By: Malasha Parker
Q) How was Dr. Sonya Maitra originally described to you and what made you want to take this role?
A) Sonya was described to me as an ambitious young medical resident who takes her job very seriously but is also funny, self-deprecating and has a good heart. As a med student she was terrorized by Amy (Molly Parker), but after the accident she’s tasked with taking care of her old boss. In doing so, she gets to see sides of Amy that humanize her. I was excited to play one of the few doctors at Westside medical who holds Amy to account for her mistreatment of staff and patients. That stance is complicated by the fact that Jake (Jon Ecker), who is in love with Amy, is Sonya’s closest friend. (I later learned that Sonya has feelings for Jake, though she does her best not to ever let them show). Sonya’s a voice of reason and morality at Westside but she’s also down to party and let loose when she can. What excited me most was the chance to play a character with a deep sense of ethics and drive, but whose personal life and secret emotional turmoil is a constant obstacle that mirrors that of the protagonist in many ways.
Q) What was the preparation process like for you for the role?
A) I was born in Wisconsin, so it’s fun to think of Dr. Sonya Maitra as the person I might have become if my parents stayed in the Midwest and I pursued medicine instead of acting! [laughs] I always create a full backstory and timeline for my characters. So, I imagined what it must have been like growing up as a first generation Indian-American in Minneapolis. Where would she have been during important world events and what were her stances on issues that arose in her community? What kind of music does she listen to and how does she unwind? What is her relationship to her parents like? Why did she decide to become a doctor? I wanted to make sure it wasn’t the stereotypical reason behind “just another Indian doctor” on TV. Sonya has some personal and specific secrets that keep her in the field every day.
And then, of course, I researched the life of a medical resident and the basics of playing a TV doctor. I watched a range of medical dramas, noting how actors revealed the emotional logic of their character’s arcs while treating the patient of the week. It’s funny, having played Parminder Nagra’s daughter on “The Blacklist,” I watched her performance on that show as part of my research. And here I was watching her again, this time on “ER.” I also found a lot of parallels between Sonya and Sandra Oh’s character on “Grey’s Anatomy” as well as Ambika Mod’s character on “This is Going to Hurt.” And every time we get a script, I get to learn a little more about specific medical conditions and treatments. Our medical consultant, Josh Hehner, has been invaluable in rehearsing procedures and answering specifics.
Q) Dr. Maitra is an ambitious woman. What can you tease about her ambitions moving into Season 2 of “Doc?”
A) I can say that Dr. Maitra is presented with more power than she has had in the past and she rises to the challenge. There are definitely times, as in the first season, where her personal life and views cloud her ability to be objective and get her into trouble. I can say she will have to deal with her personal life showing up at the hospital in a different way this season, including an unexpected visit from someone… but she does a good job of navigating that scenario and grows as a result. All of the doctors at Westside are challenged on a whole new level and it takes a toll on each of us. Viewers will get to see Sonya taking charge and proving her chops in stakes that are higher than ever before.
Q) Dr. Maitra’s past is one that was revealed near the end of the last season and it allowed audiences to see a very vulnerable side to her and understand her character’s actions more. What kind of response have you been receiving to this insight from fans?
A) There has been such a positive and moving response from viewers about what we learn of Sonya’s past in Season 1 episode 7. On the one hand, it’s painful to hear about how common this kind of thing is in our world. But I’m grateful to hear that people are feeling less alone because of Sonya’s story and are inspired by her resilience, as I am. I’m glad that audiences have been able to sympathize with Sonya more. Given the tragedy of what happened to her as a med student and showing up to the hospital the very next day, only to have Amy question her ability to be a doctor…It’s no wonder she’s not willing to forgive Amy so easily. Sonya had to work tremendously hard to get to where she is at the hospital. She’s a survivor, and now viewers can see why she’s so opposed to double standards or injustice of any kind.
Q) Sonya and Amy have had a very tense relationship that seemed to be on the mend until the events that occurred in 1×10. Has all the progress they have made been completely derailed or is there hope that a sense of camaraderie can be restored between them?
