Chicago Med season 11, episode 17, “Altered States,” featured a truly amazing lineup of guest performers, but there was one particular guest star who quickly turned heads the moment he appeared on-screen: Elden Henson!
Henson guest starred in the episode as Dr. Charles’ father, Lucas Charles, who appeared to Charles in a memory while he was unconscious and being treated for his stroke. As fans know, Lucas committed suicide, passing away from exhaust fumes in his car within a garage, and it was Charles who found his dad’s body. It’s a moment that shaped Charles’ future, and the episode allowed fans to see Charles confront the demons of his past in a touching scene in which he was able to speak with his father, who reminded him that his death was not his fault, he couldn’t have stopped him, and that he loves Charles.
Given the nature of the role, it's unlikely we'll see Henson back on Chicago Med again, but it was a true surprise to get to see him drop in to play such a major role in the episode and bring Lucas to life.
Hensen is no stranger to the world of television, having appeared in a number of hit series, including Criminal Minds, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Workaholics, Grey’s Anatomy, and ER. While he's had some amazing guest roles, his most iconic role is without a doubt the role of Foggy Nelson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Henson originated the role of Foggy in Netflix's hit series Daredevil, appearing in all three seasons of the show before its end. During the Marvel-Netflix era, Nelson would also make appearances in Netflix's shared Marvel Universe of shows with appearances on Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and The Defenders. When Marvel Studios revived Daredevil with Daredevil: Born Again, Nelson would return to reprise the role in a limited capacity before exiting the series.
In addition to Nelson, “Altered States" featured some amazing guest appearances with many weaving into Charles' storyline as he came face-to-face with several familiar faces from his past.
This included the return of Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives, Supergirl) as Dr. Suzie Mankiewicz, Charles' old friend from medical school whom we met earlier this season in season 11, episode 11, "Our So Called Lives." In the episode, Suzie sadly passed away during surgery, which made it that much more special to see Strong back in episode 17.
Additional members of the guest cast for episode 17 included Deanna Dungan as Margaret Charles, Pilar Valdes as Lucia Charles, Alexis Hyatt (Eastsiders, Orange is the Black) as Young Susan Charles, Isabella Moon (I Can Only Imagine 2) as Young Anna Charles, Hunter McCoy (The Pitt, Vampirnia: Teenage Vampire) as Young Mitch Ripley, Nadia Brown (Succession, New Amsterdam) as Young Cece Charles, and Olivia Rouyre (Plurbius) as Summer Horton.