FREEMA'S DOSE OF DRAMA
The second season of f juicy medical drama New Amsterdam is now available to stream, so we caught up with Doctor Who actress Freema Agyeman, 40, who plays Helen Sharpe on the show.
How doyou prepare for such an intense medical drama that’s loosely based on real-life events?
There’s a brilliant support network. We have a kind of pronunciation drop box where phrases and terminology are put into context. You can ask anybody and everybody. We’ve got on-set doctors and nurses that tell you you’re holding something the wrong way. So it’s all there and provided for. for
What’s been the most challenging part foryou?
This show has such a good momentum, it’s got this drumbeat that pulses through it, and the action is often reflective of that. They like it busy and there’s people coming and going, and you’re talking and you’ve probably got props. You don’t want to be the person who stops and says “Sorry” because then you’ve just got to reset 100 people and start all over again. But you know, that gets better as it’s like dancers‘ memory. Towards the end of the shoot it’s slightly easier!
The show can be quite sombre.How doyou keep things upbeat behind behind the scenes?
There’s a lot of laughter on set … a lot. And I think that just comes from being around good people who are happy to be there and are enjoying their jobs. Whether you’re talking about your family or your holiday home – we take ourselves out of ourselves andd we enjoy each other's company.