After seven seasons The Good Doctor has treated his final patient with the tenth episode wrapping everything up in a neat little bow and showing us where all the characters we’ve known for so long ended up. But where are the actors who played those characters going to go now?
The Good Doctor follows the journey of Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgeon who joins the surgical unit at the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. He is mentored by former neurosurgeon, Aaron Glassman, who is also somewhat of a father figure to the troubled protagonist.
Shaun is played by Freddie Highmore, who you may recognize from other hit shows such as Bates Motel, or maybe you’re more familiar with his earlier roles such as Charlie Bucket in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Either way, for many, he’s become wholly attached to his character from The Good Doctor which makes sense considering he played the role for almost seven years! But now it’s time to move on, it’s going to be weird seeing Highmore in anything other than surgical scrubs or a white coat, but it’s going to happen.
What is Freddie Highmore doing now?
Speaking with ET’s Deidre Behar, the 32-year-old British actor reflected on his time on the show: “It feels nostalgic, this big moment that makes you look back on all the things that you’ve accomplished.” When asked by Behar to describe “the next era of Freddie Highmore” now that the show has officially finished, he responded: “Well, I guess I killed people now I’m saving people, sort of go back again and sort of flip flop.” He is, of course, referencing his time playing the killer Norman Bates before going on to play Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor. So does that mean he’s hinting at playing another serial killer-type character?
Well, at the moment, it seems like Highmore hasn’t got any major projects in the works. A quick check of his IMDb page confirms that there are no upcoming movies or TV Shows right now. After joking about flip-flopping between killer and savior for his next role, Highmore admits: “I honestly have no idea.” To be fair to him, seven seasons and 125 episodes is a lot of work, he probably just wants to sit chill for a bit, maybe take a little vacation before deciding on his next move.
Highmore has achieved quite a lot for someone of his age. He’s already had starring roles in Hollywood blockbusters as well as leading roles in numerous great TV shows. He’s a talented actor and there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing him on our screens again at some point in the future, but there’s no rush. For now, it seems he’s going to take a well earned breather before taking on whatever his next role may be.
