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Freema Agyeman (; born Frema Agyeman; 20 March 1979) is a British actress. She rose to fame with her role as the Doctor's companion
Martha Jones Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'', afte ...
in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
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science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
series '' Doctor Who'' (2007–2010), and received further recognition for playing Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips in the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
crime procedural '' Law & Order: UK'' (2009–2012), Amanita Caplan in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
science fiction drama ''
Sense8 ''Sense8'' (a play on the word '' sensate'' ) is an American science fiction drama streaming television series created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski for Netflix. The production companies behind ''Sense8'' included ...
'' (2015–2018) and Dr. Helen Sharpe in the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
medical drama '' New Amsterdam'' (2018–2022). Following her departure from ''Doctor Who'', Agyeman reprised her role as Martha Jones in the ''Doctor Who'' spin-off series ''
Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
'' and had a part as Tattycoram in the BBC period miniseries ''
Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...
'' (both 2008). In 2013, she made her US television debut in
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
's ''Sex and the Cit''y prequel series, '' The Carrie Diaries'', as magazine editor Larissa Loughlin. Her other television appearances include ''
Old Jack's Boat ''Old Jack's Boat'' is a British children's television series that stars Bernard Cribbins as Old Jack, the owner of a multi-coloured boat called ''The Rainbow''. In each episode Jack (Cribbins) tells a story to his dog, Salty. Old Jack's Boat is ...
'' (2013), '' Silent Witness'' (2005) and '' Survivors'' (2008). Agyeman has also appeared in films, including ''
The Matrix Resurrections ''The Matrix Resurrections'' is a 2021 American science fiction action film produced, co-written, and directed by Lana Wachowski, and being the first in ''Matrix'' franchise to be directed solely by Lana, without her sister, Lilly. It is the s ...
'' (2021), ''
Eat Locals ''Eat Locals'' is a 2017 vampire film directed by Jason Flemyng, in his directorial debut. It is a British production and was filmed on location in Hertfordshire. A group of vampire lords gather for a summit to discuss quotas, but are attacked b ...
'' (2017) and ''
North v South The North of England and South of England cricket teams appeared in first-class cricket between the 1836 and 1961 seasons, most often in matches against each other but also individually in games against touring teams, Marylebone Cricket Club ( ...
'' (2015).


Early life

Agyeman was born in London on 20 March 1979. Her mother, Azar, is
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian
Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...
, and her father, Osei, is
Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. They divorced when she was young. Agyeman has an older sister, Leila, and a younger brother, Dominic. Although her mother was raised as a Muslim and her father was raised as a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
, Agyeman grew up to be a practising
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
. Agyeman attended
Our Lady's Convent RC High School Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulat ...
, a Catholic school in
Stamford Hill Stamford Hill is an area in Inner London, England, about 5.5 miles north-east of Charing Cross. The neighbourhood is a sub-district of Hackney, the major component of the London Borough of Hackney, and is known for its Hasidic community, the ...
. Later, during the summer of 1996, she attended the
Anna Scher Theatre School The Anna Scher Theatre is an independent and co-educational performing arts school based in Islington, Greater London. It was founded in 1968 by Anna Scher. It is considered among the first schools of its kind geared towards working class stude ...
in Islington and studied performing arts and drama at Middlesex University, graduating in 2000. She also took a theatrical course at Radford University in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in 1998, even volunteering to work as a box-office assistant for student drama productions in which she was not cast.


Career


Early work

When Agyeman began her professional acting career, she chose to use a different spelling of her birth name, Frema, as her professional name, to avoid pronunciation problems. Before securing the part of
Martha Jones Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'', afte ...
in '' Doctor Who'', Agyeman's most famous television role was playing Lola Wise in the revived series of the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
''. For her performance, she was nominated in two categories, Best Newcomer and Sexiest Female, at the 2003
British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies gi ...
. Agyeman also had small guest roles in such TV series as BBC's long-running medical drama ''
Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'', Sky One's
airline An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...
drama ''
Mile High ''Mile High'' is a British television drama based on the lives of the cabin crew members of Fresh!, a budget airline based in London. The name of the show is a reference to the Mile High Club. The show was broadcast on Sky1 from 2003 to 2005 ...
'' and ITV's police procedural ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...
'', in which she appeared twice as two separate characters. In 2005, she played Mary Ogden, a scene of crime officer, in an episode of '' Silent Witness''. Agyeman made her
feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
debut in 2006, playing Nana in the
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
drama ''Rulers and Dealers'' (2006), written and directed by Stephen Lloyd Jackson.


