Call It What It Is with Jessica Capshaw and Camille Luddington, an iHeartRadio podcast. Well, hello, hello, Hello, Hello, call It crew, and welcome to another episode of Call It What It Is? Call It What? Call It a Very Special Grades Anatomy guest, we have a guy. God, what are we gonna do? Just like here, look good? Just my makeup? Look Okay? Oh my god, I know we have a man on board.
You know what.
Because we have a man, we got to ask the boy question, which is does Harry think the boys and girls oh can just be friends?
Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, Oh my gosh, you really you're hanging on to that. You need it all I need?
I need all that. Listen, I'm gonna keep it going. Yep, okay going. We have Harry Harry Shum Jr. And when he joined our cast, I had not worked with him before. And what an incredible actor, incredible light he brings. He is so fun, he's the kindest, he's he's a quadruple million threat. And he plays Blue, an intern on our show right now who is entangled in a lot of romance entangling and is our cocky intern. He has a lot of really funny one liners and I got to
say that. From the first table read with him. I was like, yep, I can see where the cast him. I love that. Oh an instant magic.
I don't mind a slow burn, but I like a little instant magic too.
He a little instant magic. And I text him and I was like, will you come on the podcast? And he was like yes, and so here we are.
Here, we are.
We're bringing the heat, We're bringing the sexy, We're bringing the hair vice Harry Spice, let's bring in the hairy. I think let's bring them in and we can get into it because I have a list of five million questions. Oh my god, we just did a little intro about you.
We did what we did amazing.
I mean it's just the list goes on and on. It's like, I don't think it's not a single threat, not a double, not a triple.
It's more than a quadruple. It's almost annoying. What don't you do? And also you've won awards for it. Can not only do it, but you win awards for it, You've.
Been nominated you.
I mean, it's it is. I read your resume in preparation. I mean, I know you, but I want to throw a good she read about you. She knows you, but she also read about you.
I am honored.
I also honored when you when you asked me, I was like, yeah, I've listened to the podcast and it's so wonderful. And I remember, you know when when you told us in the group text that you were doing, and I just thought it was it was perfect, especially youtubes getting to meet you Jessica very recently, you know, when you came back, it was it's just so neat to be talking to y'all. And you know, one thing I want to add to that, which is actually my
prouder moment right now. Beyond all is clean. I don't know what I'm telling you, guys. I was on the roof this morning cleaning out the gutters of my house and I was very proud of it.
I was like, yes, look at those look at these pristine gutters.
Right now.
Anyways, it was really good.
Excited about As you get older, though, yeah, as you get only are like, look at those gutters.
Like I said, sexy gutter talk. He's cleaning his own gutters.
Do you understand how sexy that is? We need picture, This could be a whole calendar. Actually, next level, I'm doing.
Crab walks like on the slanted roots and making sure.
I know oh oh yeah, I bet there was a song on and it was like in time too, because we know where you started, and maybe a drone camera that was getting it edit together.
Done that. Ye.
Next time, we told the fans that you were coming. We told the listeners, the call at crew, we call them the crew know you were coming, and they asked a lot of questions. So if you don't mind, we got to dive in.
I'm scared, but I really no.
No, let me let me tell you because I've seen a peek around the corner. You have nothing to be afraid of. You have nothing to be afraid of. If the questions that are coming to you came to me, I would feel like I was doing something right.
Yeah. Can I start with the one that I love the most? Okay, go start with one. Do you love the mask? Because it's just really to the point. Yeah, Harry, why are you so fine?
We do that?
It is a legit question. That's a question. Is there a skincare routine?
They want to know?
That's a different question. Oh, but I answer the first question, which is why are you so fine?
How do you even answer that? I mean, I'm my mental being is fine. Emotionally I'm fine. I don't know if that helps with everything.
Else, like how your mother probably had something to do with it, my.
Mother and father, and I'll say skincare routine is definitely my wife. I was, I was washing my face with bars of soap like just you.
Know, just just dudes do.
And yeah, it was gonna say very manly.
Water you know water, water is nice and no moisturizer because you know you drink water, I guess, and that that thought process.
So I don't know if that.
If I didn't have that, I probably would have been I don't even know how actually fine, the fine lines would have.
