‘Good Sam’: Sophia Bush Didn’t Want to Join the Cast at First: ‘I Wasn’t Really Sure I Would Come Back to Network TV’

Fans know Sophia Bush for her time on One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D. — but now, she’s back with a new network drama. CBS’ Good Sam is a TV show about Sam Griffith (played by Bush) stepping up as chief of cardiothoracic surgery in a hospital after her father, the former cardiothoracic surgeon, falls into a six-month coma. Prior to taking the role, Bush wasn’t sure she’d ever return to network TV at all. Here’s why.

Why did Sophia Bush leave ‘Chicago P.D.’? She’s now part of the ‘Good Sam’ cast

Sophia Bush’s new medical drama, Good Sam, will surely showcase her acting talent. But Chicago P.D. fans certainly miss her, as she played a key character up until 2017. So, why did Sophia Bush leave Chicago P.D. behind?

Unfortunately, Bush reportedly had a bad experience working on the Chicago P.D. set. While on the Armchair Expert podcast, she explained she experienced “a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior.”

“I quit because, what I’ve learned is I’ve been so programmed to be a good girl and to be a workhorse and be a tugboat that I have always prioritized tugging the ship for the crew, for the show, for the group, ahead of my own health,” she explained.

Bush ultimately broke her contract and threatened to get lawyers involved. “I said, ‘OK, you can put me in the position of going quietly of my own accord or you can put me in the position of suing the network to get me out of my deal and I’ll write an op-ed for The New York Times and tell them why,” she added.

Sophia Bush didn’t want to join the ‘Good Sam’ cast at first

The role of Sam Griffith seems made for Sophia Bush — but she didn’t want to join the Good Sam cast when it was first proposed to her. She told the Chicks in the Office podcast she felt soured by her previous time on network TV, making her proceed with caution with this new TV show.

“An agent who represents writers who I really trust … he said, ‘I have this script you have to read,'” Bush started. “And I was like, ‘Oh, OK! What is it? Where do you see it? And when should we produce it?’ And he was like, ‘No, for you to act in.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, OK. Is it an indie movie? What is it?’ And he was like, ‘No, it’s gonna be a network drama.’ I was like, ‘Dude! Come on!'”

After reading the script, though, Bush knew she had to star in it. “This is my show,” she said. “I know this is my show.”

During an interview with USA Today, Bush reiterated her reluctance to return to network TV. “I wasn’t really sure I would come back to network TV, because of the stuckness,” she said. “And then I read (Katie Wech’s) script. And then I sat down with (executive producers) Katie Wech, Jennie Snyder Urman, and Joanna Klein. And I was like, ‘I would follow these women anywhere, let’s go.'”

The actor may be open to starring in a ‘One Tree Hill’ reboot as well

Not only is Sophia Bush starring in the Good Sam cast, but she also discussed the possibility of a One Tree Hill reboot. Bush alleged One Tree Hill‘s showrunner sexually harassed her, and she’s been vocal about her experience. But she adores the other cast members and is open to the idea of rebooting the series to take back some of that power.

“I’ll never say never because I love getting to work with (Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz) so much,” Bush told USA Today about a potential reboot. ” … We weren’t in charge then. We tried to do our best with our limited ability to make change on the set at the time. And now we’re all in very different positions. It’s something we think about in terms of who is telling stories for young people? Who is influencing teenagers? In what ways do those young people want to be represented and heard?”

For now, fans can look forward to seeing Bush take the reigns as Sam Griffith in Good Sam premiering on Jan. 5, 2022, at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.

Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!