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Ato Essandoh joined the cast of the NBC television series Chicago Med during Season 2. He plays the role of Dr. Isidore Latham, who is the Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.

Fans adore his character and are anxiously awaiting the September premiere of Season 7 to see if he gets more play this time around. 

Due to the major cast changes last season, viewers of the popular medical drama expect to see lots of plot twists in the upcoming episodes. Fans are not only hoping Dr. Latham gets more storyline action, but they are optimistic the writers will consider making him a series regular.

Ato Essandoh plays Dr. Latham and ‘Chicago Med’ fans can’t get enough

Latham is a well-respected physician and highly-regarded surgeon. He is also an Orthodox Jew who, according to Chicago Med Wiki, has Asperger syndrome. The condition “impairs his social abilities and empathy towards others.”

Essandoh, who played astronaut Kwesi in the Netflix film Away with Hilary Swank, enjoys playing the role of the complicated Chicago Med physician. The talented actor has appeared in films such as Django Unchainedand Jason Bourne. His resume also includes recurring roles on television series such as Blue Bloods and Elementary.

FanSided explains that “Latham is Chicago Med’s most enigmatic character. In one episode, he can be a complete jerk; in another, he’s surprisingly sympathetic.” His closest friend in the hospital was fellow physician Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell). While they had a love-hate relationship, they always seemed to have each other’s backs.

Offscreen, Essandoh and Donnell shared an undeniable “bromance” that transcended well to the scenes they often shared. Their chemistry was undeniable, despite their often contentious interactions. The actors constantly challenged one another, and fans loved the result.

Fans want to see more of Dr. Latham

Ato Essandoh as Isidore Latham
Ato Essandoh as Isidore Latham | Elizabeth Sisson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

In a recent Reddit forum, fans discussed the Chicago Med Season 6 finale titled “I Will Come to Save You.”

Fans agreed that Dr. Latham needs much more screen time. Many are hoping the departure of Natalie (Torrey DeVitto) and April (Yaya DaCosta) will make more room for his complex character.

Viewers are hoping writers will make better use of his character, allowing Essandoh to stretch his range and further develop Dr. Latham’s relationships with other physicians in the hospital. Making him a series regular would make a lot of loyal fans very happy.

‘Chicago Med’: Will Dr. Latham become a series regular?

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‘Chicago Med’ Promotes Guest Star to Series Regular

The chances of him being promoted to a series regular are pretty slim, considering Dr. Latham has only appeared in 32 episodes throughout the entire season.

The surgeon specializes in cardiothoracic surgery. He is only called into the ER when the storyline involves a cardiac patient. Dr. Latham also shared numerous scenes with Dr. Rhodes, who is no longer with the show. Whether one of the new characters develops a story arc with the talented surgeon is yet to be seen.

Season 7 will introduce Kristen Hager as Dr. Stevie Hammer and Guy Lockard as Dr. Dylan Scott, a former police officer. FanSided pointed out that Lockard is not a stranger to the franchise, appearing in Season 8, Episode 19 of Chicago Fire. In the “Light Things Up” episode, Lockard played a “frustrated father who chained himself to 51’s engines.” The character was trying to catch the attention of the CFD higher-ups in hopes of creating change.

It is unclear if that connection will cross over into the storyline with the new arrival of Dr. Scott to the Gaffney Emergency Room. With lots of changes on the horizon, fans may get their wish of seeing more of Dr. Latham in the upcoming season of Chicago Med.

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