Shown yeah fine versus fine lines. Okay, I've asked my question. I love that is that really was a question. That's really funny. Okay, a lot of Glee questions, Yeah, okay, okay, so can we I want to know personally how what the casting process was for Glee because I and then you told me a story about what your character initially got bought on for, and then how like the trajectory of being on the show for a long time.
Yeah, you know, it's weird.
You try to look at everything in hindsight and you think it was you know, it was meant to be. These things happened, But honestly, I shouldn't have been there.
I shouldn't have been where I was.
You know, most of the time, is it's luck right when you're you're When we talk about this, there's always a debate like is it luck or is it preparation? Is it? Like? What what? What?
What is it?
You know?
And and and for that, I was in very on a Saturday.
My grandma passed away that week and I went up to a funeral, uh to San Francisco and with my family, and I get a call. I was like, well, there's this audition for this show Glee. And I was like, I don't know what it is. And Ryan Murphy, I wasn't too familiar with him. I didn't watch Nip Tuck and and my my wife was I was like, hey, have you heard the show Glee? And I was like,
I think you worked on something. So she worked on as a dancer on the pilot, and she and it was it was She's like, so many dancers worked on it.
It's a singing show.
And I was like I don't sing, and I was like, well, they want you to dance, and I was like okay. And then and then I went in and read some lines for it was meant for Finn, which Cory Monte's character, and I read his line, you know, his sides, and it was auditioned.
I had to sing. I sang Love by Nat King Cole because that was what was I guess, do you have to sing it? Like?
Was there any like pianists in the room.
With you or was it just like it was a a capella?
Yeah? Yeah, And that was like kind of like a like a talk songy like like you could kind of mess around. I was like, I'm spelling words. I was like, I can't mess this up the lyrics because I was always definitely afraid of messing with Like if I can.
Spell love, I'm okay. And then I say that they're just like okay, cool.
Was Ryan Murphy in the room when you did the audition?
It wasn't it.
Robert Oulrich, who you know, was a big big you know which of you cast cast out grays as well? And he, you know, he really really helped me out through it because I didn't know what was I was auditioning for usually when you you don't know fully, but even as a character, I was like, this is not for a character that I'm basing it off of nothing.
Really.
Yeah, it was also I feel like that I feel like we hadn't really seen a show like that on TV.
Absolutely. Yeah.
It's also the tone of the show. It's like hard to figure out before it's airing because it wasn't airing yet, right, this is.
And it was sort of one of the first of its I mean, I feel like that's what I came after it. But yeah, I mean I can imagine it being hard to imagine.
Yeah, the last show that attempted to do this or did this was a cop Rock. I believe from what I heard, you know, that that went full on like musical as a TV show.
And I might be wrong. I'm you know, there's other shows that came out that had musical elements. Oh my god.
Yeah, I feel like the blueprint for it, in my mind would have been Fame.
Yeah, and that was before that was I think that was before then and cop Rock. You got a YouTube cop Rock. It's it's fascinating.
It's like, is this a show that made it to air?
It made it to air. I think it was CBS. Yeah, and it's cops singing about the criminal.
It's like, how many seasons did this show have?
Oh? Very I think it barely made it past.
The season just because I don't I don't know.
It's actually fascinating and it was actually really good. It was just jarring for I think the public was like, why are these cops singing?
But it makes sense. The high schoolers are singing, I know, and it's a Greek club. It's a Greek club.
But it's also just the most perfect that there's very I mean, clearly they're successful, but these new ways of imagining things and these showrunners that come up with these perfect environments for so much story, right, Like you come up with the Glee Club and you pack it full of all these characters with backstories that put them as such, unlikely friends, as such, unlikely like combinations, but they're.
All bound by this. I'm in a high school experience, which is everyone is untethered.
And then I think that the thing that I just thought was so genius was you're taking all this incredibly familiar and beloved music, so.
It's not like you you know, I mean, how much money did they spend on getting those songs? I mean a lot.
I just didn't understand sometimes I would like, how do we how are we getting these? So I mean it's the.
Power of like, you know, one thing I want to say to it was written. The first season was written by three people, like it was just Ryan, Brad and Ian.
