'Doctor Who' and 'New Amsterdam' star Freema Agyeman opened up to Ofcom about the racism she experienced when she was the first cast as Martha Jones in 2006/7.
watching this broke my heart a little. it’s obviously still tricky for her to talk about it, but she’s a fantastic and professional artist, and i hope she knows that the joy she brought so many people far outweighs any of the negativity hurled at her.
You did a wonderful job. As an American I found your accent as charming and periodically difficult as all the other Brits. In a SciFi with Lizard Women, Rhino soldiers, and homicidal octopi in mobility devices your race never really stood out to me. But your acting was wonderful. Never dropped the wonderful illusion of leading us through time. Thanks
I didn't like that Martha (or even Rose and Clara) nearly instantly fell in love with the Doctor, but I like that she was smart enough to walk away. I also don't understand why people would be racist about Martha. Did they seriously think an alien would for some reason associate only with white people? That's just bonkers!
Freema is such a talented actress and was such a great companion for The Doctor! I'll never understand people like this. You'd think the Doctor Who Fandom would be better than this. I'm glad she pulled through because she is a cracking actress and I really enjoyed her on Doctor Who
It's a huge shame she had to experience that. I actually never noticed; I just saw a very beautiful young woman and a great companion despite having to step into the Tardis in the footsteps of Rose Tyler - and one who then had the strength to "get out" because she knew she could never replace Rose in the Doctor's eyes.
Those people are not part of any fan base. She was a brilliant companion. It makes me sad to watch what effect these disgusting people had on what should have been a super exciting and happy time for her.
Sarah Jane Smith aside, she was my favorite companion. The year she spent telling the story of the Doctor so that he would have the energy of belief to beat the master was "Chef Kiss".
None of the racist responses came from actual Dr. Who fans. Just trolls pretending to be. Because the Dr. Who community and Dr. Who creators would not welcome them or claim them as fans. Haters gonna hate. Martha Jones saved everyone.
You can't be racist and really be a fan of Doctor Who. If you disagree with me then you aren't smart enough to truly understand one of the most important points behind Doctor Who in the first place. It's 2023 for crying out loud. It's time to get caught up with at least a minimum of cultural enlightenment. Racism is so 1940s.
Not unexpected, but still sad that she had to deal with that. It's a shame that in the 21st century, our society still hasn't grown past some of these backwards attitudes. Freema is a great actress, and I thought Martha was a fantastic character.
@@kasegiyabu5030 Not sure why she'd be obligated to prove anything or why there'd be any reason not to believe she's telling the truth about her own experience. My first instinct, regardless of a person's color or gender, is to be compassionate and listen rather than be hypercritical or judgmental.
@@kasegiyabu5030 She didn't accuse any specific people, nor is she seeking legal action against anyone. She just made a general comment saying she wasn't prepared to deal with the racism from DW fans. She's not obliged to be more specific than that or to provide proof at all. She hasn't given any indication that she's seeking validation from the public about her experience, so if you don't believe her, that's your right, but she doesn't need to try to convince you or anyone else of anything if she doesn't want to. No one is owed the details of her life just because she made a broad, general comment about her experience when answering interview questions.
@@kasegiyabu5030 Racism is a real thing that people deal with to this day, so I don't think it's unreasonable for me to take someone at their word when they say they've experienced it. If I'm talking to someone in real life and they say they've experienced racism, I'm not going to come back and demand, "Where's your proof?" I'm going to say, "I'm sorry you had to deal with that." That's just the respectful thing to do. And I apply the same kind of logic to my comments on the Internet because I don't like to be the kind of person who spreads doubt and distrust. The thing is, you're talking like this is the court of law. It's not. And my general policy is to believe people when they say they've been through something unless they give me reason to believe otherwise. That's the lens through which I choose to view life, and I don't have to justify it to you or anyone else. At the end of the day though, what I believe doesn't even matter. I don't expect my little comment on a video with a couple thousand views will have much impact on anything.