A) The end of season one was heartbreaking for Sonya because she and Amy had come together to put Ravi Dhar (Ritesh Rajan) to justice. Sonya was able to confide in Amy and get the support she never got from her own mother when she told her what Ravi did years ago. So, when Amy turns around and says “we’re not friends” and throws Sonya’s mistakes in her face so coldly, it’s really wounding. All the old feelings of not being good enough in Amy’s eyes come back and hit Sonya really hard. It’s embarrassing to go from trusting someone with your deepest darkest secret to them using that information to, once again, call your abilities into question. Sonya has always admired how great a doctor Amy is and actually has a lot in common with her so, though she won’t admit it, Amy’s approval means a lot to her. So, in Season 2, we see Sonya rebelling against that desire for Amy’s approval she’s had since she was a med student. She’s no longer interested in trying to be Amy’s friend and instead takes all those feelings of betrayal and rejection and puts them into being the best doctor she can be. That includes calling Amy out on the fact that her memory loss is actively putting people in danger…I pinch myself every time I get to work with Molly Parker and she’s been so generous, taking the time to talk about Sonya and Amy’s evolving relationship with me at length. I know she’s always there to answer questions I have and to try different things with me between action and cut. She’s the best.
Q) How will Sonya take the news of Amy starting to get her memories back?
A) Without spoiling too much there is one memory in particular that Amy has which has to do with Sonya’s personal life. It definitely creates an added obstacle for Sonya in terms of the way she relates to Amy. Since Amy’s accident, the hierarchy between the two of them has been flipped and Sonya is above Amy in the chain of command. But this particular memory puts Sonya on the defense as Amy once again finds out something about Sonya that no one else knows.
Q) Sonya had quite a good relationship with the previous Chief, Richard Miller. How is she adjusting to Joan’s presence and his absence?
A) I don’t know about “good.” To be honest, Dr. Miller (Scott Wolf) promised to protect Sonya from work-place drama and ended up being the root of it so…Sonya’s trust in her superiors has been seriously broken. That means Joan (Felicity Huffman) has to earn her trust in a way that Dr. Miller didn’t have to in the beginning. But Joan sees something in Sonya which is exciting. She fans the flames of Sonya’s ambitions as she considers her for Chief Medical Resident. Both Joan and Sonya are also keeping an eye out for Amy’s mistakes and aren’t afraid to give her a piece of their mind.
Q) Dr. Maitra still garners feelings for Dr. Jake Heller and we saw them have a moment that may have made it harder to bounce back from. Talk about how they will navigate their complicated dynamic moving forward.
A) Sonya’s unrequited feelings for Jake are hard for her to navigate but at the end of the day what’s most important for Sonya is what’s best for Jake. Preserving their friendship is all she really wants. She truly cares for him and so, like any good friend should, she tells him the truths he may not want to hear. Jake didn’t believe what Sonya had to say about Amy not being over Michael (Omar Metwally), but she was right and Jake sees that eventually. At the beginning of Season 2 we see some hope for their friendship being repaired but, once again, Amy gets in the way… What I find most interesting about Sonya’s feelings for Jake is that she’s perfectly happy for the idea of them together to remain a fantasy. Given her history with men in the past, it makes sense that she would gravitate towards an emotionally unavailable man. Jake’s safe because nothing’s gonna happen. So, Sonya can keep on dreaming without getting into any danger, but Amy is stopping Jake from even being in Sonya’s life as a friend which is deeply frustrating.
Q) What is something new that we will get to see or learn about from Dr. Maitra this season?
A) This season we’ll learn more about her relationship with her family with whom I get to speak a little of my native Bengali language! Sonya will work under more pressure and with more responsibility than ever before. At the same time, all of this pressure forces her to let loose and play more. We’ll see her hanging out with the interns and teasing her fellow residents in ways she wasn’t previously interested in.
Q) Because the series has so many intricately woven storylines and relationships, are there any characters you hope Maitra will interact with more in the future?
