Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy: "I understand Ellen Pompeo’s decision…"

Bailey left at the end of season 18, following the closure of the teaching program. In what condition do we find him at the beginning of season 19?

chandra wilson : Like many people around the world after the pandemic, Bailey felt the need to take a break to put her family first, her little girl who had just entered her life. At the start of this new season, we find a rested Bailey with new medical priorities. Nothing will be the same. The world has changed, a door has opened for Bailey: she wants to prioritize women, especially their health. She wants to get out of the chaos to learn from her past mistakes, she.

We’ve felt the fragility of this character for many seasons. Does he need to take care of himself to take care of others?

Isn’t that the case for all of us? Remember what flight attendants say on airplanes: When pressure drops, put your oxygen mask on yourself before putting it on your kids. You should know how to understand that your business is not going well. I like to play someone who seems like everything is fine but isn’t.

This hospital looks like a sinking ship! Will it see better days?

At the end of season 18, it was up to us to figure out how to get back on our feet. We always somehow survive… until the next disaster.

Without giving too much away, what will Bailey’s journey be like this season?

He will be ready to return to the front but will seek a balance between his professional and private life at any cost. Always the same trick, especially for women. Therefore, it will be up to him to determine what he needs, to be able to formulate it and integrate it into his daily life.

Will we have a chance to see the April / Jackson couple again?

Jackson runs his mother, the Catherine Fox Foundation, in Boston. April is next to you. Catherine is very attached to the child they are with. So, there’s always an open door for these characters to reappear in the show, whether it’s physically, over the phone, or even via videoconference!

How did you react to Ellen Pompeo’s decision to leave the show?

You know, this waltz of people going out is very familiar to us… It always requires a personal adjustment, we have to get used to it every time. But when it comes to stories, Meredith Gray will always be a part of it, one way or another.

Do you understand his choice?

Yes, of course. We’ve been playing this show for 18 years. Who has been staying in the same place for 18 years today? People are changing jobs, moving, getting divorced… Ellen’s stay on the show for so many years is a victory in itself! Viewers hooked up with Meredith Gray, who may have been a reassuring element in their lives. It’s an incredible chance for an actor to be able to portray the same character for 18 years.

What did you expect when the series started?

I was hoping we would last at least two seasons… So I exceeded all my expectations!

Do you enjoy finding exes like Kate Walsh who played Doctor Addison Montgomery?

Yes ! I have the impression that our arms are always open and when we come back to each other they immediately find the “groove”. Although years have passed, the characters and their commentators find their place. We get older, we mature, we have different ideas about life, and so do our characters. But still we are one big family.

You’ve been playing Doctor Bailey for 18 years. How do you see it?

From the very first episode, Miranda was very determined professionally. She was married, and she thought it was for life. She was eager to expand her family and at the same time climb the career ladder. She dreamed of a drug accessible to everyone. The public had a chance to see him achieve his professional goal. And even though her marriage didn’t work out, she found love again, got married again, had children. Everything he originally had is still there in a different form today. Her biggest challenge was figuring out how to balance everything, and as an actress I enjoyed being able to show a woman who succeeds, fails, makes mistakes and sometimes does things well. And viewers no longer see him as a tyrant! (Laughs).

What about you, what keeps you on this show?

With every script I get, I discover something new about Bailey. It’s always exciting. She is growing up like all of us, I love being able to show her all her humanity, that she’s messy, and that not everything is perfect with her.

What do you want for your character?

I never thought about my desires and hopes for him. And I think the show was successful because the writers work on our characters without being influenced. I continue to open up to everything they bring me.

You say that Bailey has repeatedly tried to balance work and private life. Was this something you should have done too?

I wake up every day and write down everything I need to do for the day. I know that sometimes I manage to mark everything and sometimes I fail. There is balance. We have to be kind enough to ourselves to say, “Okay. It didn’t work today, I’ll try again tomorrow and that’s the best I can do.”

Last question: Someone said, “Is there a doctor in the room?” Would you raise your hand when asked?

No way ! (Laughs). I’m looking around like everyone else!

Interview with Amandine Scherer