4 actors who could have played Max on New Amsterdam (instead of Ryan Eggold)

Upon its premiere on NBC in September 2018, New Amsterdam was an instant fan-favorite medical drama, standing up to some of the most popular of the genre on television at the time, such as Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident, and Chicago Med.

Ryan Eggold stars in New Amsterdam as Dr. Max Goodwin, the new medical director at the titular New York City hospital, which is one of the oldest public hospitals in the country. He attempts to rebuild the facility against great odds for the sake of their patients.

Although Ryan Eggold perfectly played Max, sometimes you can’t help but wonder what the show could have looked like had NBC gone in a different direction and didn’t cast The Blacklist alum in the leading role. Now that the series has ended, let’s imagine an alternate New Amsterdam universe where these four talented and handsome actors played Dr. Goodwin instead!

Theo James

Theo James, the Emmy-nominated co-star of The White Lotus season 2, had a breakthrough moment in the Divergent series movies beginning in 2014. Prior to playing Four alongside Shailene Woodley, James appeared on the small screen in shows like the British supernatural drama Bedlam and the CBS crime drama Golden Boy.

If he hadn’t been working on his series regular role in the first season of the British historical drama Sanditon and some movies at the time, we could totally have seen Theo James as a contender for Dr. Max Goodwin. The role requires an inherent likability but still a bit of grit to convey Max’s persistence. Of course, James later returned to TV in 2022 in the HBO titles The Time Traveler’s Wife and The White Lotus.

Justin Baldoni

If you watched The CW’s telenovela satire Jane the Virgin, then you were definitely crushing on Justin Baldoni for all five seasons. The actor played Rafael Solano, Jane’s boss and crush who becomes the father of her son (it’s a long story). Baldoni was incredible in the role of the male lead, and he could have a million percent been the leading star of a medical drama such as New Amsterdam. He would have been excellent as Max, bringing all of the necessary elements to the role, including charm and charisma.

Given his history in a romantic drama, he would have no trouble in the chemistry department when it comes to Dr. Goodwin’s various romantic entanglements, and as a father on and off screen, he’d have that covered, too. Obviously, Jane the Virgin didn’t end until 2019, when New Amsterdam was already going into season 2, and lately, Baldoni has turned to directing movies, including Five Feet Apart, Clouds, and the upcoming It Ends With Us.

Ian Harding

Ian Harding starred in the ABC Family/Freeform teen drama series Pretty Little Liars for 124 episodes as Ezra Fitz, the teacher who ends up marrying Lucy Hale’s Aria (it’s a whole thing). There’s a world in which it’s believable that Harding could have auditioned for the role of Dr. Max Goodwin, and we can definitely see him and that winning smile tugging on our heartstrings as the lovable doc. In fact, Harding even had an 11-episode stint on fellow NBC medical drama Chicago Med in 2019. He could have brought so much to New Amsterdam.

Scott Porter

Who doesn’t love Jason Street or George Tucker? Even his character in Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, Mayor Paul Randolph. There’s something about a Scott Porter character on the small screen that’s impossible not to like, especially in Friday Night Lights and Hart of Dixie. He could have easily stepped into the scrubs of Dr. Goodwin on New Amsterdam.

Although The CW’s Hart of Dixie centered on a small-town doctor, Porter played a lawyer. But it’s not too far of a leap to picture him as a caring doctor with a can-do spirit. The lead role on New Amsterdam would have also reteamed him with NBC, which is where he got his breakthrough role in Friday Night Lights. If they hadn’t gotten the perfect Max in Ryan Eggold, Scott Porter or any of these actors could have been the next best bet.

All five seasons of New Amsterdam are available to stream on Netflix.