They were the right, they were the writer's room, like they were turning these out and and which allowed like you know, the humor to be what it was, the storylines to be what they were because you know, they it was between the three of them, and you know it is I guess you know in UK that they have you know, one shot, one writer basically writing most of the show. So it felt kind of that energy kind of going back and forth. But on top of it,
the songs having it was relevant to the storyline. And and then these not just the original like they were popular songs, And I think it was the full force of like, you know, the twentieth century and and really coming in and saying, hey, we're going to double down and make sure you guys get exactly what what is needed as far as the songs go. So that was that was really neat to be around that, and and also songs that I've never heard in my life that
were popular. I was a learning experience for me too, Like I wasn't a Broadway kid, so like learning a lot of these Broadway songs through that show was fascinating.
And while having Christian channel with in front of us.
Scene we had heard on the show, we had show It's amazing, She's the best.
Now that I've dipped back into my Glee love, I just needed this is something I wondered. I don't understand how you all had enough hours in the day to do what you needed to do, because normally, when we're on a show, we get a scene and when we rehearse, and the rehearsal takes usually not upwards of fifteen twenty minutes to rehearse, and then we put down the marks and then we go get finished getting ready, and we come back and we shoot the scene.
But you all have.
Sometimes incredibly complicated dance numbers. You're lip syncing to playback like you're also acting in a scene.
Like how did those days go?
Were they just never?
Did you rehearse separately?
Did you?
I do want to know this. I heard rumors at the time where that you guys are working weekends. I remember hearing that, like the Glee class work weekends.
I will say, and you know, I haven't been on every show like no one, no one has. But I would say from other people also saying who have worked on many many shows during that time, is this was unprecedented? Like it was there's no other show that did this?
What you if you were, you know, shooting these long sequences with when you're talking about the dance sequences, they would take six seven hours just to shoot one song, sometimes sometimes a whole day, and then you might fill in one scene and then if you have double up days.
My gosh, like that was nuts.
But then you'd also have to dip into rehearsals and sometimes rehearsals just imagine trying to schedule the whole cast to get on this rehearsal and you might only have two hours or an hour, and a lot of times you might have an hour.
Or two before you shoot.
So you know, when you think you come in at at you know, six am to put makeup on, think about coming at like five am to learn the dance that you have to perform that same day. Sometimes because that was the only way that the puzzle pieces would work together. And it took like a lot of honestly talented crew to be able to say, this is the only way that is going to work, and let's all
like try and make this happen. Meanwhile, you know a lot of the cat I didn't have to do that as much because I didn't sing as much on the on the show, but like the other cast members that did had to go and do pre records and then come back and shoot.
Like it was just a lot going on.
Where you guys were filming on your set. Were you able to record songs there or did you have to go to a different location.
So they'd have to go sometimes to Jim Henson. Sometimes it would it would bounce around, so you'd have to go somewhere else. Because we shot on Paramount, you know, it only so much can be done there, you know, and we'd have we'd have tin Shed, which was a lot. It was like one of those smaller rehearsal spaces and and you know, as as the numbers got bigger, we had to get a bigger space that allowed us.
That was that took over half a stage.
I think we took over like four stages for the show, which is similar to kind of grades Grays does that you know, and and so that that looked very familiar to me. But the fact that Paramount they just took a big chunk of it was I look at that and it was like a boot camp.
It was just so it was so neat.
It was chaotic, but also neat to look back, because it prepared me. And I'm talking about uh and I think for a lot of us to just like everything else becomes a little easier just because.
Well, guess what, I was a viewer and I appreciated every single second of it.
I loved it, loved it.
Loved it.
I want to go back to you audition though really quick. So you did your audition and.
Then what happened The real, the real skinny here is that they needed to dance. They needed two dancers to like, they needed to cast two dancers because a lot of the actors, they they didn't come from dance background. You know, they didn't have a dance background.
There are an incredible performers, incredible singers, so the focus wasn't on dancing.
And you know a lot of times when they're I would say, even forced to dance, to put these numbers together on such a short period of time. Usually just imagine if you like, say, hey, you need to learn this dance, you can perform it tomorrow, like in these full on numbers, and not just one, but like three, you know, and we're not talking about heavy quirest but even just like walking here, moving here, and these things while remembering your lines, while remember of the song.
It's it's a lot to take in. So I was really hired along with another cast member.
I'm as as just someone who can they can either cut away to or like be in the front so they can also follow along and play a sort of a side character.
