**Dean Archer’s “Chicago Med” Story Nearly Ended in Tragedy: Steven Weber Reveals Untold Backstory**
Dean Archer, portrayed by Steven Weber, has been a compelling and sometimes controversial figure on “Chicago Med.” However, fans may be surprised to learn that his character’s trajectory was originally intended to be much darker—and far shorter.
During a recent appearance on *The One Chicago Podcast*, Weber shared that Dean Archer was almost written off the show during his very first season. “In the original sides I auditioned with,” Weber explained, “the character was a guy who was a naval surgeon, who had been to Afghanistan, had been wounded, had PTSD, and in fact, at the end of this arc was going to do some self-harm.”
Weber elaborated on the intense nature of the original storyline, saying, “This version of Archer was suffering and had untreated trauma, and at the end of this guy’s story, he was not gonna make it.”
So what changed?
“Halfway through [the initial arc], I think they decided that this character had more depth and appeal and possibilities beyond where they were gonna take him,” Weber revealed. As a result, the producers chose not to kill Dean off. Instead, he was brought back for several episodes in Season 7 and eventually became a regular cast member.
Indeed, Dean Archer stepped in as the attending physician in Chicago Gaffney Medical Center’s ER to fill the void left by Ethan Choi’s (Brian Tee) departure. Since then, Weber’s portrayal has become a staple of the series, a fact that still surprises the actor given some of Archer’s questionable early actions.
Fans might not immediately recall just how dark Dean Archer’s initial appearances were. Reflecting on his character’s early days during the podcast, Weber admitted, “He was doing a couple of things that now, basically in the canon of the show, we’ve sort of conveniently forgotten about.”
In one particularly grim moment, Weber recalled, “I think I took out some guy’s kidney without his approval. I sedated him, pulled it out. It was really dark, and that’s why he was gonna kind of end.”
Interestingly, Weber wasn’t trying to steer the producers toward extending the character’s lifespan. On the contrary, he relished the chance to play an edgier role with a tragic fate. “That was dark and interesting, and I was going to apply some things that I’d known,” he said.
He even drew inspiration from his own family, modeling aspects of Dean after his Korean War veteran father.
Over time, Dean Archer has evolved into a beloved colleague, friend, and romantic partner on “Chicago Med.” Currently, he and his best friend Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) are expecting a baby, a storyline that has endeared the characters even more to fans.
While the idea of Archer’s original, tragic ending once loomed large, it now seems unlikely we’ll see that dark outcome play out on screen anytime soon. Instead, viewers can enjoy the multi-dimensional character that Steven Weber has helped bring to life in a far more hopeful arc.
https://www.looper.com/2019730/chicago-med-character-dean-archer-almost-killed/
