Will Halstead, Chicago Fire
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If you’re a big fan of Chicago Med, chances are you’re familiar with Dr. Will Halstead’s love interests over the years – from Hannah Asher to Natalie Manning. But in the actor’s personal life, who is Nick Gehlfuss’ wife? See who Will Halstead is married to in real life below.

Chicago Med is NBC’s medical drama following the personal and professional lives of doctors and nurses in the emergency department of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Created by Dick Wolf, the successful series premiered in 2015 and is the third spin-off in One Chicago, which also includes Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. Our sister site Variety reported in April 2023 that Chicago Med was renewed for a ninth season. 

On Chicago Med, Nick Gehlfuss portrays Dr. Will Halstead, a former plastic surgeon who is promoted to the Emergency Department supervising attending physician at Gaffney. He’s also the brother of Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) from Chicago P.D., who left the procedural in Season 10 for new opportunities. Gehlfuss joined Chicago Med in Season 1 in 2015 – and after almost a decade as an original cast member – it was revealed in the Season 8 finale on May 24, 2023, that Will be leaving the show for good. 

Will Halstead, Natalie Manning, Chicago Med

In the episode, “Does One Door Close and Another One Open?,” Will decided to leave the hospital to be with his ex-fiancée, Natalie Manning, who made a surprise return to the medical show for the finale. Gehlfuss opened up about his desire to depart the show he called home after eight years. “It was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I felt I’d taken Dr. Halstead as far as I can go with him. I think that comes down to a creative part of you, or the energy or spirit you have that you’re either built for a very long time with one person or not,” Gehlfuss told Variety on May 24, 2023. “I am attracted to the profession for the variety in it, and eight years is a long time. It’s two college degrees! I’m joking now that I basically have a doctorate in television.”

Will’s exit to be with Natalie wasn’t a complete surprise; Gehlfuss hinted that Will had remaining feelings for Natalie in an interview with TV Line in 2022. “Will wants to settle down in a way,” he said. “I think he was ready to be a stepfather to Dr. Manning’s child. And I think he’s ready to commit to someone if that is the case. But I think you have to start out dating no matter what so it’d be interesting to find out how he gets to that point of settling down. I think it’s a whole journey.”

So, who is Will Halstead married to in real life? Learn about Nick Gehlfuss’ spouse below and if they have any kids together. 

Who is Nick Gehlfuss’ wife?

 

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Who is Nick Gehlfuss’ wifeChicago Med’s Nick Gehlfuss is married to Lilian Matsuda, the Director of Advocacy for the Illinois Action for Children, which provides support and resources for child care and early learning programs. She started as a policy advocate for the IAC in 2021, but prior to that, she was marketing executive for brands like Viceroy Hotel Group and SVEDKA Vodka. We couldn’t find information about how the couple met, but we know that they have been dating since Gehlfuss started on Chicago Med eight years ago. In May 2016, Gehlfuss told People that he and Matsuda eloped in a “big wedding in Ohio.” 

The Chicago Med star also revealed whether any of his One Chicago costars attended the ceremony. “I wanted to invite a lot of my cast mates, but, because we’re a franchise, I would have had to invite the entire Chicago franchise. I started on P.D. and I went to Fire, and now with Justice, it would have been crazy,” Gehlfuss explained. “It rained that day in the morning, which is good luck. And then it was perfect after that. And it was on Friday the 13th, and the next day it dropped twenty degrees and then Sunday, blizzard, snowing on the way here.”

 

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“Man and woman are like the earth, that brings forth flowers in summer, and love, but underneath is rock,” the actor wrote in part of an Instagram caption celebrating his marriage. As for the couple’s honeymoon, he told People they plan on going abroad. “Besides the one we’re having right now, we’re going to go to Japan probably at some point,” he wrote in another Instagram post dedicated to their nuptials. 

The pair has one child together –but we don”t know the child’s name or when they were born – as the couple has chosen to keep their family life out of the public eye. In May 2023, his wife shared an Instagram photo clutching her baby bump while Nick held her from behind. “Happy weekend from us three and this here bridge #fiveyears,” she wrote in the caption.

After it was announced that Nick was leaving Chicago Med, Matsuda posted a tribute dedicated to her husband. “Congrats to you we moved across the country for this job eight years ago, and it has been a wild ride. You work so hard. I’m so proud of you. Thank you for being you. Love you so much @nickgehlfuss,” she wrote alongside an Instagram photo collage from the set of Chicago Med. 

Chicago Med is available to stream on Peacock.

For more on the One Chicago franchise, check out our photo gallery on the most shocking exits on Chicago Med.