So that's what I was kind of told as far as like one of the uz Zach Woodley choreographer. And then it just kind of took its own shape when I when I booked it, I didn't know how long I was gonna be there. I thought I booked one episode, and then you know, I knew Heather Morris, and I knew Kevin McHale and Diana Agron from just you know, being around town, and and then we just you start to form this relationship and everyone just starts to really
feed off each other's energy. And it was so cool because I was like, we all knew what we were to this group and that was neat and we accepted each other for that but also moved in that way. And I just I always remember that that being such a beautiful energy and and you know, for me, I was it's a singing show.
But then like Ryan Murphy saying, hey, I'm.
Gonna I'm gonna put the song in there and you're gonna sing it and it's about you not being able to sing, and I was like, Okay, I did do that. And then going to pre record, going through that process and then like going through vocal training, learning and being around it was just it was a very magical experience in that record.
Yeah, and then you just because you're you're just a kid again.
You know, you're playing high school at twenty something again and get to relive that. Yeah, you get to relive that, and but doing it in a way where it's on this grand stage and you know, and even off off the show going being able to do these tours.
I know you guys toured in your hiatus.
Yeah, we toured on a hiatus.
We we we So you know when you say it was like back to back, but it's kind of crunched up into like this experience that you probably never have again.
You know, we just we just we just won't you know. We were we sold out O two and I mean, oh yeah, the O two in London. Yeah.
Three, we had three sold out shows and we like broke a record for the most foot traffic and the O two and that was the three days that Michael Jackson was supposed to reform before he passed away. So it's like all these little things that we get to kind of be a part of that. You know, I look back and it's just like I can't believe we got to do that.
You have so many amazing guest stars on the show. Do you have a favorite one?
Wow? There's so many.
I mean like Christian Channel has really stood out because it was one of those people that that you knew about and I wasn't like I didn't know everything about her, but once you met her, you're like, I want to consume everything that that you've been a part of. And Christian Channel was was was really really wonderful, and you know, Ricky Martin was was really was really awesome, just because you know, I grew up in the TRL days and then just Ricky in front of it, and then getting.
To dance with him. Oh god. And I mean, there's just so.
Many and I can't even like, you know, even Gwyneth Paltrow coming in and sitting there and honestly just having conversations.
You know what, Steve, you know what was He wasn't.
A guest star, but there was this moment we were all sitting around and you know, I think it was a third of third season, and it's one of those days where it was it was one of those big group numbers, and then comes this guy with sunglasses sits down with it.
I was like, who is this random dude? And he's just sitting there like, hey, what are you doing guys? And we're like, oh, hey, you know, we didn't no one recognize them.
Yeah, And then we started talking and then he's like, hey, yeah, really really awesome that you guys.
You know, use the song blah blah blah. And we're like, what is this guy talking about? And we're trying to all figure it out, and it was him. It was seemed very like, I know, because.
You don't stop believing, like the first season.
Which is which is you know, when you think of the show, you think of that song, and that was a song that kind of really got captured people's like love for the show. And so it's like these you know, it was a very cultural significant show. But seeing people from all walks of life come in and not just one genre of me really be able.
To to rub shoulders, it was just so neat experience. Yeah, it was a very neat experience, Harry. I was.
I was waiting tables at the time when you were doing this, and I remember very distinctively having the soundtrack, because the soundtrack came out and you're like, you know, I was like, I was the windows at your car, you know. I was like seeing all of it, you know, and I listened to it every single day on my way to work. And then I just became obsessed because then you guys did Rocky Horror, and that was so like there were so many times that I was like, oh, man,
I like their version better than the real song. You know what's funny.
I was going to say, I had those that I mean, they must have come out like CDs or would go live or whatever.
Yeah, and some are starting to come yere.
I remember I was finally starting to make it in the world, and I had I had an all all house.
You could press a button.
There was like a wall thing where you would could press different like functions for music to come out the speakers, and I remember being able.
To blast the Glee soundtrack.
And I remember I would always do when I was like cleaning up after my son, who was just teeny tiny, I'd like cleaning up the toy the like the playroom, and I'd be like singing and dancing in my own life.
All it was super fun.
It's really neat.
