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Meet the Cast of Transplant, NBC's Canadian Medical Drama
Hamza Haq, who plays Dr. Bash Hamed, leads the talented cast.
Transplant is officially back! The hit Canadian medical drama starring Hamza Haq (Bash) is making its return to NBC in 2023, airing Thursdays at 9/8c beginning on October 12. This will mark Season 3's U.S. debut, as the third season already premiered on Canada's CTV in 2022.
"Now he’s coming to terms with the time he spent in captivity in Syria when he was captured by the regime soldiers," Haq told TV Meg about the third season. "And is haunted by the presence of, or the specter of, the man who was, locked alongside him... It was a story point that was difficult to film, to attain. But, you know, we’re so grateful that everybody who lent their voices to tell that story were so generous and brave with everything that happened in there."
As we look ahead to Season 3, get a full review of the entire cast that helps tell Bash's story in Transplant.
RELATED: How You Can Watch and Stream Transplant on NBC
Who is in the Transplant cast?
Hamza Haq, John Hannah, Laurence Leboeuf, Rekha Sharma, Ayisha Issa, and Jim Watson make up the complete Transplant main cast. Read on for more details about themselves and their characters.
Bashir "Bash" Hamed, played by Hamza Haq
Prior to the events of the series premiere in Season 1, Bash was a successful trauma surgeon in Syria before having to flee because of the war. He moved to Toronto as a refugee with his younger sister Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus), but was was unable to resume his medical career due to the various obstacles that come with immigration. Instead, he's forced to work at a local restaurant — until a truck crashes into it in the pilot.
RELATED: How You Can Donate Blood for Transplant's Partnership with the American Red Cross
Despite being injured himself, he helped save the life of Dr. Jed Bishop (John Hannah), who happened to be the chief of emergency medicine at York Memorial Hospital. This led to Jed allowing Bash to begin a residency at York, officially restarting his life as a doctor. We see the highs and lows of his experiences play out in Transplant, as he also grapples with cultural differences when compared with his native country. Oh, and there's also the will-they-won't-they potential romance with Mags.
“People with preconceived notions about who he is don’t accept him," Haq told TV Insider in 2020. "He can be his own worst enemy.”
Haq himself — who emigrated to Ottawa, Canada from Saudi Arabia as a child — is a passionate advocate for refugee rights and was born to Pakistani parents. A Canadian Screen Award winner, you may also recognize the 32-year-old actor from CTV's Indian Detective, CBC's This Life, Quantico, Designated Survivor, and The Bold Type.
Dr. Magalie "Mags" Leblanc played by Laurence Leboeuf
As a resident in the emergency department, Mags is a perfectionist who is nearly obsessive about her work. This means she doesn't have much of a personal life outside of York. She often works side-by-side with Bash, and though his unconventional approach to medicine clashes with her own, he also intrigues her and she learns from him. Fans have even noticed that the two may have feelings for each other.
In 2022, Leblanc opened up to Hidden Remote about why she took the role. "It was definitely her brain," she said. "It was definitely her kind of know it all attitude. She was the first in her class, and she knows everything. She’s the best at everything; she wants to be anyway. Very compassionate, very work-driven. I really wanted her to, and I keep saying this, but I really wanted her to be kind of like the Hermione Granger of the ER."
The award-winning actress has also starred in Canada's Human Trafficking, Les Lavigueur, Musée Eden, and Marche à I'ombre. And like you've seen on Transplant, she speaks both English and French.
Dr. Neeta Devi played by Rekha Sharma
New to Season 3 is Dr. Neeta Devi, who replaces Bishop as chief of emergency medicine at York Memorial. She's come from the U.S. with her wife and child, bringing her own American perspective on medicine to the hospital.
You may recognize Rekha Sharma from Yellowjackets, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek: Discovery.
Dr. June Curtis played by Ayisha Issa
While incredibly intelligent and driven, June's bedside manner is lacking to say the least. As the chief resident, she's determined to be a great doctor but has little patience for niceties with both her patients and colleagues. June is also determined to keep her personal life out of the hospital, which becomes increasingly difficult as the series progresses.
Issa hails from Montreal and won a Canadian Screen Award for playing June. She can also be seen in Polar, Dark Matter, 12 Monkeys, Immortals, and the acclaimed French-Canadian series Unite 9. Issa also trains and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and motocross.
Dr. Theo Watson played by Jim Watson
As a pediatric emergency fellow who is promoted to an attending at York, Theo struggles with balancing his commitment to his career and family, who live separately from him in Sudbury, Ontario. By Season 2, he's grappling with a divorce and custody battle with his wife. Theo grew up in a small town, and his role at York and friendship with Bash changes his world view for the better.
You can catch Watson in Designated Survivor, Slasher, Between, and Wynona Earp.
Dr. Mark Novak played by Gord Rand
Novak officially joined the show in Season 2 of Transplant, and was acting chief of emergency medicine in place of Bishop as he recovered from a stroke. He now leads the trauma OR at York. When describing Novak, Haq told TV Line: “He’s more the Doctors Without Borders kind of guy, has a disregard for protocol and rules and authority in the same way that Bashir does. But he’s also very much not Bishop.”
Gord Rand has appeared in Orphan Black and Wynonna Earp.
Amira Hamed played by Sirena Gulamgaus
Amira is Bash's younger sister who moved with him to Toronto after they had to flee their native Syria and their parents were killed. He's now tasked with raising her in a new country while also adjusting to his residency and attempting obtain Canadian citizenship. As for Hamed, you may have seen the young actress on Orphan Black, Chapelwaite, and Code 8: Part II.
Originally published Aug 25, 2023.
