When Darren Barnet’s Dr. John Frost arrived at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, he quickly turned heads. We’d come to find out that it wasn’t just the character’s charm and good looks that caught patients’ attention, but that he was actually a former child star.
As we learned, before pursuing a career in medicine, Frost was a child actor who gained fame at a young age in a show called Nick of Time. At first, little was known about Frost’s past as a child star, but the show gradually began pulling back the curtain to reveal more information about the hardships Frost endured.
To help tell the story of Frost’s early years, Chicago Med has used figures from his time in the industry, which has made Nick of Time a key part of Frost’s storylines in the show.
The first Nick of Time co-star we were introduced to was Ainsley Towne (played by Jessalyn Gilsig). We first met Ainsley in Chicago Med season 10, episode 15, “Down a Hole,” when she came to Chicago for a new role in a movie where she’d be playing a nurse. We’d come to learn that Ainsley played Frost’s mom on Nick of Time, and that the pair shared a complicated past.
Upon her arrival in Chicago, Ainsley inserted herself back into Frost’s orbit by shadowing Maggie at the hospital in preparation for her new role. Ainsley quickly began sending up red flags, the first coming when she nearly kissed Frost in the hospital locker room before he pulled back. We’d later come to find out that Ainsley took advantage of Frost when he was a young man.
As Frost revealed to Dr. Charles in season 10, episode 19, “The Stories We Tell Ourselves,” he’d been making up a story about what Ainsley was to him, when the reality is that in the end it turned into something he wasn’t ready for. After speaking with Dr. Charles, Frost confronted Ainsley on taking advantage of him by initiating a romantic relationship when he wasn’t even 18.
The second character from the Nick of Time cast fans meet is Frost’s former co-star Ian Walcott (played by Justin Prentice), who played the show’s title character, Nick, on the show.
We first met Ian in Chicago Med season 11, episode 9, “Blindsided,” when he came to town for a local fan convention and catch up with Frost, with the two enjoying a night out partying. We’d come to learn that Ian’s visit came with an ulterior motive as Nick of Time reboot was being discussed and the studio was hoping Frost would come back, even if in a small capacity.
Ian tried to convince Frost to sign on for the project, but Frost made it clear to him that his days as an actor were behind him. At first, Ian seemed understanding of the decision, but we’d later learn that he was struggling with drug and alcohol issues and that his career had stalled after Frost left Nick of Time, bringing the show to an end just when Ian was on the cusp of breaking out into bigger roles.
We’ll see if Ian ends up playing a larger role in Frost’s season 11 storyline or if any additional Nick of Time cast members will pop up, but so far it seems like there’s a very good reason Frost continues to leave that part of his life behind him.