''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood''

Agyeman auditioned for three roles in the 2006 series of ''Doctor Who''. On 24 June 2005, she auditioned for the part of Sally Jacobs in "
The Christmas Invasion "The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2005. This episode features the first full-episode appearance of David Te ...
", but the role went to
Anita Briem Anita Briem (born 29 May 1982) is an Icelandic actress. She is known for her role as Queen Jane Seymour on ''The Tudors'' and her role as Hannah Ásgeirsson in ''Journey to the Center of the Earth''. Personal life Briem was born on 29 May 1982 ...
, who better fitted the production team's concept of the character as an "ice cool blonde".Davies, Russell T. Companion Piece, ''Doctor Who'' Magazine: Issue 373. Agyeman later auditioned for the roles of Esme and Adeola Oshodi, in the "
Rise of the Cybermen "Rise of the Cybermen" is the fifth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC One on 13 May 2006. The episode introduces a terrestrial reinvention of the Cyb ...
"/"
The Age of Steel "The Age of Steel" is the sixth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 20 May 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, " Ris ...
" and "
Army of Ghosts "Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'' which was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 July 2006. It is the first episode of a two-part story; t ...
", respectively. Esme was ultimately cut from the final script,Companion Piece, ''Doctor Who'' Magazine: Issue 373. but Agyeman was successful in her audition for Adeola. She filmed her role in the series in December 2005 and appeared on screen as Adeola on 1 July 2006. Agyeman studied dance and practised horse riding, martial arts and gymnastics, a fact that the producers exploited in order to provide her with more physically arduous action scenes. The production team were impressed by the versatility shown by Agyeman across her three auditions and called her back as a serious candidate for the new companion. She attended another audition (ostensibly for an episode of ''Torchwood'') before a final
screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...
with
Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the main protagonist of the BBC science fiction television franchise ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of ...
actor
David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show ''Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...
. Tennant left a reassuring note under the door of Agyeman's hotel room, and this helped calm any nerves the actress had."Meet Martha, an interview with Freema Agyeman", ''Doctor Who'' Magazine: Issue 372. Following extensive speculation on who would replace
Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leian Paul Piper; 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer. She initially gained recognition as a singer after releasing her debut single "Because We Want To" at age 15, which made her the youngest woman ...
, Agyeman was confirmed to the press as new companion Martha Jones on 5 July 2006. Agyeman began filming for the third series in August 2006 and finished in March 2007. She made her screen debut as medical student Martha on 31 March 2007 in the episode " Smith and Jones". A line of dialogue explains that Adeola was Martha's cousin. Agyeman continued to portray the character throughout every episode of the series. In the series finale, "
Last of the Time Lords "Last of the Time Lords" is the thirteenth and final episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 30 June 2007. It is the last of three episodes that form a ...
", Martha left the Doctor of her own accord after recognising how unhealthy their relationship had become, but promised that she would see him again. Agyeman also voiced the character in the animated serial ''
The Infinite Quest ''The Infinite Quest'' is an animated serial based on the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was made by BBC Television, but does not share the same producers as the live-action series. It was aired in twelve weekly pa ...
'', which aired in twelve weekly segments during the run of the 2007 series. In 2007, Agyeman's performance as Martha was praised at several award ceremonies. In June, she was named Best Newcomer at '' Glamour'''s Women of the Year Awards. In October, she won the People's Choice category for Favourite Female TV Star at the 5th Screen Nation Film & TV Awards and became one of the top four nominees for Most Popular Actress at the 13th National Television Awards. The role also got her nominations in the Best Actress categories at the
TV Quick Awards ''TV Choice'' is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group.Golden Nymph Awards. In December, ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' had an interview with Agyeman and named her as one of their Faces of 2007. The following year, Agyeman returned as Martha in five episodes of the fourth series of the show. Following the series finale, Agyeman stated that she would be open to reprising the role."Freema Agyeman – She walks in her own way", ''Doctor Who'' Magazine: Issue 398. She later returned to the series along with several other former cast members to mark David Tennant's final appearance in " The End of Time". Concurrent with her appearance on the show, Agyeman read abridged
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
adaptations of five of the ''Doctor Who''
New Series Adventures The ''New Series Adventures'' are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, '' Doctor Who''. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published twice a ...
novels featuring Martha, namely '' The Last Dodo'', ''
Wetworld ''Wetworld'' is a BBC Books original novel written by Mark Michalowski and based on the long-running science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. Synopsis When the TARDIS makes a disastrous la ...
'', ''
The Pirate Loop ''The Pirate Loop'' is a BBC Books original novel written by Simon Guerrier and based on the long-running science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. It was published on 26 December 2007 alon ...
'', '' Martha in the Mirror'' and ''
The Story of Martha ''The Story of Martha'' is a BBC Books anthology with a framing device written by Dan Abnett. David Roden, Steve Lockley and Paul Lewis, Robert Shearman and Simon Jowett write the stories presented. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jon ...
''. In between the third and fourth series of ''Doctor Who'', Agyeman appeared in three episodes of the show's spin-off drama ''
Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
'', namely " Reset", " Dead Man Walking" and " A Day in the Death". She also had a starring role in the ''Torchwood'' radio play " Lost Souls", broadcast on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
on 10 September 2008 to promote the activation of the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN research facility on that same day. It was later revealed by director
Euros Lyn Euros Lyn (; born 1971) is a Welsh film and television director, best known for his work in '' Doctor Who'', '' Sherlock'', ''Black Mirror'', '' Daredevil'', ''His Dark Materials'' and '' Heartstopper''. Early life Lyn was born in Cardiff. Hi ...
that the production team had intended for Agyeman to also appear in the third series of ''Torchwood'', but she was already committed to '' Law & Order: UK''. In February 2020, she reprised her role as Martha in the ''
Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
'' audio drama "Dissected", produced by Big Finish Productions. In July 2021, a new three-part audio series starring Agyeman was announced, '' The Year of Martha Jones''. It was released in December and depicted Martha during the year she spent travelling the Earth in the third series finale of ''Doctor Who''.


