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NBC’s “New Amsterdam” returns from its Winter Olympics hiatus Tuesday (Feb. 22) at 10 p.m. — as fiery surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Wilder continues to lead “The Resistance” against cost-cutting hospital administrator Dr. Veronica Fuentes (Michelle Forbes).
And she’s done it without saying a word.
Wilder is played by Sandra Mae Frank, an actor who is deaf and who joined “New Amsterdam” this season in the key role of Dr. Wilder.
“When I first got the audition [for the role] I thought in my head that maybe [Dr. Wilder’s role] would be just one surgery, or something like that to show representation of the deaf community,” said Frank, who spoke to The Post over Zoom with her interpreter, Chris Matthews. “But I didn’t expect anything like [The Resistance] and for her to be involved with all the characters in the show. But I’m not surprised — she’s strong, loud and independent and is not afraid to speak her mind, especially in a hearing world.
“As a deaf doctor, as a surgeon, feeling oppressed for being a woman, for being deaf, for being queer … to bring that level of passion, and especially with The Resistance, it makes sense.
“It’s her thing.”
“New Amsterdam” is not Frank’s first TV role, but it’s her biggest thus far. She appeared in “Switched at Birth” as a receptionist — and, more recently, in a 2020 episode of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” entitled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Silence.” She was on Broadway in Deaf West’s revival of “Spring Awakening,” co-starring her friend and mentor, Marlee Matlin.
“She’s one of the many wonderful role models I have,” she said. “She was the adult woman in ‘Spring Awakening’ and several years ago in Canada we filmed a sci-fi movie called ‘Multiverse,’ and she played my mom. To this day, she’s one of the amazing people I’ve worked with and I can also count on her as a friend.”
Frank said that there are parallels between herself and her onscreen alter-ego.
“She’s taught me a lot about myself,” she said. “I’m coming into my 30s and learning more about who I am as a person. Dr. Wilder is a role model for me in many ways — I look to her for her strength and directness. What we have in common is that I went to a mainstream school with hearing students, I’m a deaf person in a hearing industry … and my parents are hearing and they do sign and would move mountains for me, so in that episode with her brother [Adam, played by Garrett Young], where she’s talking about their parents … it was not exactly the same experience, but a little bit about how my family was there for me.”
Dr. Wilder’s ever-present interpreter on “New Amsterdam” is named Ben, who’s played by actor Conner Marx — but there’s a lot more than meets the eye.
“There are two sides to the coin on the set,” she said. “I have my on-set interpreter, Chris [Matthews], and I would be lost without him interpreting — not just for me but for the hearing actors and the crew. My character, Dr. Wilder, is lip-reading, but I’m not … I have the script and Dr. Wilder also has Ben.
“We have a DASL — Director of Artistic Sign Language — her name is Jackie Roth and she is a phenomenal deaf woman … who is responsible for making sure the English script is translated into ASL [American Sign Language] accurately. She works with me and gives me notes on my signing choices and works with me supporting my translation.
“Most of her work is translation work with Conner, teaching him how to sign lines,” she said. “Conner isn’t fluent in ASL, but he was already able to sign before we started working together.”
Frank said that viewers will see more of Dr. Wilder’s backstory as the season progresses.
“Everyone who already knows she has a brother, knows that they had that moment … and while they’re letting go just a little bit, she’s still looking after him but letting him be independent in his own way. And now she’s alone for the first time in a while, so what does that mean for her? Does it affect her personal life and her dating life and who she is outside the hospital?
“You’ve been seeing her as a badass who shows what she can do — she’s not afraid to say yes or no and she wants to be a change-maker — but now you’ll see her vulnerable side a little bit more.”
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