Natalie Zea, who played Gwen Hotchkiss #1 on Passions from 2000 to 2002, has achieved primetime success starring in projects like La Brea, Justified, and 911: Lone Star. During the tenth season of NBC’s Chicago Med, she has been playing Jackie Nelson, an overworked nurse forced to take time off because she harmed herself.
Nurse Jackie’s Divorce
Nurse Jackie has returned to work, and she’s still struggling to maintain her mental health, especially in the wake of her impending divorce and a job that is relentless. Now, her husband threatens to move away, taking their daughter with him. Needless to say, it’s a complicated relationship, and while she regularly bonds with Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt), Gaffney’s resident shrink, she’s simply trying to survive.
In the February 5 episode, we briefly saw her husband, who met her at the hospital to pick up their daughter. And wouldn’t you know it, we instantly recognized the actor who played Jackie’s soon-to-be ex.
Image: NBC/Peacock
It was Travis Schuldt, the real-life husband of Natalie Zea, aka Nurse Jackie Nelson. The two starred on the late great NBC soap Passions at the same time. And their characters — Ethan Crane and Gwen Hotchkiss — were entangled over the years. Gwen was deemed suitable for Ethan. However, he started having eyes for that pesky and sneaky Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald (Lindsay Hartley).
After Schuldt left Passions in 2002, he appeared in small-screen shows like 10-8: Reporting for Duty, Scrubs, Community, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Heathers.
Zea and Schuldt have been married since 2014 and share one child.
There is no word on whether Schuldt’s character will return for another episode. Zea will be around, considering her character recently shared a charged moment with Dr. Charles that needs to be explained, discussed, and analyzed.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET / PT on NBC and streams on Peacock TV.
Share this: