Popternative is thrilled to feature actor Nick Gehlfuss on our special edition digital cover for February 2026. After eight seasons captivating audiences as Dr. Will Halstead on Chicago Med, Gehlfuss steps into an entirely new role within another Wolf Entertainment universe. In CBS’s new police procedural CIA, an extension of FBI, he plays FBI special agent Bill Goodman working alongside Tom Ellis’s CIA case officer Colin Glass, navigating a forced collaboration when national security hangs in the balance.
Premiering Monday, February 23 at 10 PM ET on CBS, the series explores the tension and conflicting priorities between two powerful agencies. In our exclusive conversation, Gehlfuss opens up about joining the series, teaming up with Tom Ellis, immersing himself in a new Wolf Entertainment world, and adjusting to fresh storylines and dynamics.
Did joining CIA as an extension of FBI feel like stepping into both familiar and unfamiliar territory?
Nick: Absolutely, but quickly, I’m getting downloaded from working with Jeremy Sisto, Missy [Peregrym], and Alana [de la Garza]. They’re all welcoming us in in the same way that I remember that Chicago Med was welcomed in the One Chicago franchise. Because, yet again, Wolf Entertainment has changed my life for a second time, and I’m having the time of my life. I wouldn’t change a thing.
As you’ve stepped into this new series, what has it been like settling into the cast dynamic and bringing these storylines to life?
Nick: Magical. It’s exhilarating, seamless, in a way. Specifically, with Tom [Ellis], I just feel lucky and I’m in love with him already. Is it too soon? I don’t know, who knows, who cares. I believe in fate that we were brought together for this to make it the best it can be. And working with Natalee [Linez] and Necar [Zadegan] who recently joined us, we are a powerful squad at this point, that there’s no reason we can’t go the distance here. The potential is there.
Nick: When I left Chicago Med, I was looking for a change, and this is exactly what I was looking for, in a funny way. Who knew I’d be coming right back to Wolf Entertainment to do it and make it happen. But I’m in New York City, the best city to film in, in my opinion. It’s quite a playground with all the action, and every day is an adventure. It’s such a different schedule than what I’ve been used to in my career. I’m mostly on location now as opposed to the stages, and so I’m learning about all these new neighborhoods and beautiful areas to shoot in New York. It’s just incredible that all of the elements of the show come together every day to make it happen given all the obstacles that can happen in a city like New York, like the traffic. And really, that’s just the beginning. It feels like we’re finding our dynamics of working together.
Although the series is an offshoot of FBI, it focuses on the CIA—what has it been like stepping into that agency and world?
Nick: We’re constantly adjusting and tweaking to make it the best it can be. It’s clear that everyone is really excited about this, and the morale is fantastic. I mean, it’s uncharted territory. This is brand new for the genre. It’s a new template of sorts because there’s not much of it out on TV. It’s also an agency that doesn’t make headlines. So, Wolf Entertainment ripped from the headlines is not necessarily what we’re going for here, because often they work in the shadows, and they don’t get a slap on the back publicly for what they do. Now, my character, Bill Goodman, is coming into this not used to any of that, so he’s learning a whole new world and how to adjust and adapt to that.
Nick: [Tom and I] are talking up to the last minute before we film, and even sometimes during a tape we just recorded, we found something and we’re going to [work more on] it. That’s why I love working with Tom, because we’re continuing to dig, we’re archaeologists really of stories, because we’ll just continue to dig until we wrap for the day. And I know at the end of the day, he’s got my back and vice versa, and it’s the same with the rest of the cast.
With episodes airing weekly and fans building theories, do you find yourself thinking about the audience’s mindset while you’re in production?
Nick: I usually leave that to the writers to figure out. As an actor, I don’t like to know what’s coming from my character unless my character needs to know it at the time of filming. I feel that any excess information might just take up useful space in the moment. As actors we’re taught to be in the moment, and anything that can keep me from thinking about anything other than that, I stray away from. But I do like to watch the episodes because what the audience is receiving is the only history they have. I know a lot of actors don’t like watching their work, but I actually think it’s a good opportunity to stay right in line with what the audience knows. I also love seeing my colleagues’ work on screen. The beauty of a long running television show—which, knock on wood, this will be—is we have the ability to continue to [adjust] it along the way and make it even better.
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CIA premieres Monday, February 23, at 10:00 PM ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+
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