Caterina Scorsone – Grey’s Anatomy

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I did shoot a pilot for a webseries with some friends of mine named Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman. They are some really interesting filmmakers who have been studying at AFI and have done some stuff at Tribeca. We did a little thing together that is not ready yet, but in the future it will be. Mostly, it’s been “Grey’s Anatomy” and mommy time.

Q) What can you tease is in store this season for Amelia?

A) In episode 11-07, the “Grey’s Anatomy” audience who wasn’t familiar with Amelia from “Private Practice” will get her backstory of what was going on concerning her relapse into drug abuse. They wrote kind of a big reveal about that at the hospital.

Q) Now that Meredith is without her best friend, will we see her and Meredith grow closer at all?

A) I think so! I know in 11-07 Amelia actually turns to Meredith for support, which is nice because Amelia originally moved to Seattle to help when Derek was going off to Washington. Here Amelia is in need of support so she actually goes to Meredith. There is some mutual support happening amongst the sisters-in-law.

Q) What is in store for Amelia and Derek’s relationship? Since he never went to Washington they’ve been butting heads at the hospital.

A) Well, we will see what happens. I think when she originally came to Seattle that was the hope that she would get to have a closer relationship with his kids and Meredith. Since he decided not to go to Washington, they have been battling for control of the department. Then, in 11-07 some big stuff between them comes to a head. That episode is a big exploration of their relationship now as compared to where it has always been with the big brother-little sister dynamic.

Q) What have been some of your favorite scenes to shoot this season?

A) It’s all been really fun! I think one of the great things about the character that they write in Amelia is that she slides pretty easily between humor and drama. So, there is always some great jokes for her even in the darkest circumstances. There have just been some funny stuff to shoot. Then, coming up with this relapse storyline there is some heavy stuff. I think some of my favorite scenes are coming up with Patrick [Dempsey] in this episode. It’s really, really fun to act with him. He’s really a force to be reckoned with. To be able to play with him was really fun. I also love shooting some of the funny stuff with Kelly McCreary. We’re really having a good time together.

Q) Amelia did break off her relationship to be in Seattle for Meredith and Derek. Is there new romance on the horizon for her at all?

A)  Well, we will find out. She left the relationship and I think she had been through so much on “Private Practice,” which some of the “Grey’s” audience don’t know about. Her boyfriend died of an overdose in her bed. Then, she had a baby and lost the baby. She has been through so much when her relationship with James happened that it served a very important purpose in her life, in terms of the healing process. I think that, ultimately, he was not her person or her guy. I suppose she is available for romance, but she still has a lot of healing to do. She’s been through so much that I think right now she is focusing on medicine and saving lives. She has seen so much death in her life recently that I think focusing on saving lives is her main thing. But who knows! There have been some rumors coming up. I don’t know. Shonda [Rhimes] is very good at figuring out when the time is right. But I think, eventually, when the time is right something will pop up for Amelia.

Q) Who are some of the upcoming guest stars we will see this season?

A) We have Geena Davis and that’s huge! She’s an icon. She is kind of one of the most exciting guest stars we have had this year. The season premiere had Christopher Redman in it, who is a fantastic actor and a fellow Canadian. We’ve known each other since we were kids. He played the John Doe guy who had been wandering in the dessert and his family was lost. He is such a talented guy and such a good person. It was great fun having him on set. One of the great things about being on “Grey’s” is that we have so many talented actors in Los Angeles. One by one you get  to experience their craft as they come and blow the doors off their guest spot.

Q) Is there someone from “Private Practice you would like to see make an appearance?

A) Everybody! I would love to have the whole cast come up to Seattle for like a medical conference or something! I know that KaDee [Strickland] is on a show that shoots in the Carolinas. Paul [Adelstein] is in town and he is kind of in the “Scandal” Shondaland world. So, it would be easy and a nice one for him to pop over. I think everybody else is working. Kate [Walsh] has a show and Taye [Diggs] has a show. Tim [Daly] is off doing “Madam Secretary.” Everybody is busy, but if they had a minute I would love to have some sort of reunion in Seattle with them.

Q) What do you think it is about “Grey’s Anatomy” that continues to make it such a fan favorite program?

A) I think there are so many reasons that it has had such incredible legs. Most of the reasons boil down to the genius of Shonda Rhimes. I think some of the reasons are the characters. It’s so character driven and she has this gift for creating these multifaceted characters that you can relate to and root for and also be horrified by. I’m a fan! The fans become so invested in our lives that they actually become family members and friends to us. It’s not like you get to year eleven of your friendship and say, “Goodbye! It’s run it’s course.” I think we really just want to know how our friends are doing and they have all these huge exciting and tragic things going on in their lives that you definitely want to check out every Thursday. Also, I think it is just groundbreaking in so many ways. It would be a long conversation to go through all of the reasons.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with fans and get their feedback?

A) I think it is kind of the future. I think we have entered an age where entertainment is much more interactive and it’s a fantastic way to promote the show and let them know what it is going on, but also to hear especially when you are doing a heavy storyline. On “Private Practice” we did a huge addiction storyline. We were talking about addiction and mental illness and then in a later one we were talking about her baby and the tragic circumstances surrounding that. When you have access to the thoughts and feelings of the audience, the fans, it can really kind of pull you along when you hear that your hard work, sweat and tears that are going into playing these stories is really affecting people and get through their day and tragedies. I think, even as a community, we as actors and show-makers brighten their lives on Thursdays, but then they brighten our lives and give us energy to continue when we hear that our work is actually being received and affecting them. Sometimes you look at the entertainment industry at the glamour side of things and you start to wonder if the job you are doing is relevant and important to the world at large. I think it is in those moments of feedback that you realize maybe I’m not building a homeless shelter today or feeding people in a soup kitchen, but actually our hearts and our souls are being fed and nourished by what they are doing and we are a part of this greater community. I wouldn’t have access to that as an actor without the social media platform.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you for watching and for loving these characters. Thank you, through the love and fanbase, for allowing us to tell your stories. I think that’s ultimately what we are doing. We are shining a light (and perhaps sometimes exaggerating) these human stories that are experienced in the lives of the millions of people watching. We couldn’t tell them without the fanbase so thank you!