KEY POINTS
- Co-showrunner Peter Elkoff said they weren't able to discuss with Emily VanCamp how best to write her character off
- He cited the "circumstances of her personal life" as the reason
- Elkoff said that they will be giving the spotlight to newer characters this season of "The Resident"
"The Resident's" showrunners are keeping mum on when and how Emily VanCamp's character Nicolette "Nic" Nevin will be written out of the series following her surprising exit.
Ahead of "The Resident" Season 5's Tuesday premiere, executive producer and co-showrunner Peter Elkoff was asked about the future of VanCamp's character on the show following the series regular and female lead's decision to depart the Fox medical drama. However, he declined to give a concrete response.
"I don't want to give any sense," he told Entertainment Tonight over the phone. "I want it to be unexpected for the audience and want the audience to get to that place organically without any foreknowledge. So I guess I'm not going to say anything."
Elkoff also confirmed that they did not have "conversations" with VanCamp regarding how best to write her character off, citing "the circumstances of her personal life" as the reason. The actress recently gave birth to her first child with her husband Josh Bowman, which she announced on Instagram last month.
Aside from VanCamp's upcoming exit, Morris Chestnut's role on the series has also been shifted to recurring. Amid these creative roadblocks, Elkoff and the rest of the "Resident" team decided to give the spotlight to newer characters like Jessica Lucas' Billie Sutton and Anuja Joshi's Leela Devi in the latest season.
"It's always nervous-making when characters depart," Elkoff told the outlet. "And we always hope that when we cast new characters, they will engage the audience. And it's still early. We had a shortened season [last year], so we didn't really get to string their stuff out too long, but I think there's some great stuff. I love both of them [Jessica and Anuja], and I think the audiences will too."
The showrunner also teased the introduction of a new male character who is "going to really stir things up in a good way" this season: Miles Fowler's Trevor, Billie's estranged son.
While he admitted that they are disappointed over losing a character that the audience loves, Elkoff assured fans that "we are good at this and we have great casting people and we built these new characters, I think, pretty well."
It was reported last month that VanCamp asked to be released from the show after the fourth season wrapped up. According to Deadline, there is still "hope" that she may return as a guest star in a future episode.
"The Resident" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EDT/PT on Fox.
"Captain America: Civil War" actress Emily VanCamp, pictured here at 2013 San Diego Comic Con on July 30, 2013, recently confirmed that she doesn't have a romantic storyline with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in the new movie. Photo: Getty
