Colin Donnell is a One Chicago legend. The actor played Dr. Connor Rhodes for four seasons on Chicago Med, and participated in some of the show's most indelible storylines. It's been a long time since fans have gotten to see him walk through the halls of Gaffney Medical Center, but Donnell is very much still part of the franchise family.
This connectivity was evident on Tuesday, April 8. Donnell took to Instagram to pay his respects to Michael Waxman, a former executive producer and director on Chicago Med. Waxman's information is hard to come by online, but Donnell claimed that the television veteran passed away. He also made a point to emphasize how much Waxman played a role in shaping the show we still watch today.
Donnell praised former "boss" Michael Waxman
"If you enjoy Chicago Med it’s because from Day One Michael Waxman pushed to make the show the best it could be," Donnell wrote. "And [he] worked tirelessly to keep improving episode after episode, season after season. He loved his job." Donnell went on provide some scant details about Waxman's personal life.
"As much as he loved making movies and television, it was a distant second to being on his ranch in Texas surrounded by his family," the actor added. "Getting to spend four seasons alongside him and learning everything I could was a privilege I could have only hoped to repeat."
Colin Donnell closed out his touching message by writing "Rest in Peace Boss." He also included photos of Waxman on the Chicago Med set alongside former stars like Nick Gehlfuss and Brian Tee, as well as current star Oliver Platt.
Waxman produced multiple shows and films
Donnell's closeness with Waxman makes sense, given that the two men spent a nearly identical amount of time working on Chicago Med. Both were present for the pilot episode, and left after the completion of season 4 (Donnell did make one additional appearance in season 5). Michael Waxman was credited as an executive producer or co-executive producer on 83 episodes between the years 2015 and 2019.
Some of Waxman's other TV production credits include Friday Night Lights, Trauma and Nashville. He directed several episodes of these shows as well. Waxman also had a long-standing partnership with Michael Mann. He produced four of the acclaimed director's features, including The Insider (1999), Ali (2001), Collateral (2004) and Miami Vice (2006). An impressive career by any measure.