@@kasegiyabu5030 I don't know the statistics on that kind of thing, but regardless, I think that's a false equivalency. Like I said before, this isn't a legal matter. No one specific has been accused of anything. No one is going to trial, and no one is at risk of being locked up. Freema made a general statement about her experience. That's it. If this was a situation where someone made an accusation against a certain person and either sued them or got them arrested, I would say to let that play out in court and I would make my own determination on the evidence presented (assuming I was even invested enough in the case to do so). But that isn't what happened here. So I don't feel any obligation to look at the situation through that lens.
kasegiyabu5030 : So when a woman of color whether a Black woman or an Asian woman tells a general story that she was being mistreated by racists, YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS TO CALL THIS RACIST AND SEXIST?!? Should she provide YOU proof so you can have empathy or you're just gonna dismiss it anyway? Perhaps she was referring to you. Get out!
Isn’t Mickey technically the first black Doctor Who assistant yes he wasn’t a constant companion like Martha but he was still there in multiple episodes and assisted the Doctor many times not trying to take away from Freema just something I was curious about
Yes, Mickey is technically a Companion. The Doctor seemed to dislike him and probably considered him a nuisance (for whatever reason). Moreover, Martha got so much flack and racism because she was a Black woman who took over after Rose.
As another contributor to you tube (Brain squeeze reactions) would say as he has quite a few people disrespect what he does, 'Haters go F@!k oneself'. As for Freema, I really enjoyed her as Martha, defo in my top three companions.
I didn’t notice any racism towards Freema at the time, if there was any it must have been a small group of people. Martha is still my favourite companion from all of the revived show.
That’s sad that you didn’t notice any kind of racism against Freema within the fandom because I’m sure you would defend her just like the rest of us back then even RTD, the cast, and the fans spoken about it.
Yea there were alot of upset people when she was casted for that season. Im sure the same people got upset when Jodie was cast as the new Doctor Who after Peter
To be fair they where right about Jodie though how much of Dr Who going downhill was actually her fault is entirely uknown, Chibnal will always bear the bulk of that responsability for it but some small level of it is hers as well.
@@awfan221 I was on youtube a lot at the time and I didn't see any of that like I have the last couple of series, not saying that I don't beleive anyone far from it but it does "seem" to have been at a fairly low level.
I will never understand this ability humans have to hate on someone based on their skin color, religion, sexual orientation, etc. I thank my mom every single day in my heart for teaching me to get to know someone a bit before judging them. For me, Martha Jones was never one of my favorite companions because she wanted the Doctor to love her despite him still being in immense pain over losing Rose. Donna was able to support him without needing to be in love with him, which is why she will always be my favorite companion. That being said, Freema Agyeman did such a terrific job bringing Martha to life that I did like her when she wasn't making goo-goo eyes at the Doctor. That shows me she was the right person for the role, despite some bad writing.
These two "what was it like being Martha?" CZcams videos, each cut off after about a minute, jarringly and deliberately cut off, is exactly how we feel about the way her character was treated in Doctor Who.
Martha is such a criminally underrated companion, and Freema is an amazing actor! Racists can take a long walk off a short pier
agreed
You are still my favourite companion Freema
Freema is so attractive- simply gorgeous. Fantastic actor and easily one of the greatest on Dr. Who.
martha was literally the best tenant-era companion, i never understand how people can act this way toward someone
Agree to disagree here, it's Donna.
But yes, people acting like this hating on other people because of their color? Big no-go.
When I first saw her and series three. She won me over. She's beautiful smart and just wonderful.
watching this broke my heart a little. it’s obviously still tricky for her to talk about it, but she’s a fantastic and professional artist, and i hope she knows that the joy she brought so many people far outweighs any of the negativity hurled at her.
She was and is, a gorgeous and talented woman. I feel that has been the most underrated companion ever.
