of a surprise as he telegraphed this run months before season 6 ended. I think the show will be fine without him, but I agree with other posts suggesting the door should be left open for him. As for the posters who talk about ending the show. I don’t think it is necessary. Shaun’s life is changing (he is now a father,) and other people can be brought in to spice things up. I might time jump 3-5 years for a couple of reasons. 1. Baby’s are hard to include in tv shows. 2. Older children are more interesting. 3. Shaun entering a new more experienced stage of his career (chief of surgery,) and dealing with doctors and conferences outside of his own hospital could add to the show.
Looking forward to his campaign!
So Harpen is an ultra iberal lawyer from an Ivy. He has ZERO chance in that primary because Stabenow is a moderate in a 50/50 state. Slotting will thank him for making seem like the sane Democrat in the primary.
At least I hope he is Ivy enough to learn the last name of his opponent…
Yeah, no. He hasn’t even begun campaigning so we don’t know what his policy platform looks like at all besides generalities on his site like climate and healthcare. Rep. Slotkin does great work in the House, but she doesn’t have his incredible charisma. Harper meanwhile has the potential to become a second Obama, with four years in the Senate and then a presidential campaign in 2028.
Slotkin is a reliable liberal in the House, and a good fit to replace the retiring Stabenow. Harper should have run for Slotkin’s House seat. Both would be shoo-ins, with him in line for the next Senate vacancy. Remember, Obama had experience as a state legislator (he did run for the House and lose) before beating Ryan for Senator. Harper–charisma notwithstanding–has no real government experience except as an unpaid advisor to and friend of Obama. Speaking of which, actor Kal Penn actually had a role in the Obama administration.
If Harper beats Slotkin for the Senate nomination, she loses her House seat (can’t run for two different seats at once) and there’s a possibility that a Republican can beat him in the general election. Remember, MI is a swing state. We’d end up losing a good Representative AND possibly the Senate to boot.
Obama did not beat Ryan. Ryan was forced out of the race after a huge sex scandal emerged from his divorce papers and some random carpetbagger with little to no ties to IL was drafted and lost, big time, to Obama. I don’t even remember the guy’s name.
Remember, Obama was a state legislator before he was a senator. Should Harper beat Slotkin, the GOP would have a field day pouncing on his inexperience and “Hollywood connections” (apparently only extreme right-wingers are allowed to have those two qualities). He should run to replace Slotkin in the House and get some gov’t under his belt!
I live in Spain. I only signed up for Netflix last month. And started watching The good doctor. I have binge watched. And am now Waiting for series 7. I luv it.
Doesn’t really matter. I liked his role, but it wasn’t excellent. I love this show, though and can’t wait for its return!
if he’s running in the republican party am definitely voting for him