Newsweek - USA (2019-11-08)

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

Culture

48

Illustration by BRITT SPENCER

“it’s a remarkable thing to be on the air for so long and to feel

like each season is still something exciting to look forward to,” Kelly

McCreary says of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. The show, which returned for its 16th

season in September, is the longest-running primetime medical drama in Amer-

ican television history, surpassing NBC’s iconic ER. McCreary—who joined

the cast in 2014 as Dr. Maggie Pierce, the cardiothoracic surgeon half-sister

of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo)—is just as amazed as fans by Grey’s ongoing

ability to deliver thrilling new plotlines for all its characters. So far this season,

Maggie’s relationship has completely ruptured and her sister was ousted from

her lofty position as Chief of General Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital,

but that’s only an inkling of the “unpredictable challenges” McCreary says her

character and others will endure this season. She credits all the exciting twists

and turns to the talent in the writers’ room. “We always get fresh blood; every

season there’s new talent and the writers inject this new energy into the show.”

Kelly McCreary

How does Grey’s Anatomy still

manage to create fresh storylines?

A great foundation of character stories.

And a couple of new series regulars

add an energetic dynamic. It’s enabled

the [long-standing] characters to have

new playmates and a new playground.

That’s the secret sauce.

Maggie’s romance with Jackson

[Jesse Williams] was fractured.

Can they get their spark back?

They have to actually see and

acknowledge each other and like that

version of the person.

What has Grey’s Anatomy taught

you about working with someone

you’re romantically tied to?

The substance of any relationship

is the way that you communicate.

There is a lot to learn from Grey’s;

for example, how not to ɿght. Do you

want resolution or do you want to win?

You are an ambassador for

When We All Vote. What are they

doing for the 2020 elections?

When We All Vote is a voter

registration, get out and vote

campaign. We’re always trying to

ensure voters are participating and

aware of their local elections, but

for  we’ll deɿnitely be raising

awareness about the electoral

process. I have become even more

aware in my adult life of how much

power we actually have, how we

can individually and collectively

really make a difference in our

communities. —Janice Williams

“We can individually

and collectively

really make a

diɼerence in our

communities.”

PARTING SHOT