New Amsterdam: What Has Freema Agyeman Been Up To Since Leaving The Series?
Medical shows centered around unconventional leaders and geniuses are nothing new, but the David Schulner-created "New Amsterdam" stands out among recent offerings in that subgenre for the altruism and social conscience of its protagonist, Dr. Maximus "Max" Goodwin (Ryan Eggold). The new medical director at fictional public hospital New Amsterdam Medical Center, Max makes it his mission to provide quality care to the public regardless of bureaucratic and financial barriers. And, while Eggold's performance certainly made for a compelling moral and emotional center, it was in the show's very nature to generously extend its focus to the whole ensemble around him — including fan-favorite characters like Freema Agyeman's Dr. Helen Sharpe.
An oncologist and hematologist, Helen was the de-facto co-lead of "New Amsterdam," grounding Max's rebellious spirit while also helping to enable his vision by raising awareness and funds for the hospital as a prominent media figure. Agyeman was a series regular for most of "New Amsterdam," playing Helen for the first four of the series' five total seasons, before leaving at the end of Season 4 in 2022.
Fans were, of course, dismayed to see her and Helen leave New Amsterdam, even if, for Agyeman devotees, the departure came with the bittersweet knowledge that it was a necessary step to allow her to continue to do strong work in her booming TV career. If you haven't been following Agyeman but miss seeing her on TV, we have good news: She can currently be seen on another ongoing series, "Dreamland," this time back in her home country of the United Kingdom.
Freema Agyeman is currently one of the leads of Sky Atlantic's Dreamland
Freema Agyeman was already a big TV star even before boarding "New Amsterdam." British television fans have fond memories of her time on "Doctor Who" as one of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)'s companions. Her character, Martha Jones — a medical student, incidentally — fit so perfectly into the world of "Doctor Who" that she even hopped on over to spin-off "Torchwood" for a handful of guest spots; she still remains as one of the most beloved "Doctor Who" companions ever even a decade after Agyeman's bow on the series.
Netflix subscribers around the world, meanwhile, may remember Agyeman as Amanita Caplan of "Sense8," the whip-smart, uber-cool, fiercely supportive girlfriend of Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton), who embarks wholeheartedly into the ensuing lunacy when it turns out that her life partner is at the center of a massive biotechnological conspiracy.
But, in the year since leaving "New Amsterdam," the role in which you can see Freema Agyeman flex her acting muscles is, naturally, the one that she left the NBC medical series to star on: "Dreamland," a British comedy-drama series created by Sharon Horgan and based on her own Sky Arts short "Morgana Robinson's Summer." The series, which premiered on Sky Atlantic on April 6, 2023, became notable as the first-ever lead screen acting vehicle of iconic British singer-songwriter Lily Allen, who plays Mel O'Sullivan — but Agyeman shares lead acting duties with her in the role of Trish, Mel's eldest sister.
Agyeman's pivot from drama to comedy came at the right point in her career
Technically speaking, "Dreamland" is Freema Agyeman's first all-out comedy series. But anyone who's familiar with her work knows that she always brought a level of pep and wit to her roles, no matter how dramatic; a good third of "Sense8'"s funniest moments could probably be attributed to her deadpan line deliveries. So when Agyeman took to Instagram on July 20, 2022 to let "New Amsterdam" fans down gently about her departure from the show, it absolutely made sense for a show like "Dreamland" to be her next step.
Agyeman's role is the basis for "Dreamland'"s seaside family reunion plot; the show begins as Trish is throwing a feminine-themed party to manifest that the child she's pregnant with will be a girl. It is then that Lily Allen's Mel, the long-estranged family black sheep, unexpectedly shows up, dredging up all kinds of unsettled scores between the two sisters.
The former "New Amsterdam" star has spoken profusely about how much she's enjoyed tackling a more comedic role, especially as that role has coincided with her return to British soil — something she'd been longing for, career-wise. "Once I read the script and saw the Sky Short, I was champing at the bit," Agyeman told Sky. "I wrote the giddiest email to my team saying I wanted to be involved. That stemmed from immediately recognising these characters, their lives, and knowing exactly what I could do with Trish."