'ER' Flirts with Thandie Newton
(Tuesday, November 18 12:00 PM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - NBC is hyping the big helicopter crash in Thursday's (Nov. 20) "ER," but the episode will also mark the return of one of its stars and the debut of a new character.
Thandie Newton ("Mission: Impossible 2," "Flirting") will join the cast in a recurring role as Makemba "Kem" Likasu, an administrator in the Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry who works with Carter (Noah Wyle) and falls in love with him. Wyle is returning to the show after some time off with his family.
Kem will also accompany Carter back to Chicago when he returns to County General.
"I've been a fan of Thandie Newton's work for many years," says "ER" executive producer John Wells, who wrote Thursday's episode. "She's a remarkable young talent, and we're delighted she agreed to join us for several episodes."
Newton's role on "ER" will mark her first appearance on a U.S. series. Her only previous TV work had been on a couple of movies in England, where she grew up after being born in Zambia.
Her other credits include "The Truth about Charlie," "Beloved" and "Jefferson in Paris."