My fave Dr Who companion , Freema is absolutely stunning , the fans who made racist comments are sad, twisted little individuals with pathetic lives
You did a wonderful job. As an American I found your accent as charming and periodically difficult as all the other Brits. In a SciFi with Lizard Women, Rhino soldiers, and homicidal octopi in mobility devices your race never really stood out to me. But your acting was wonderful. Never dropped the wonderful illusion of leading us through time. Thanks
I didn't like that Martha (or even Rose and Clara) nearly instantly fell in love with the Doctor, but I like that she was smart enough to walk away.
I also don't understand why people would be racist about Martha. Did they seriously think an alien would for some reason associate only with white people? That's just bonkers!
Freema is half Ghanian and half Kurdish, I had no idea, but I recently found out!! Very interesting mix!!!
Freema is such a talented actress and was such a great companion for The Doctor! I'll never understand people like this. You'd think the Doctor Who Fandom would be better than this. I'm glad she pulled through because she is a cracking actress and I really enjoyed her on Doctor Who
It's a huge shame she had to experience that. I actually never noticed; I just saw a very beautiful young woman and a great companion despite having to step into the Tardis in the footsteps of Rose Tyler - and one who then had the strength to "get out" because she knew she could never replace Rose in the Doctor's eyes.
My favourite companion ever❤
Those people are not part of any fan base. She was a brilliant companion. It makes me sad to watch what effect these disgusting people had on what should have been a super exciting and happy time for her.
Heartbreaking to hear that ANYONE gave her a hard time. She was EPIC. I was sad to see her go.
Sarah Jane Smith aside, she was my favorite companion. The year she spent telling the story of the Doctor so that he would have the energy of belief to beat the master was "Chef Kiss".
None of the racist responses came from actual Dr. Who fans. Just trolls pretending to be. Because the Dr. Who community and Dr. Who creators would not welcome them or claim them as fans. Haters gonna hate. Martha Jones saved everyone.
You can't be racist and really be a fan of Doctor Who. If you disagree with me then you aren't smart enough to truly understand one of the most important points behind Doctor Who in the first place. It's 2023 for crying out loud. It's time to get caught up with at least a minimum of cultural enlightenment. Racism is so 1940s.
I loved your Martha! She was my favorite Companion in all episodes!
So sad to here that! You are Deffinetly one of the Best companions that has byen! I wish you would Come back someday!
Martha is my favorite companion ever and shes iust so underrated unfortunately coming in the footsteps of Rose.
Loved you and seeing someone like me as child. ❤❤
First black companion and the hottest.
Not unexpected, but still sad that she had to deal with that. It's a shame that in the 21st century, our society still hasn't grown past some of these backwards attitudes. Freema is a great actress, and I thought Martha was a fantastic character.
@@kasegiyabu5030 Not sure why she'd be obligated to prove anything or why there'd be any reason not to believe she's telling the truth about her own experience. My first instinct, regardless of a person's color or gender, is to be compassionate and listen rather than be hypercritical or judgmental.
@@kasegiyabu5030 She didn't accuse any specific people, nor is she seeking legal action against anyone. She just made a general comment saying she wasn't prepared to deal with the racism from DW fans. She's not obliged to be more specific than that or to provide proof at all. She hasn't given any indication that she's seeking validation from the public about her experience, so if you don't believe her, that's your right, but she doesn't need to try to convince you or anyone else of anything if she doesn't want to. No one is owed the details of her life just because she made a broad, general comment about her experience when answering interview questions.
@@kasegiyabu5030 Racism is a real thing that people deal with to this day, so I don't think it's unreasonable for me to take someone at their word when they say they've experienced it. If I'm talking to someone in real life and they say they've experienced racism, I'm not going to come back and demand, "Where's your proof?" I'm going to say, "I'm sorry you had to deal with that." That's just the respectful thing to do. And I apply the same kind of logic to my comments on the Internet because I don't like to be the kind of person who spreads doubt and distrust.
The thing is, you're talking like this is the court of law. It's not. And my general policy is to believe people when they say they've been through something unless they give me reason to believe otherwise. That's the lens through which I choose to view life, and I don't have to justify it to you or anyone else.