Other work

Agyeman appeared several times on ''The Bedtime Hour'' on
CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
, reading the story broadcast shortly before 7.00pm. She narrated the first series of
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...
's hospital documentary series ''
Bizarre ER ''Bizarre ER'' is a BBC Three, and later E4, television show that deals with hospital mishaps. Series guide Every episode shows a miraculous survival story and strange facts, like the woman who fell out of a plane at 35,000 ft and survived ...
'', which ran from 14 February to 3 April 2008 and also provided the narration for a second series which began airing on 21 April 2009. Agyeman hosted a ''Doctor Who''-themed portion of the
BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
on 27 July. A one-hour cut-down version of the prom made its TV debut on BBC One, New Year's Day, 2009. Agyeman played foundling girl Tattycoram in the Emmy Award-winning 2008 BBC adaptation of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
's ''
Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...
'', which began on 26 October 2008, starring alongside her fellow ''Torchwood'' co-stars
Eve Myles Eve Myles (born 26 July 1978) is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her television roles portraying Ceri Lewis in the long-running BBC Wales drama series '' Belonging'' (2000–2009), Gwen Cooper in the BBC science-fiction series ''Torchw ...
and
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019). Jones has also appeared in various ...
. Some of Agyeman's scenes for the first episode were shot in the grounds of
Deal Castle Deal Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII in Deal, Kent, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the strategically i ...
,
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, which doubled for
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Agyeman was delighted to have appeared in ''Little Dorrit'', as it had always been a dream of hers to appear in a
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...
. In 2008, Agyeman also appeared in '' Survivors'', a BBC One remake of the cult 1970s TV series, as Jenny Walsh (surname was originally reported to be Collins), although her character was killed off in the first episode in a shock twist despite featuring prominently in promotional materials for the series. Between 2009 and 2012, Agyeman starred as Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips in '' Law & Order: UK'', a UK adaptation and spin-off from the US
Law & Order franchise ''Law & Order'' is a media franchise composed of a number of related American television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment. They were originally broadcast on NBC, and all of them deal with some aspect of the crimi ...
. Agyeman is a self-professed "massive fan" of the original '' Law & Order'' series, especially the
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...
and fourth seasons. In preparation for the role, Agyeman sat in on live trials, toured the Old Bailey, and conferred with her law-degree-holding sister, Leila: "She's great and really patient at explaining things to laymen, because I was coming at it completely blind. She's been a good source." She remained with the programme for its first six series departing the cast before the seventh series due to other filming commitments. For her role as Alesha Phillips, Agyeman was longlisted for the
National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...
for Outstanding Drama Performance several times. She was also nominated for Best UK Actress at the 2009
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
Black International Film Festival's Music, Video and Screen Awards. In March 2012, it was announced that Agyeman would play Larissa, "an easy-going party girl who works at ''
Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
'' magazine" in the pilot of the ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
'' prequel '' The Carrie Diaries'' (2013–2014). In early 2013, she starred in the
CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
television series ''
Old Jack's Boat ''Old Jack's Boat'' is a British children's television series that stars Bernard Cribbins as Old Jack, the owner of a multi-coloured boat called ''The Rainbow''. In each episode Jack (Cribbins) tells a story to his dog, Salty. Old Jack's Boat is ...
'' as Shelley. In 2015, Agyeman appeared in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
