-What a year you're having. -Yeah.
-You were unbelievable in "BlacKkKlansman."
-Thanks. -Spike Lee's movie.
Man, you were creepy.
-Yeah. [ Laughs ] [ Laughter ]
-Wow! -Yeah, people come up
and be like, "Oh, you were in 'Klansman.'"
I'm like like, "Yeah," and they're like, "I hated you."
I'm like, "Thank you. That is the greatest compliment."
-Was that an amazing experience? I love Spike Lee.
-Incredible. Yeah, no, working with him,
you know, he's one of my favorite directors.
And, you know, he let me do something
that nobody else would,
which was play a part like that, you know?
-Yeah, usually, you play nice guys.
-I play a lot of nice guys, so it was really amazing
for me, creatively, to do something different,
and to tell a true story, you know,
that isn't too sort of... to go there.
-Yeah, well, you said "New Amsterdam"
is also a true story. -True story, as well. Yeah.
-I didn't know -- -So I'm only doing true stories
from here on out. -From here on out.
-Yeah, yeah. -That's what --
But it's different than "The Blacklist."
-Yeah, yeah. -That's how I got to know you...
-Yeah, that's right. -...from watching that show.
You got -- you got beat up pretty bad on that show.
-I got beat up a lot. Yeah. -Yeah.
-I became a professional, just, guy who gets his butt kicked.
I was -- -Yeah, you were always like --
you were, like, chained to a radiator.
-I was chained to something, anything.
Anything they could chain me to, they would.
-To torture you. -Kick me, stab me.
-Yeah. -Shot me. It was a good time.
-You were good at that, though. You have a good acting,
like, a pain acting face.
-I trained six years in Russia.
[ Laughter ]
-Oh, genius. -It's a very niche --
-Like, if I give you a thing,
could you react with what that pain would be like?
-I could. After my years on "The Blacklist,"
I think I could give it a shot.
-All right, ready? -Yeah.
Okay, just going to give me, and I'm just going to -- Okay.
-Ready? -Let me get ready.
I'm ready. [ Laughter ]
-I just punched you in the face.
[ Imitates punch landing ] -Ohh!
Okay, so the key there is you gotta really --
you gotta whip it. -Okay, you gotta whip it.
-You gotta whip it, and then maybe you could
do one of these, you know, catch the blood.
-Oh, like, "Oops." -Just, like, a two-step.
-Oops, I might be bleed-- Oh, yeah.
Hey, Fred, do we have a sound effect? Could I get one?
-Yeah, can we get like a --
-Oh, yeah, that's good. Ready? -Oh, my God, that's fantastic.
-No, he's right on it. You can do --
-I just... [ Speaks indistinctly ]
-Ask for anything, and he does it.
-Okay, okay. -Fred, do you have
a dog barking at all?
-That's not really barking, but it's close. All right.
-[ Speaks indistinctly ] -All right.
I'll do the punch. Ready? -Okay.
-One. -Yeah.
-Two, three.
[ Audience "Ohs" ]
-[ Groans ] -Wow!
-See, you got the... [ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
-Jimmy... -[ Laughs ]
Thank you for doing that.
-The thing is, I take my job very seriously.
No, of course you do. -As you can see.
-Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
So tell me about "New Amsterdam."
What is this? 'Cause I'm very excited.
Every time I think of medical drama, NBC.
I go, "Oh, that was "E.R.," the good years.
-The Golden years. Yeah.
-NBC knows what's up to do with this stuff.
-Yeah, well, and they're the best network
to do this show, and, you know, we're in the best hands.
David Schulner is writing this amazing script
based on Eric Manheimer's book about his experience
as medical director at Bellevue here in New York.
-Oh, really? Bellevue? -And so --
Yeah, so all these stories are true stories.
They're, I mean, not exactly, you know, but we're --
they're -- it comes from real life, from real experience,
from different patients and things. And, uh, yeah.
-There's a lot going on in the first --
I saw the pilot, which is fantastic.
But in that pilot alone, so much action.
You fire, like, 100 people or something.
-Yeah.
-There's a -- a terrorist attack.
There's secret romances happening.
-Yeah. -And I go -- I mean, this is --
It's action-packed. And you're following "This Is Us."
-Yeah. That's just day one. Yeah.
-That's just day one. Yeah.
-Episode two, there's a nuclear holocaust
and things really get crazy. -Yeah, exactly.
-No, but, I mean, that's, like, you know, the health care system
is so full of so many, you know, interweaving parts
that the show is really trying to capture that.
And how this hospital is a reflection
of these social issues that pervade our society
and how people end up here and things like that.
-You're good, though. -Yeah.
-You get the waterworks going.
You're a good actor. I'm right with you.
I was like, "Oof." Well done.
I'm just so excited and happy for you.
-Yeah, and "This Is Us," like you mentioned,
I don't know if people are gonna be ready
for another hour of heartfelt -- -Yes, we are.
-The tissues, the tissues. -I'm telling you, we are.
'Cause we -- I could do "This Is Us"
for, you know, 20 years. I'm so excited.
-No, it's so amazing. -And then right into it.
-And we're so fortunate to follow them.
-It's a good -- it's a good block.
-It's a good fit. -Yeah.
-Yeah. -You guys mix and match perfect.
I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Ryan Eggold in "New Amsterdam,"
premiering Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. here on NBC.
Check it out.
-Dr. Helen Sharpe. Max Goodwin. How can I help?
-Oh, you're too kind. Welcome to the damned.
Why are you in scrubs? -Uh, because I'm a doctor.
Going somewhere? -I have to tape segments
with "The Morning Show" and "Megyn Kelly,"
then give the keynote address at the oncology conference in Vail.
-I'll take that for you. -Thank you.
-Wow, you're gonna do all that on your lunch break?
-[ Chuckles ] You're funny. I'll be back next week.
We'll lunch at The Tavern, my treat.
-Unlike the previous medical director,
I actually expect you to practice medicine
at this hospital because... I don't know, it's your job?
-You're funny. -You said that.
-Yeah! [ Cheers and applause ]
He means business! He means business.
Our thanks to Ryan Eggold.
"New Amsterdam" premieres Tuesday at 10:00 p.m.
following "This Is Us."