No, it's incredible. I want to We did get a lot of questions because I think I can say this because some of your cast members ended up writing, you know, kind of tell all books basically, and so it's no secret that there was a clash of personalities on your set. Did it make it difficult sometimes to film or do you feel like it kind of came par for the course because you guys were all so young and you were in each other's faces twenty four hours a day.
Like you know, yeah, it's I think it's part for the course.
So I think you have you have incredibly talented people come together, which is usually the case for when you know, you try and make a show or something that you hope you hope people like. And I think one of the one of the draws of the show, beyond the music, was you identified with certain characters.
You know they they came from. You know, there's a hardship, there was you know, some turmoil, but also.
Like some hattiness, some all these things that humor the cultural background and and and being kind of very honest with it too, which you know, I think the show really did. And that's like you just said, it's it's bound to happen when you put people together. Just there's no no different from family and and I would think really good friends uh being around each other and but but the difference is that it's on display and people are are trying to manipulate certain stories to be.
Able to I guess service their their own agenda.
And that's unfortunate to see when you know, I saw a lot of my friend and go through that and not have any not not being able to resolve that on their own, but having that kind of trying to
be resolved from other people. And it's I think it's very difficult, especially on international But it wasn't just that it was an internationally like I I look at a lot of like pop stars and you know, even actors, but really the pop stars that that it's just it's just difficult, man, It's just difficult lead uh, somewhat like normal life, which is not normal at all, normal in the sense of like just being at like a balance
like emotionally, mentally and physically. It's it's very demanding while still trying to perform, you know, like I always this is one thing I I I learned from this experience. You anybody with given a chance that can focus on one thing they can be excellent at is I think very easy. But if you have to juggle while trying to be a son, be a father, be a friend, be you know, a daughter or whatever, all those things, if you try and be even decent at all of them,
that's actually very very hard. And that's a lot harder while trying to be excellent at this thing. So, you know, I think that that says a lot about a lot of performers when they say I'm going to pour my whole soul into this craft and be amazing at it, a lot of.
Things are going to give way.
Right, You're not going to be able to focus on your relationships with people, and that's what we usually see in your life.
Yeah.
Yeah, I've said it before, I'll say it again.
It's there's no such thing as balance. You can't balance everything.
You can't be equal parts great at being a mother or a father and a son and a performer and a friend. Like on any given day, you might be really good at one of them, right, there's gonna be other ones that you had to kind of like leave by themselves for a little bit. So I think that, Yeah, I mean, when you're that successful, and you know, because this is how our business is built.
It's like when you've got a shot, you take your shot.
Like when you have success, you keep going, you don't, you know, It's always why it's always so shocking when you find, you know, people do leave something that's super successful.
You're like, how could they do that? It's usually not done.
So there's a reason why you keep going and you have weekend rehearsals and you just you know, you just keep going.
Yeah.
Sounds a cliche, but love is like literally the only thing that like can resolve a lot of a lot of these things, and not just from us as performers, which is a big part of but like the people who are who are taking that in the audiences too. It's like, you know, we watch TV to comfort us or or disturb us if we're too comfortable. You know, that's kind of like it's really I think that's what art is, right. It's really like, if you're too comfortable, you need to watch something.
For Glee in particular, there has been a lot lot of tragedy surrounding that cast.
Right.
Are you able to go back and watch the episodes and feel joy while watching it or is it something that you sort of can't do anymore?
I had, you know, I just dealt with the recent death as well as a family member and my thought process and that is now you mourn them, you grieve, and I think also a part of the grieving process is to celebrate them as well. And I think because I don't think, you know, and not to say that that that sadness is going to go away, because I don't think it really should. I think it should stay because you.
Do care about I don't think grief goes away.
Yeah, yeah, it needs to stay.
