Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Jocko Sims Says His “New Amsterdam” Character Is Anti-Swirl But He’s Not
If you’ve been missing out on NBC’s new Tuesday night hospital drama “New Amsterdam” we’d like to suggest there’s no time like the present to catch up. Last week BOSSIP caught up with one of the stars of the show, Jocko Sims who plays heart surgeon Dr. Floyd Reynolds. Reynolds has a lot of chemistry with Dr. Lauren Bloom, played by actress Janet Montgomery, and while it’s clear the pair have a good thing going, Reynolds is reluctant to let their relationship move beyond the friends with benefits zone because he wants a black wife and a black family.
BOSSIP: What did you think when you read about the swirl situation in the script?
Jocko Sims: This was our goal, just to get people talking. That’s what was refreshing to me, that it sparked a conversation. When I first saw it I was a little nervous, because first of all what he said was racist. Flip it. Think about it if the roles were reversed. A white guy and Black girl and they’re having sexual relations and she asks if they can take things further and he says “Well, I can’t because you’re not white.”
BOSSIP: But that happens all the time, especially if one party or the other is a certain religion. Like you will find that if you’re dating a Jewish person or another religion.
JS: But is that racist? Speaking of Jewish, We showed this that a hospital and one guy was really concerned because he felt like if the tables were turned it would be wrong. My concern, I really try to look at things from multiple perspectives, whether it concerns race or not when I’m looking at characters. I was thinking he is going to offend people on both sides. Like I got hit up by Black women and they’re like “Whoo, that’s right!”, then I got hit up today at the airport like ‘What are you doing? Don’t be using us as an excuse… Da da da da da, you not really down.’ Bottom line again, we’re talking about it again in this country, we’re talking and that’s what we wanted. You’ve got your Turkish families, who are like “I want you to marry a nice Turkish… ” It’s interesting because I’ve been in that position. I’ve dated different races. I’ve had my mom’s voice in the back of my head. The only issue I had was maybe I wasn’t able to come to terms with why I didn’t wanna take “Susie” — I just made up a name — home, but I would be afraid of it. I sympathize with Reynolds because, yeah, he’s been there. HE’s going where I have been I’ve never been compelled to tell someone ‘Hey you’re good enough for — but yeah you can’t come home and meet Mom.’ That was a little bit unrealistic for me but everybody generally is loving it.
Someone asked me what I would want for the future generations and all I would ask that we just be able to sit down and listen to one another and have a conversation. For folks, before they talk to listen. The dialogue is worth having.
BOSSIP: So is this going to be something that we’ll continue to see because he did offer her a drink after that conversation. Does she go back to his apartment?
JS: A few people have been confused by that. I think that was kind of unclear, because he asked her if she wanted a drink literally right after she almost died, so she was like ‘Right now?’ because you know ‘get a drink’ usually meant… But in this case he was literally asking her if she wanted a glass of scotch to relax, he wasn’t asking her for more sex.
Will there be more? You know I can’t tell you that. Everybody on Twitter is like “You know they’re going to … ” That’s what I would expect too.
Tune in to NBC at 10PM EST to watch Jocko Sims and the rest of his “New Amsterdam” cast.