"Chicago Med" will not premiere until November yet it has already lost its first star, Laurie Holden. She has cited "family reasons" as to why she needed to leave the NBC medical drama prematurely, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"I am so grateful to Dick Wolf, my fellow cast members, NBC and the entire 'Chicago Med' team for their understanding," Holden said in a statement. "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."
An episode of "Chicago Fire" in April acted as a backdoor pilot for "Chicago Med" and introduced its characters including Holden's Dr. Hannah Tramble, a fearless and brilliant ER surgeon whose tough childhood gave her a dark edge.
"We are sorry to see her go," a "Chicago Med" spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "We are currently casting additional new roles which we hope to have confirmed very soon."
The third "Chicago" series will not recast the role. The show will add three new females roles to the show including an emergency pediatrician, a charge nurse and a young first-year resident. Production is scheduled to begin in September.
Holden last starred as Andrea for three seasons on the hit AMC series "The Walking Dead." Her other credits include recurring roles on "Major Crimes," "The Shield" and "The X-Files."
"Chicago Fire" also stars Oliver Platt, S. Epatha Merkerson, Nick Gehlfuss, Yaya DaCosta, Colin Donnell and Brian Tee.
"Chicago Fire" will premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 9 p.m.
