The Good Doctor boss teases return of major cast member

The Good Doctor boss David Shore has hinted that we could see a departed major character return to the show at some point soon.

The season four finale of the medical drama saw Dr Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) leave San Jose St Bonaventure Hospital behind to work at a health clinic in Guatemala, with actress Thomas confirming that her exit was permanent.

However, executive producer Shore has hinted that Claire might make another appearance in the show at some point, teasing that everybody involved wants to make it happen.

ABC

"God, I hope so!" Shore told TVLine when asked by a fan whether Thomas might return as Claire for Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) and Lea Dilallo's (Paige Spara) wedding, or make any other appearance.

"I'm not here to overpromise, but she wants to come back, we want her to come back... We will find an excuse to get her back for an episode or two here and there."

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Shore's tease comes after Thomas revealed that choosing to exit the series wasn't an easy decision for her to make.

"It was a really, really difficult decision, and leaving, I have to say, is a bittersweet thing for me because the last four years have been absolutely incredible," she said, explaining that she felt the time was right for her to try something new.

freddie highmore and antonia thomas in the good doctor

ABC/Jeff Weddell

She added at the time that she had already had conversations about the potential to return one day, saying that she would definitely be up for some guest stints.

"It has not been an easy decision for me to leave, so I absolutely would love to come back every now and then and say hi, bring Claire's skills from Guatemala and her stories," she said. "I'm very much looking forward to that."

The Good Doctor's fifth season will welcome some new regulars to its cast, with Dr Mateo Rendón Osma (Osvaldo Benavides), Dr Asher Wolke (Noah Galvin) and Dr Jordan Allen (Bria Samoné Henderson) all confirmed to be joining the regular cast.

The Good Doctor season 4 airs on ABC in the US. The show airs on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK.

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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.