As one of the only three remaining original cast members, plenty of fans want to know whyHill Harper is leaving The Good Doctor and what happened to the actor who has played Dr. Marcus Andrews since since Season 1
Harper has starred as Dr.Marcus Andrews on the popular ABC medical drama since the show’s debut in 2017. The series stars Freddie Highmore as Shaun Murphy, a young, autistic surgical resident at the fictional San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Despite skepticism from his colleagues, Murphy use his extraordinary gifts and unique talents to save lives. The show has been incredibly successful and it was recently renewed for its seventh season by ABC in April 2023.
Over the years, several original cast members have left the show, leaving only Harper, Highmore, and Richard Schiff, who plays Shaun’s surrogate father, Dr. Aaron Glassman. On November 21, news broke that Harper would not be returning for The Good Doctor Season 7. Fans of the show are sad to be losing another doctor at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital and are left wondering: why did Hill Harper The Good Doctor? We have the answer below.
Why did Hill Harper leave The Good Doctor?
Why did Hill Harper leave The Good Doctor? The answer might surprise fans. The actor is also a U.S. Senate hopeful as he is currently in the 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.
“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 told TVLine of his decision to focus on his campaign. “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.”
Prior to his career in acting, Harper graduated from Brown University with latin honors and was the valedictorian. He then received a law degree from Harvard University, where he became friends with former president Barack Obama. Upon graduating, Harper moved to Los Angeles to focus on acting and he went on to star in shows like Married… with Children and the long-running CBS procedural CSI: NY, among others. Harper is campaigning on a platform supporting universal healthcare, climate justice, raising the federal minimum wage, and eliminating the filibuster from the U.S. Senate, according to his campaign website. It also appears that The Good Doctor had a significant impact on him, as did the medical field in general.
“Raised in the Midwest by two doctors, Hill learned early on the importance of public service, and that the purpose of life was to make life better for everyone. Throughout his life, whether on the campus of Harvard Law School or on the set of The Good Doctor, Hill Harper always kept alive that passion for service,” his campaign statement reads.
In the Season 6 finale, Harper’s Doctor Marcus Andrews resigned as St. Bonaventure president, which led fans to believe the actor would be stepping away from the show permanently. Another cast member, Brandon Larracuente, who joined the series during Season 6 as surgical resident Dr. Danny Perez, will also not be returning for Season 7.