‘The Good Doctor’: Netflix Star Osvaldo Benavides Joining Cast for Season 5

The Good Doctor cast is going to look a little different in Season 5. After bidding farewell to two cast members in Season 4, which concludes on Monday, June 7, the ABC medical drama has cast Netflix star Osvaldo Benavides in the fifth season as a series regular. The casting will be a promotion for the Monarca actor, whose character Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma was introduced in the two-part Season 4 finale.

Benavides’ onscreen counterpart is a skilled trauma surgeon who spent some time working in Guatemala for a Doctors-Without-Borders type of organization. Mateo was first introduced in the Monday, May 31 episode as he assisted the San Jose St. Bonaventure team with the surgical mission in Guatemala, and his introduction led to a possible budding relationship between him and Dr. Audrey Lim. The two were kidnapped during a taxi ride together, and they assisted one another to deliver a baby for their kidnapper’s niece. They then spent the night together. Although Mateo’s Season 5 storyline is unclear, including if sparks will continue to fly between him and Audrey, Deadline reports “some rash actions during his residency will be back to haunt him and could complicate things,” the outlet reports.

According to the outlet, Benavides’ two-episode Season 4 arc came with a Season 5 series regular option. Benavides joins Season 5 as a series regular alongside Season 4 recurring actors Noah Galvin and Bria Samoné Henderson. The role will mark his first major English-language role. The actor does, however, have an impressive resume packed with Spanish-language film and TV roles, with his most recent credits including Netflix’s Monarca and Telemundo’s La Suerte de Loli.

Benavides’ promotion to series regular comes amid a major cast shakeup for The Good Doctor. After Nicholas Gonzalez, who starred as Dr. Neil Melendez, exited the series at the start of the season, it was confirmed Monday that Antonia Thomas will depart the series following the Season 4 finale. Thomas has portrayed Dr. Claire Browne for the past four seasons. While Thomas said she decided to exit the series in order to “explore different creative opportunities,” she said she would be willing to reprise her role as a guest star in future episodes, meaning it is possible fans could see more of her in coming seasons.

The Good Doctor Season 4 finale airs Monday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Fans can also view the episodes with a Hulu with Live TV subscription, which you can sign up for here. Stay tuned to PopCulture for the latest updates!

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