Does Marlyne Barrett wear a wig on Chicago Med?

Marlyne Barrett has continued to be a Chicago Med standout despite her offscreen battles. The actress revealed that she was diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer in July, and has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments ever since.

Of course, these treatments have altered her appearance on the show. Some fans have pointed out that Barrett has lost a significant amount of weight, while others have been confused by the fact that her hair has essentially remained the same onscreen.

Here’s what you need to know about Barrett’s natural hair.

Marlyne Barrett lost weight

As of 2022, Barrett has a shaved head. She discussed her apprehension, and her eventual decision to shave her head, during an interview with People.

"“I didn’t want to give the power to chemo”, the actress stated. “My hair has always been an essence of beauty. But I took my own razor and I shaved my head. I did it in front of my babies so they’d see it was still Mommy. I wept, I wept, I wept. But it was a beautiful experience to do it in front of them.”"

While the decision to do so may have affected most other actors, Barrett’s shaved head actually did little to affect the way her character, Maggie, is depicted onscreen. The reason why? Barrett already wore a wig to play Maggie, and simply had to continue doing so.

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The actress divulged this tidbit during the aforementioned interview, during which she mentioned that the show’s costume department has done a great job of making the transition seamless:

"“Because of the mass, my mid-range is a different size, so the costume department does an incredible job”, she added. “Interestingly enough, my character on the show already wears a wig!”"

It’s not yet clear whether the Med writers plan to incorporate Barrett’s battles into the show, given that the character has also had to contend with a cancer diagnosis, or is simply going to bypass it in favor of other storylines. Either way, our hearts go out to the actress.

For the latest spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Med category at One Chicago Center.