Viewers who have been tuning into ABC’s Will Trent Season 3 keep asking the same question the moment Dr. Seth McDale appears on screen: Where have I seen this guy before? The character, who walks in as the calm and confident head of emergency medicine, quickly becomes more than just a doctor. He becomes Angie Polaski’s new romantic partner, and his face is triggering serious déjà vu for audiences.
The answer is simple. You recognize Scott Foley because he has been a steady presence on television for over two decades. He has played everything from a idealistic college freshman to a White House operative to a beloved husband on one of the most watched medical dramas in history. His role as Seth McDale is just the latest stop in a career that has quietly made him one of the most recognizable actors on primetime.
The Role That Started It All: Felicity‘s Noel Crane
For those who watched The WB in the late 1990s, Scott Foley will always be Noel Crane. Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, followed a college student who followed her crush to a New York university. But audiences quickly fell for the other guy. Foley played Noel, the thoughtful resident advisor who started as a friend and became Felicity’s serious love interest.
The role made Foley a teen heartthrob. Noel was smart, sensitive, and always seemed to say the right thing. It was the kind of part that sticks with an actor forever, and for many viewers, Noel Crane is the ghost they see every time Foley shows up in a new project. The show earned a Golden Globe for Keri Russell, but the entire cast became household names for a generation.
A Tragic Romance on Greys Anatomy
For a younger group of viewers, Foley is not Noel Crane. He is Henry Burton. He joined Grey’s Anatomy during seasons 7 and 8, and his storyline remains one of the most heartbreaking arcs in the shows long run.
Foley played Henry, a man with a pre-existing medical condition who married Dr. Teddy Altman so she could use his insurance to cover his expensive treatments. What started as a marriage of convenience turned into genuine love. Henry and Teddy fell hard for each other. The joy was short-lived. Henry died on the operating table during a surgery that Teddy was not supposed to perform. Teddy operated on her own husband without knowing it was him, and she could not save him. The twist was devastating. Fans still bring up Henry Burton whenever Foley appears in a new role. His time on Grey’s Anatomy may have been limited, but the impact was permanent.
The Gladiator in a Suit: Scandal
Before Seth McDale, before Henry Burton, Scott Foley stepped into the world of Shonda Rhimes again for Scandal. This time, he was not the sweet husband with a tragic fate. He played Jake Ballard, a mysterious and intense operative who worked for the secret organization B613.
Jake entered the story as a neighbor to Olivia Pope, but he was never just a neighbor. He was a soldier, a spy, and a man trapped under the control of Rowan Pope. His relationship with Olivia was complicated. He loved her. He hurt people for her. He killed to protect her. Jake Ballard was ruthless and broken, a complete shift from the nice guys Foley usually played. It proved he could handle dark, layered characters. For seven seasons, Jake Ballard kept audiences guessing whether he was a hero, a villain, or just a victim of the system. That uncertainty made the role unforgettable.
Other Stops Along the Way
Foley has never stopped working, even when he was not the lead. He played Bob Brown on the supernatural drama The Unit, a role that lasted four seasons and put him in tactical gear instead of scrubs. He directed episodes of television and starred in short-lived series like True Justice and The Goodwin Games. He also played a key role in the comedy Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife, which he also wrote and directed.
Most recently, before Will Trent, Foley starred in the Netflix holiday romance Falling Inn Love. It is the kind of movie that plays on a loop during December, introducing him to yet another audience who may not know about Noel Crane or Jake Ballard but now recognize the actor with the easy smile and steady presence.
Who Is Seth McDale in Will Trent?
In Season 3 of Will Trent, Foley plays Dr. Seth McDale. He is the head of emergency medicine at a local Atlanta hospital. The show describes him as confident and down-to-earth. He enters the picture as Angie’s new boyfriend, a role that immediately puts him in awkward territory with Will.
Angie and Will share a long, messy history. They have broken up and gotten back together more times than anyone can count. Seth represents stability. He is not Will. He does not carry the same trauma or baggage. He is a normal guy with a normal job, and he treats Angie well. That alone makes him stand out.
The season also reveals that Angie is pregnant, and Seth is the father. This changes everything. Will is forced to watch the woman he has always loved build a family with someone else. Seth is not a villain. He is not trying to hurt Will. He is simply present, dependable, and exactly what Angie needs right now.
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Is Seth McDale Leaving the Show?
There is currently no confirmation that Scott Foley is leaving Will Trent, but his schedule has caused concern among viewers. Foley is attached to another series titled It’s Not Like That, an Amazon project where he plays a widowed minister. Both shows film in Atlanta, which allows him to balance the two, but his availability for Will Trent Season 4 remains unclear .
Seth appeared in nine episodes of Season 3, making him a recurring presence but not a main cast member . If Foley’s other commitments pull him away, the show may need to address Seth’s absence. Some speculation suggests the character could be written out due to the chemical contamination storyline introduced in the season finale, but nothing has been officially announced .
Why the Familiar Feeling Is Justified
The reason Seth from Will Trent looks so familiar is simple. Scott Foley has been working consistently on major television shows for nearly 30 years. He has played the nice guy, the tragic husband, the government operative, and now the steady doctor. Each role reached a different audience on different networks across different decades.
Television viewers have long memories. Fans of Felicity remember Noel Crane. Fans of Grey’s Anatomy remember Henry Burton. Fans of Scandal remember Jake Ballard. All of those faces are now blended into Dr. Seth McDale. That is why he feels like someone you should know. You have known him for years. You just did not realize it until he walked into that hospital on ABC.
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