At the end of the day though, what I believe doesn't even matter. I don't expect my little comment on a video with a couple thousand views will have much impact on anything.
@@kasegiyabu5030 I don't know the statistics on that kind of thing, but regardless, I think that's a false equivalency. Like I said before, this isn't a legal matter. No one specific has been accused of anything. No one is going to trial, and no one is at risk of being locked up. Freema made a general statement about her experience. That's it.
If this was a situation where someone made an accusation against a certain person and either sued them or got them arrested, I would say to let that play out in court and I would make my own determination on the evidence presented (assuming I was even invested enough in the case to do so). But that isn't what happened here. So I don't feel any obligation to look at the situation through that lens.
kasegiyabu5030 : So when a woman of color whether a Black woman or an Asian woman tells a general story that she was being mistreated by racists, YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS TO CALL THIS RACIST AND SEXIST?!? Should she provide YOU proof so you can have empathy or you're just gonna dismiss it anyway? Perhaps she was referring to you. Get out!
Isn’t Mickey technically the first black Doctor Who assistant yes he wasn’t a constant companion like Martha but he was still there in multiple episodes and assisted the Doctor many times not trying to take away from Freema just something I was curious about
Yes, Mickey is technically a Companion. The Doctor seemed to dislike him and probably considered him a nuisance (for whatever reason). Moreover, Martha got so much flack and racism because she was a Black woman who took over after Rose.
What about Shannon in the star beast
Why did she face racism. She is an amazing actor,person and her character of martha is so criminally underrated
Martha and Mickey merited their own spin-off imo.
As another contributor to you tube (Brain squeeze reactions) would say as he has quite a few people disrespect what he does, 'Haters go F@!k oneself'. As for Freema, I really enjoyed her as Martha, defo in my top three companions.
I didn’t notice any racism towards Freema at the time, if there was any it must have been a small group of people. Martha is still my favourite companion from all of the revived show.
That’s sad that you didn’t notice any kind of racism against Freema within the fandom because I’m sure you would defend her just like the rest of us back then even RTD, the cast, and the fans spoken about it.
Yea there were alot of upset people when she was casted for that season. Im sure the same people got upset when Jodie was cast as the new Doctor Who after Peter
To be fair they where right about Jodie though how much of Dr Who going downhill was actually her fault is entirely uknown, Chibnal will always bear the bulk of that responsability for it but some small level of it is hers as well.
@@Delogros yes but both our comments were in hindsight. I'm referring to how upset people were just by the casting before giving it a chance.
@@awfan221 I was on youtube a lot at the time and I didn't see any of that like I have the last couple of series, not saying that I don't beleive anyone far from it but it does "seem" to have been at a fairly low level.
'Fan' base being in airquotes is absolutely correct. You are not part of the fandom if you are going to hateful over someone's skin colour
🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭
I love this show and it has some amazing, loving fans but also some absolutely awful ones
I will never understand this ability humans have to hate on someone based on their skin color, religion, sexual orientation, etc. I thank my mom every single day in my heart for teaching me to get to know someone a bit before judging them. For me, Martha Jones was never one of my favorite companions because she wanted the Doctor to love her despite him still being in immense pain over losing Rose. Donna was able to support him without needing to be in love with him, which is why she will always be my favorite companion. That being said, Freema Agyeman did such a terrific job bringing Martha to life that I did like her when she wasn't making goo-goo eyes at the Doctor. That shows me she was the right person for the role, despite some bad writing.
These two "what was it like being Martha?" CZcams videos, each cut off after about a minute, jarringly and deliberately cut off, is exactly how we feel about the way her character was treated in Doctor Who.
Originally posted on her Instagram account, this clip is NOT intentionally cut off this way, it's just a clip from the interview she posted.
Damn shame friggen racists 😕 🙄
Whatever weirdos there might've been who took issue with her race, I certainly never met or associated with them.