series ''
Sense8 ''Sense8'' (a play on the word '' sensate'' ) is an American science fiction drama streaming television series created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski for Netflix. The production companies behind ''Sense8'' included ...
'' (2015–2018), created by
J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ( ...
and Lilly and Lana Wachowski. She played series regular Amanita Caplan, the girlfriend of Nomi, a
trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...
blogger and
hacktivist In Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of '' hack'' and '' activism''), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change. With roots in h ...
. In the same year, she starred as Penny, a woman embroiled in a crime war between northern and southern UK gangs, in the film ''
North v South The North of England and South of England cricket teams appeared in first-class cricket between the 1836 and 1961 seasons, most often in matches against each other but also individually in games against touring teams, Marylebone Cricket Club ( ...
''. The film was poorly received by critics, but earned Agyeman nominations at both the Screen Nation Film & TV Awards and the National Film Awards. Her other film appearances include the role of Angel in the
vampire film Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptat ...
''
Eat Locals ''Eat Locals'' is a 2017 vampire film directed by Jason Flemyng, in his directorial debut. It is a British production and was filmed on location in Hertfordshire. A group of vampire lords gather for a summit to discuss quotas, but are attacked b ...
'' (2017), co-starring
Charlie Cox Charlie Thomas Cox (born 15 December 1982) is an English actor. He is known for portraying Matt Murdock / Daredevil in several projects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, including lead roles in the television series ''Daredevil'' (201 ...
, and a small part as Astra in the science fiction
blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...
''
The Matrix Resurrections ''The Matrix Resurrections'' is a 2021 American science fiction action film produced, co-written, and directed by Lana Wachowski, and being the first in ''Matrix'' franchise to be directed solely by Lana, without her sister, Lilly. It is the s ...
'' (2021). In 2018, Agyeman became a member of the main cast of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
medical drama series '' New Amsterdam'', playing the role of Dr. Helen Sharpe, the head of the
oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος ('' ...
and hematology department. In July 2022, she announced that she would not be returning to ''New Amsterdam'' for its fifth and final season, instead signing up for
Sky Max Sky Max is a British pay television channel which launched on 1 September 2021 along with Sky Showcase. It is owned and operated by Sky Group, a subsidiary of Comcast. The channel was announced on 28 July 2021 to replace Sky One, which had been ...
's comedy drama ''Dreamland'', which will feature singer
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
in her first television lead role.


Personal life

The
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...
Agyeman has on her upper arm is symbolic of her ancestry, containing the
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word "raha", meaning "free", under an image of a
butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...
. Agyeman is a non-church-going Roman Catholic. She has stated that doing good is her way of believing in God and expressing Catholic Christianity.


Filmography


Film


Television


Audio and radio


Theatre


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* *
Interview
on ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
'' (14 August 2006)
Interview
in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' (16 February 2008)
Survivors – Freema Agyeman (Jenny Collins) Press Pack
at the BBC Press Office
Little Dorrit – Freema Agyeman (Tattycoram) Press Pack
at the BBC Press Office {{DEFAULTSORT:Agyeman, Freema 1979 births Living people 21st-century English actresses Actresses of Iranian descent Actresses from London Alumni of Middlesex University Black British actresses British actresses of Asian descent English film actresses English people of Ghanaian descent English people of Iranian descent English radio actresses English Roman Catholics English stage actresses English television actresses English voice actresses People from Manor House, London