Fans of NBC’s popular “One Chicago” series are in for a treat right now, as the newest seasons of “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.,” and “Chicago Med” all begin airing in late September. The most significant changes have occurred on “Chicago Med,” following the loss of a few key cast members at the close of its previous season. This is true of the popular trio of programmes from legendary producer Dick Wolf (who also developed the “Law & Order” franchise).
However, as one door shuts, another one always opens, and “Chicago Med” moved to proactively replace some of the hole created by their exits by introducing a new character in the form of medical student Vanessa Taylor late in the previous season.
The identity of the persona was finally revealed to be that of Maggie Lockwood, a nurse played by Marlyne Barrett; however, the other members of the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center staff are still unaware of their link.
According to executive producer Diane Frolov, Vanessa has learned everything and doesn’t want Maggie telling anyone or letting it affect her reputation. “Maggie will make an effort to uphold that, but because she is a mother, she will always be torn: When will she step in? How often does she retreat? And Vanessa is furious.”
Fans of “Chicago Med” have been curious about Vanessa Taylor’s actor, Asjha Cooper, and why she appears so familiar yet the series has been shocked by Vanessa’s entrance.
Asjha Cooper got her start playing high schoolers — and that hasn’t entirely changed
Actress Asjha Cooper has already made a name for herself on “Chicago Med,” stepping boldly into the character of Dr. Vanessa Taylor. If viewers of the show thought she looked familiar, it’s for good reason. In fact, given that the actress first rose to fame by portraying teenagers on television, some viewers may feel as though they have already witnessed Cooper mature before their very eyes. That started when she was 17 years old and made her screen acting debut in an episode of “Friday Night Lights” in 2010.
Cooper kept acting in teen roles into her 20s. In 2013, she landed a series regular position on the YouTube series “Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader.” She then went on to appear in teen roles in episodes of the Nickelodeon shows “Sam & Cat,” “Faking It,” and “The Fosters.” When filmmaker Richard Linklater (“Dazed and Confused,” “Boyhood”) chose the actress to play a college student in “Everybody Wants Some!! in 2016, the actress had finally progressed from high school roles.
Recurring parts on the CW’s “All American” and FX’s “Snowfall” helped Cooper’s career keep growing. According to Deadline, the actress most recently filmed the comedy pilot “None of the Above” for Freeform, which sadly did not receive a series order. Fortunately, Cooper’s schedule became suddenly open enough for her to take the lead in “Chicago Med” as a result of that fortunate turn of events.
Asjha Cooper recently starred in two horror films
Asjha Cooper’s appearance on “Chicago Med,” which is bringing her more visibility than any of her previous endeavours, was made possible by all those roles she played when she was in high school and college. The 28-year-old actress is still portraying youngsters in other projects, despite the fact that she is plainly appearing as a college graduate on the NBC series.
For instance, Cooper recently played a 15-year-old girl in the Blumhouse horror film “Black as Night” on Amazon Prime. The actress admitted to Screen Rant that she could relate to the movie character as “Her insecurities and problems with colorism are all things that I grappled with when I was younger. She is essentially a younger version of myself. While reading this script, I was just like, “Wow,” and I instantly wanted to be a part of the production.”
Cooper also makes an appearance as a high school kid in the recent Netflix horror film “There’s Someone Inside Your House.” Although the film wasn’t finished until late 2021, when the star was only 26 years old, she made this remark in a different interview with Screen Rant. Cooper told the newspaper, “Horror movies are great to film so I was having a lot of fun for the last two years. “especially with such a cast. It was a lot of fun.”
Cooper is currently saving lives on-screen in “Chicago Med,” where she is further solidifying her position as a gifted and adaptable up-and-coming star, as opposed to fleeing for her life.
