A new and improved New Amsterdam is job one for Dr. Veronica Fuentes (Michelle Forbes, above), the mysterious visitor from last week’s episode who tonight is revealed to be a financial “fixer” brought in to boost the hospital’s bottom line.
Here Forbes, whose credits include True Blood, The Killing and Berlin Station, offers us a free preview.
What attracted you to this character?
Michelle Forbes: Her supreme confidence. She’s a provocateur. She doesn’t care one blink what people think of her. If you hate her, she actually finds that amusing, almost endearing. My last gig was on [ABC’s] Big Sky, as a woman beaten down by life’s woes. It’s nice to be free of that.
Does Dr. Fuentes get along with do-gooder Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold)?
They have a history, so they know their approaches are completely antithetical: pragmatism versus idealism. She enjoys taking the piss out of him—it’s easy because he’s so earnest.
How has it been working with Ryan?
I’m having an enormous amount of fun with him because we have a lot of bantering, and I don’t [usually] get to do that kind of stuff. If there’s a depressing show, I’ll find it. [Laughs] But occasionally, I like to go to work with some amazing actors, have some fun banter, wear some pretty clothes and talk about hope. The focus this season is joy.
So she’ll win over other staffers?
She tells them what they want to hear. That doesn’t mean she’s going to fulfill it.
New Amsterdam, Tuesdays, 10/9c, NBC