Norma Kuhling

Kuhling's early roles include the 2009 comedy-drama film The Joneses and a 2011 production of Michael Weller's play Moonchildren at the Berkshire Theatre Festival.^[2][3] In 2016, she acted in the romantic fantasy film Fallen and made guest appearances in the first season of Falling Water.^[2] Kuhling joined the NBC medical drama series Chicago Med in 2017 as Dr. Ava Bekker, an ambitious cardiothoracic surgery fellow.^[4] She first appeared in the season 2 finale, "Love Hurts", and was a series regular in seasons 3 and 4 until her departure from the series in 2019.^[2][5]

She starred in the 2019 independent film Fourteen as Jo Mitchel, a troubled social worker who maintains a complicated friendship with her friend Mara (portrayed by Tallie Medel).^[6] Kuhling's and Medel's performances received critical praise; Richard Brody of The New Yorker described the performances as "poised and thoughtful",^[7] and Guy Lodge of Variety applauded Kuhling's "rangy, room-consuming physicality" that complemented Medel's character.^[8] Barry Hertz, writing for The Globe and Mail, commented that Kuhling added "layers and history to what seems like a Greta Gerwig spin on the Manic Pixie Dream Girl", and described the acting as "quietly powerful".^[9] After Fourteen was released theatrically, Jon Frosch of The Hollywood Reporter counted Kuhling's and Medel's performances as among the best film performances of 2020.^[10]

As of 2021, Kuhling plays Nora Fowler, a tactical medic, on the CBS action drama series S.W.A.T.^[11]

Kuhling was born and raised in New York,^[12] and she is the daughter of production designer Kristi Zea and Michael Kuhling.^[13] She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.^[2]