Parminder Nagra has revealed she fought against an ER storyline after being cast in the show.
The British actor joined the medical drama in its 10th season as Neela Rasgotra.
Reflecting upon her casting, Nagra, 45, said the writers had initial plans for her character, which were changed after she asked them to rethink her storyline.
“When I started, one of the first things they said was, ‘Can we put you in a relationship with so-and so?’” she told The Guardian. “And I went, ‘Could you just not for the first year?’”
She continued: “They asked why and I said, ‘Because then this character would be purely defined by her relationship.’ And they actually listened.”
Instead, Nagra’s first season on the show dealt with her character’s struggles to acclimatise to the fast-paced life in the hospital’s emergency room.
As her time on the show progressed, Neela – who became a surgeon – was romantically linked to Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins), Ray Barnett (Shane West) and Tony Gates (John Stamos).
Nagra shot to fame after her starring role in the 2002 comedy Bend It Like Beckham, which she said is “probably what I’m most recognised for”.
The actor will next be seen in dystopian sci-fi drama Intergalactic, which is being released on Sky One and NOW on 30 April.
An ER reunion, involving original stars Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle and Gloria Reuben, is set to take place next week. The medical drama ran for 15 seasons, ending in 2009.
