New Amsterdam Loses Original Cast Member Ahead of Final Season

By Nicole Drum

NBC's New Amsterdam will be heading into its fifth and final season in September, but the series will do so without one of its original stars. On Wednesday, Freema Agyeman, who played Dr. Helen Sharpe, announced on Instagram that she would not be returning for the show's final season. In her post, she shared her gratitude for the fans for their support and wrote that she was excited to see how the story ends. It was recently announced that Agyeman is set to star in the Sky Original comedy Dreamland opposite Lily Allen and production on that project has already begun.

"Dearest Dam Fam. First off, I would like to say a huge heartfelt THANK YOU for your unending, dedicated and deliciously ferocious support! I feel very fortunate to have connected with so many of you, while rolling around in the skin of Ms. Helen Sharpe, and witness every ebb and flow of your emotional investment in her. What a ride! Thank you for being on it with me. She has meant so much to me, but the time has come for me to hang up her white coat, as I officially share the news that I will not be returning for the final season of New Amsterdam," Agyeman wrote.

She continued, "While I am saddened, I am also incredibly excited to see how the story concludes as a fan of the series. It has been such a joy to play Dr. Helen Sharpe for 4 seasons – those magnificent writers built a badass! Beyond grateful for the opportunity to tell some of her stories! Fanfic – it's over to you to tell the rest!! Lots of love Fam!"

It will be interesting to see how New Amsterdam handles the departure. Season 4 of the series ended with Helen and Max (Ryan Eggold) set to get married in New York, but Helen called from London in tears saying that she couldn't. However, series creator and executive producer David Schulner and executive producer Peter Horton told Variety that there were still a few surprises in store.

"We wish Freema the best of luck on her next chapter and the doors of New Amsterdam will always be open if she wishes to return! We are extremely proud of the impact Freema and Dr. Helen Sharpe have made over these past four seasons and are so grateful to have been a part of that story. As we head into the fifth and final season, we want our #Sharpwin fans to know we still have a few surprises in store for them."

New Amsterdam will return for its fifth and final season Tuesday, September 20th on NBC.

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