After eight years portraying Dr. Will Halstead in Chicago Med, Nick Gehlfuss completely changes his scenery. The actor returns to Dick Wolf’s television universe but does so with CIA, a new series that centers on the collaboration between the FBI and CIA and which finally premieres in Italy as well, starting Friday, September 4, 2026, in prime time on Italia 1. The leads are Gehlfuss himself and Tom Ellis, the unforgettable Lucifer, playing respectively the CIA agent Colin Glass and Bill Goodman, a seasoned and brilliant FBI agent. Two very different men who must become partners when they are assigned to the CIA’s New York station.
We met Nick Gehlfuss last June at the Monte Carlo TV Festival and with him (very available and full of praise and thanks for the journalists who “support us and help us bring our series to everyone,” he said) we talked about this new chapter in his career, the transition from the medical drama to the world of espionage, and his relationship with Tom Ellis, a colleague who for him was a pleasant surprise.
From Chicago Med to CIA: a new challenge for Nick Gehlfuss
Leaving Chicago Med after eight years wasn’t easy, even because Gehlfuss preserves a very positive memory of the experience. “Chicago Med changed my life,” the actor said, who especially appreciated the cerebral component of his previous work. Portraying a doctor meant learning a real language, the jargon of medicine, and being able to use it naturally. With CIA everything changes. Bill Goodman is an FBI agent and his job requires a much more physical approach. “I had never fired a gun. I had never done a stunt in front of the camera,” Gehlfuss explains. His background in karate and sports gave him good bodily awareness and some coordination, but the new role still required a completely different preparation. “I think I’m suited for action, at least to a certain point,” he says.
Gehlfuss had the chance to verify very early how different the new work would be. Here’s a curious anecdote straight from the set: during one of the early running scenes, he jumped out of an FBI surveillance van, flashed his badge, drew his gun, and started running. Once filming ended, however, he realized he had injured his quadriceps. The situation became almost comical when Gehlfuss told Tom Ellis about the incident, discovering that the colleague had also sustained a similar injury, but to the opposite leg. “His left, my right. We stood side by side and together we had two functioning legs. From that moment I understood that we were perfect for each other,” the actor joked.
Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss, an explosive duo
The dynamic between Bill Goodman and Colin Glass is one of the central elements of CIA. The two agents could not be more different: Goodman is methodical, prepared, and respectful of the rules, while Glass is cheeky, unpredictable, and decidedly more inclined to move outside the procedures. When forced to collaborate, their differences inevitably become a source of tension, but also the potential key to solving cases. Gehlfuss had not known Tom Ellis before the audition together. “I knew who he was, I had heard of him for Lucifer but I had never seen Lucifer,” he confessed (with the promise to catch up). The chemistry, however, arrived quickly. “I felt really lucky that we found each other,” he added. For the actor, the so-called “chemistry” between two performers isn’t something abstract or hard to explain. It’s primarily a matter of preparation and listening. “Two actors do their homework, arrive on set ready to work, really listen to each other and understand that everything must feel like the first time,” he explained. Improvisation also played a role in building the relationship between the two characters. “An actor must develop the character and make it three-dimensional,” Gehlfuss said, stressing how important it is to be able to rely on your partner to find new and unexpected ideas.
Bill Goodman, a character destined to grow together with his performer
One of the aspects that most interests Gehlfuss is the chance to accompany a character over time and see him evolve alongside him. “The character and the artist grow together. You start injecting into the character new mindsets, new techniques, and new abilities, and it’s a beautiful shared growth,” he noted. The actor also watches CIA episodes to follow this path and understand how Bill Goodman is taking shape. The world of espionage, moreover, offers endless possibilities: an undercover agent can assume different identities and find themselves in new situations every time. “My mouth waters thinking about all the different people I could portray,” he told us (and let’s note that CIA has already been renewed for a second season).
Why did he leave Chicago Med?
It is precisely this variety that pushed him to change after eight years in Chicago Med. A choice that turned out to be also a gamble: Gehlfuss did not have a precise plan after leaving the series and, aided by the actors’ and writers’ strike, he was out of work for a year and a half. “Sometimes I thought, ‘Damn, what did I do?’,” he said. In the end, however, he returned first to Chicago Med and then to CIA. “I don’t bet my money, but I bet on myself in a career that offers no guarantees,” he assured.
CIA, the new chapter of the FBI universe: Plot and cast
Created by Dick Wolf together with Warren Leight and David Hudgins, CIA is the third spin-off of the FBI franchise, after FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. The new series introduces a dynamic within the universe: direct collaboration between the FBI and CIA. The story follows Bill Goodman and Colin Glass, two agents with opposite methods and personalities who must learn to work together at the CIA’s New York station. Their investigations lead them to face threats and crimes that pose a danger on U.S. soil, moving between undercover operations, intelligence, and situations where following the rules isn’t always that simple.
Alongside Nick Gehlfuss and Tom Ellis we find Natalee Linez as CIA analyst Gina Gosian and Necar Zadegan in the role of Nikki Reynard, deputy director of the New York station. The DNA of Dick Wolf’s typical procedural remains clearly recognizable, but CIA adds a component more tied to the espionage world and above all focuses on the relationship between its two leads. What is certain is that for Nick Gehlfuss CIA represents the chance to start anew in a new territory after an experience that deeply marked his career. But, as he told us, it was exactly what he needed.
CIA awaits you on Italia 1 every Friday at 9:25 PM with three new episodes.
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