The Good Doctor, since airing back in 2017, has become one of the most beloved medical dramas worldwide. The series follows Shaun, a young autistic doctor, who travels from his mid-city life in Casper, Wyoming, to join the medical staff at the renowned St. Bonaventure Hospital hospital in San Jose, California, who uses his unlikely skills to treat patients and prove his abilities to his colleagues.
The series features Freddie Highmore as Dr Shaun Murphy; Antonia Thomas as Dr Claire Browne; Hill Harper as Dr Marcus Andrews; and Richard Schiff as Dr Aaron Glassman, with the show’s star-studded lineup also constantly introducing fresh new faces to keep up with its exciting, dramatic and often downright heartbreaking storylines.
Read on to discover where you’ve seen the cast of The Good Doctor before, and learn some interesting facts about the impressive actors.
Freddie Highmore as Dr Shaun Murphy.
Freddie Highmore takes on the role of The Good Doctor’s protagonist, Dr Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgical resident. The young doctor’s savant abilities include the ability to photographic recall and the ability to note minute details and changes in his patients, which are often intertwined with flashbacks to his teen years (played by Graham Verchere).
While he’s all grown up now, fans may remember Highmore for his role as Charlie in the 2005 Tim Burton classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The English actor later earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of Norman Bates in the psychological thriller series, Bates Motel. As well as taking on The Good Doctor and Bates Motel’s title characters, Highmore has written, produced and directed episodes for both shows.
Antonia Thomas as Dr Claire Browne.
Antonia Thomas takes on The Good Doctor’s surgical resident Dr Claire Browne, who shares a close friendship with its protagonist Dr Shaun Murphy. The doctor is known for her empathy and emotional connection in the medical drama and is usually the most patient of co-workers when it comes to dealing with Dr Murphy.
The British actress made her debut in the 2010 film, Stanley Park, before going on to join the cast of science fiction comedy-drama Misfits, as the role of Alisha Daniels. Thomas has since gone on to appear in Netflix’s Lovesick, and even appeared in the music video for Coldplay’s song “Charlie Brown.”
Hill Harper as Dr Marcus Andrews.
American actor Hill Harper portrays Dr Marcus Andrews in The Good Doctor, an attending surgeon who specialises in plastic surgery and later goes on to become the hospital’s president.
Prior to securing his status in the acting world, Harper earned degrees from Brown University and Harvard Law School. In 1993, he made his acting debut in Married…with Child, and went on to star in The Vast, City of Angels, The Handler and CSI: NY.
Richard Schiff as Dr Aaron Glassman.
Richard Schiff stars as Dr Aaron Glassman, President of the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital and former attending neurosurgeon, who takes on the role of mentoring Dr Shaun Murphy having known the young surgeon since he was 14.
Originally, the American actor was best known for his work in directorial roles before landing roles in television series like Cheers, ER and Jurassic Park. Schiff is perhaps most recognisable for his role as Toby Ziegler in the drama series The West Wing, for which he won an Emmy Award.
Will Yun Lee as Dr Alex Park.
In The Good Doctor, Lee stars as the series Dr Alex Park, a surgical resident and former police officer from Phoenix, Arizona.
The actor has a notable career in Hollywood, starring as Danny Woo in the supernatural drama Witchblade and Jae Kim in the sci-fi series Bionic Woman. He has also appeared in True Blood, Hawaii Five-O, Torque and Elektra. Interestingly, the actor holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and once earned an athletic scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied political science and ethnic studies.
Beau Garrett as Jessica Preston.
American actress Beau Garrett stars as Jessica Preston, the hospital’s in-house attorney and Vice President of Risk Management, who also happens to be the granddaughter of the hospital founder and friend of Dr Glassman.
Garrett began her career working as a model, appearing in GUESS campaigns from the late 1990s. She made her feature film debut in the horror film, Turistas, before going on to portray Captain Raye in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Gem in 2010’s Tron: Legacy.
Fiona Gubelmann as Dr Morgan Reznick.
Taking on The Good Doctor’s role of Dr Morgan Reznick, Gubelmann’s character is a competitive and self-centred surgical resident.
Prior to joining the main cast of the medical drama, Gubelmann actually once considered pursuing a career in the medical field prior to discovering acting. Since then she’s appeared in several notable television and film projects, including Wilfred, Tulips in Spring, Christmas Next Door, Royally Ever After, and Easter Under Wraps.
Christina Chang as Dr Audrey Lim.
Chang takes on the role of Dr Audrey Lim, an attending trauma surgeon in charge of the ER and surgical residents, later becoming the Chief of Surgery, and when the series decides to introduce COVID-19 as a storyline, her character developed post-traumatic stress disorder from her experiences.
Born and raised in Taiwan, the actress originally set out to become a ballerina, and at the age of 17 moved to the U.S. to study acting in Kansas and Washington. Chang is best known for her work in 24, Dragnet, CSI: Miami, Numb3rs, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, and Nashville.
Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo.
Paige Spara plays the role of Lea Dilallo, Dr Shaun Murphy’s love interest. When she decides to leave California to chase her dreams, she returns later and the pair decide to just be friends and roommates before (finally) becoming a couple in The Good Doctor’s later seasons.
The actress is best known for her work as Audrey Piatigorsky in the sitcom Kevin from Work and has also had a small role alongside Reese Witherspoon in Home Again. Spara also took her acting skills to the musical world, appearing in Lauv’s music video “I Like Me Better.”
