The show is billed as a dramedy, but do you think we’ll be laughing more often or crying, or maybe crying from laughing?
I think it’s a bit of both. Everyone has a different path that they walk in life and it depends on however you view the world. The circumstances are definitely funny within this very serious situation. I was in awe when I read [the script], and I cried and laughed a lot and I was really, really entertained. I think people will just [go through all the emotions].
Can you talk about how you were approached for the part?
I have a great team at WME Entertainment [talent agency] and they have been fielding a lot of requests for me to read a lot of stuff and I read a few pilots, and Steven Spielburg is my favorite director, so when his name is on anything of course I’m going to take it seriously, but I was really relieved that I absolutely loved the show. Everything you experienced as a viewer I experienced reading the script. So I just felt very, very lucky to be given such amazing material and asked to be a part of it.
What was your favorite scene in the pilot?
When Leo goes to talk to Charlie in the coma, it was kind of transformative and it didn’t matter what he was [specifically] saying to him, you know? I think you could substitute your own life or circumstances into what he was saying and I thought it was so beautifully done.
Will we get to see more of your character’s progression possibly outside of the hospital?
Absolutely. I mean, this show is really centered around the kids and what they do as they grow with their illnesses, [but] the adults are the glue that keep everything together. So you will see character progression, or regression (we shall see), and you will definitely learn more about Nurse Jackson and the other adults on the show. It’s a very even-handed show; it’s a true ensemble.
You’re known for playing strong characters, so what do you love about Nurse Jackson the most and what makes her different?
I think that there’s a mystery there – you want to know why this woman is the way she is and why she chose to be a caregiver. I think that the show of strength, or what people think is strong, is not necessarily the case; some of the strongest people are quiet and not so brazen with their emotion. What’s interesting about Nurse Jackson is I think her strength comes, a lot of the time, in her quiet moments. I like that you get to see a whole person, and you get to grow with her – I think she’s just a very interesting character.
Can you talk about the diversity of the show?
It’s definitely one of the most diverse series that I’ve seen on television, and that’s wonderful because I think it’s representative of the world we live in. But I think diversity comes in the fact we have an overweight person like myself being the lead of a show alongside [people who are] Latin, Asian, African-American, gay, Jewish – it’s just very representative and it will continue to be diverse. Let me tell you something, the hospital is one of the most diverse atmospheres that you can ever be a part of and I’m glad that the creators want to be truthful to that.
Is there any specific thing about Nurse Jackson that you identify with, and if not, was there any specific nurse that you pulled your inspiration from?
I can’t say there’s any one thing I [identify with], but I can tell you that Nurse Jackson doesn’t suffer fools gladly and Octavia doesn’t suffer fools gladly. When I have a job to do, I do it, and I can say that’s the same for Nurse Jackson. She takes herself seriously.
I can’t say there’s a specific nurse, but I did have a nurse that was my point person that sort of guided us in giving advice on procedural things and how things are at the hospital. I think Nurse Jackson is an amalgamation of all the women that have influenced my life – the quiet, the strength, all that.
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