A) I’m very excited for viewers to see Sonya and Michael work together in Season 2. I get to be really vulnerable with him in a way I haven’t before. I know that Sonya and TJ (Patrick Walker) will be working together a lot more on some cases ranging from the downright hilarious to the catastrophic. I hope I’ll keep getting to navigate the waters with Jake and maybe even get some scenes with the amazing Dr. Gina Walker (Amirah Vann) at some point in the future as well.
Q) Felicity Huffman is joining the season 2 cast! What kind of dynamic will Maitra have with her character? Will it rival the one she had with Larsen?
A) Dr. Joan Ridley kind of takes Sonya under her wing when she sees my character’s hunger and drive. It’s something she recognized in Amy years ago and so she presents me with more challenges and opportunities than have previously come my way. I love working with Felicity because she is such a physical and electric actor. You never know what you’re gonna get from one moment to the next which mirrors the way Joan keeps her staff on their toes. Unlike Sonya’s relationship to Amy, Sonya finds herself aligned with Joan. They are both weary of Amy’s behavior and want to change things at Westside for the better by bringing more professionalism and efficiency to the hospital.
Q) What has been your experience with the fan reactions of the show and your character?
A) What’s been truly rewarding about the success of “Doc” is the wide demographic of people who can relate to our characters. I’ve had people of all ages and backgrounds message me to say that they connected with something Sonya said, did or experienced. It’s not just brown girls, though I’m always thinking of representing them well when I take on any character. Even when people get fired up and disagree with Sonya’s actions it makes me smile because something I did shook them on a personal level and so I succeeded in entertaining them and making them think. I love it when fans engage with the story and express their opinions, even if they don’t align with Sonya’s.
Q) Is there a particular scene that you found the most challenging for you to film – either emotionally or physically?
A) Season 1 episode 7 was both physically and emotionally taxing but also deeply gratifying. From the power of the writing to the sensitivity of my fellow cast and crew, I was blessed to have all the building blocks necessary to go to those dark places and come out the other side. In Season 2, we see Sonya revisit that scary place in a new way. It forced me to do some serious soul searching around what it means to be a daughter of immigrant parents, what I owe them and what is mine to own in terms of Sonya’s personal history. I’ve had some great discussions with my own family about the unique cultural dynamics at play. We’re less than halfway through shooting the season so there’s still a lot in store but I know Sonya’s going to deal with an earth-shattering case pretty soon, so I’m mentally preparing myself to get into even riskier territory as an actor.
Q) What do you think makes Doc different from other medical dramas?
A) “Doc” is so much more than a medical procedural, it’s a character-driven drama that explores the contradictions of human nature with nuance and depth. It’s rare to see a story that centers on a grown woman who has already found love and made a life, but through immense tragedy and her own human mistakes, finds herself needing to rebuild from scratch. It’s fascinating to see how her initial memory loss, and now her bursts of memories returning, affects her relationship to the rest of us and to herself. Audiences get to experience the medical world through a protagonist who is both patient and doctor and whose personal life is smack bang in the middle of it all. It’s a unique challenge for me as an actress to play off of this unpredictable and unreliable woman who I both sympathize with and am deeply frustrated by. In Season 2, viewers are presented with even more questions of what it means to be given a second chance in life, not only in the case of Amy Larsen, but for each of the characters whose lives we continue to learn more and more about.
Q) What are the other upcoming projects that you have been busy working on?
A) One of the great things about filming in Toronto is getting to meet members of the vibrant artistic community here. I’ve crossed paths with some really talented filmmakers who I’m excited to collaborate with on a couple secret scripts in the works. I’m also constantly flying home to NYC to play with my theatre community and have a couple projects I’m considering doing there after we wrap Season 2 of “Doc.”
Q) What would you like to say to the fans and supporters of you and your work?
A) Thank you so much for following my journey from “The Blacklist” to “Doc” and for all the love! We are so lucky to have been given a 22 episode Season 2 renewal and there is no way we could have got here without the massive enthusiasm from you all. Hearing that you see yourselves in the characters I play or are moved by the stories we tell is what keeps me going!