Anupam Kher Speaks Out on ‘New Amsterdam’ Exit Amid Wife’s Health Battle

Meredith Jacobs April 27, 2021, 1:02 pm

New Amsterdam, Season 2 - Anupam Kher as Vijay Kapoor — Zach Dilgard/NBC

Two weeks after Dr. Vijay Kapoor was written out of New Amsterdam, the actor who portrayed him, Anupam Kher, is speaking out about his exit.

“This past year has been difficult for so many people around the world, not least for Dr. Kapoor. It was an incredibly special time for me to be part of this show and one I will never forget,” Kher said in a statement he shared on his social media accounts. “The New Amsterdam family will always hold a special place in my heart. I am grateful to the audience for their love, support, and good wishes, particularly for my wife, Kirron, at this time. I hope you all will continue to join me on my journey and future projects.”

'New Amsterdam' Stars Ryan Eggold and Jocko Sims on Romance and Fatherhood

Kher’s departure from the NBC drama comes as his wife is undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

New Amsterdam began its third season with the hospital in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, and Kher’s Kapoor was one of the staff that fell ill as a result. Due to the damage to his heart, medical director Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) called Dr. Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims) back from San Francisco.

Everyone thought that Kapoor would be returning to work in Episode 7, “The Legend of Howie Cournemeyer,” with Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine) leading the charge for his welcome back party. However, instead, Iggy learned that his friend wouldn’t be coming back at all. Rather, he resigned. Iggy did not take hearing that from Kapoor himself very well and left a series of angry messages on his answering machine.

Anupam Kher Tyler Labine New Amsterdam Season 3 Kapoor Iggy

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Ella (Dierdre Friel), who gave birth to Kapoor’s grandchild as he was battling COVID, has been staying with him and snuck away to call Iggy back after hearing his messages. “You deserve to know what’s going on,” she said. “Vijay’s doctor told him he’s never going to work again about a month ago. He didn’t want to believe it. He kept saying the guy was crazy, he didn’t know what he was talking about.”

“But a couple of days after, he got ready and decided to come into the hospital early and surprise everybody,” she continued. “He couldn’t make it out the front door. He won’t talk to me about it. He won’t talk to anyone.”

Kher was part of the NBC drama’s cast since the beginning of the series, in 2018.