'New Amsterdam' Actor Reveals Personal Reason for Exit From Series

New Amsterdam fans were devastated to see one of the show's most beloved characters exit this week. Now, the renowned actor and Bollywood star portraying the role has revealed his very personal and heartbreaking reasons for leaving the series. Please note, spoilers for Tuesday night's episode of New Amsterdam are below.

Anupam Kher, who has played Dr. Vijay Kapoor since the show's first season, will not be returning to the series due to his wife, fellow Bollywood star, Kirron Kher being diagnosed with cancer. "Kirron has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment and we are sure she will come out of this stronger than before," Kher told The Hindustan Times. "We are very blessed that she is being looked after by a phenomenal set of doctors."

In the most recent episode of New Amsterdam, Dr. Kapoor — who was head of New Amsterdam's Neurology Department — is revealed to have resigned from his position. This was heartbreaking for fans, who did not understand why the character was leaving. "I'm (not) okay with Vijay taking some time off to recover, but I need him to show up at least mid-season or end of [the] season," one person tweeted after the episode. "We can't lose Dr. Kapoor."

Now that the reason behind Kher's exit is known, fans have been taking to Twitter to express their support, with many hoping he will come back at some point in the future. "Wishing his wife the best as she fights the cancer. He was phenomenal on the show and will be greatly missed," a kind fan wrote. "I'll miss him but I understand. Prayers to his wife," another added. "Hopefully he'll come back in the future!"

Well now I'm even more glad the show didn't kill him off and just had Dr. Kapoor retire. I hope the producers told Mr. Kher he's welcomed to come back to the show whenever he wants. I would love to see Dr. Kapoor again.

— Ivye (@ivye_m) April 14, 2021

New Amsterdam was inspired by the book Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital, a memoir by Dr. Eric Manheimer. It stars Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, the status-quo-challenging medical director of New Amsterdam hospital, one of the oldest public hospitals in the United States. Additional cast members include Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman, Jocko Sims, and Tyler Labine.