But it's a matter of how you kind of do the back and forth that the dance with with with with with the joy that you the memories and that
you did did have. So you know, I I I'm able to watch and celebrate, like I look at like uh A nia Quorreate and and and Mark and and and look at the beautiful work that they put in and the humor that they brought to to so many of of of what the show really is, you know, and then you can you can look at what it could have been and unfortunately, like you know, the past is the way it is and you can't really do much to change that outside of right now, and and
to to to celebrate how many lives that they affected, how many people that got some joy from from their their performances and songs that will live on forever. And when you say, like some songs, I always you know whether it's better or not better than the original, I think what happens it's more of what emotional attachment you
had to that which makes it better. Right Like you might have heard a song you're like cool, and then you saw an episode or how they sing and you're just like, oh my god, I love this version way more because it really penetrates something in your heart and send like well, I don't even I can't even listen to the original anymore, or or it goes back to say like oh man, no, I didn't know this much about the original. So it makes you go back and back track. And I think that's that's the cool part
of this show. It's not about we did it better. It's more about, wow, look at look at how good this song was. And look and that's just been like what music was when you think of Frank Sinatra. This dude was singing just you know, covers have to cover, but he made it his own and he did it and it's something that you think it's a Frank Sinatra song.
You're like, no, no, no, that was like thirty years before.
For sure. No, I mean you guys did an amazing job. For sure. Absolutely, you're right. I became attached to songs and they meant more to me because of the characters involved in them. Now that's part of this love story or part of this anguish that's happening in the story, and now it means so much more. I loved it. It was appointment TV for me. I'd watch it on
the night. Well, the whole world loved it. Also, you guys, I mean to your to all of your defense is you know, with any drama or anything that when I do said, you guys are shot out of a cannon into fame. It was like it's not just a TV show that you know, won awards and did great. It was like a pop culture phenomenon and that doesn't happen a lot. And I can't imagine that experience. You joined Grey's Anatomy and you happened to be in an Oscar winning movie at the same time. So we need to
talk about I've never heard of the oscars. Apparently they're great and they mean something. And you got to work with Key Oh my gosh, isn't he the best? He is.
When you talk about someone you want to work with like that, he is definitely like the face of it, and you look on like if you're on like a dictionary and it's like who like the word of just I would say honestly perfect in the sense of like this man is just like giant heart. He's a hard worker. He is so he is so empathetic towards like just like what everyone else is doing. He's so caring and obviously just brilliant performer.
Yeah, and so hard won right because so I met him when he was teeny tiny. He was well he and I I guess he was a little bit older, but he was playing short round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where my mother was playing Willie Scott, so she so he and I were like the kids.
It makes sense now, wow, amazing.
Yeah, I'm like, remember how Steven spiel works, just the whole thing, that whole thing.
So that's how we met, and we were the kids on set and really like his hero and his role model on the set was Harrison Ford or Indiana Jone.
And then my hero or my role model was my own mother. He had an actual job.
I was just along for the ride, but we would memorize all the adults lines, so like I would re memorize my mom's lines, and he really cute.
I never knew that it was incredible.
We would do like and and then I would like I remember learning her whole like song and dance number, and like it would be like I'd do it in all the languages, so I'd be like e wong e luchu chu, and I'd be like coming down the thing in my mind, and then he would be I know, yeah, he had his whole family there and he was I mean a kid, we were both kids, and.
Then you know, uh, you know, life goes on and it was such a long time ago.
I mean I always had such you know, affection, and then there was obviously Gooni's and all the other stuff, but you know, not like in daily life, just but just like one of those people where no matter how much time would ever have passed, we would have shared something so unique and like you just said, Harry, there's the top note for him is this unbelievable openness and kindness and his face just like and also like no self consciousness around that, right, Like some people kind of
feel like, well I shouldn't be so open or I shouldn't be so you know, I shouldn't reveal that I have this vulnerable aspect of me. And he's like no, he's wearing it all. Like remember when during the Oscars he would just take.
Pictures with everyone. He did like selfies with everyone. Okay, did you know when you were making the movie like this is this is amazing and this is probably going to go the distance we see gold.
Yeah, not making the movie, I knew. I knew I was a fan of the Daniels in the music video days. And I got to work with him on Nor from Queen's Aqua Finis Show because they directed an episode, and I was just I was fanboying because I you know, I come from a dance background and industry, so like any director that was doing anything interesting with dance, I was just all all on board. So being able to work with them, and.
Then you know, came this.
That's why I always think, like, you know, I never foresaw like, hey, I want to work in a movie in the day with the Daniels other than just me fan boying. And then I get a call to work with them, uh, to play at you know, one of the raccoons kind of a human Uh, I guess robot you want to call it now?
But like.
Playing Chad and in this and and having like the movement that they were a fan of mine and just being able.
To work on it, that alone was just enough for me, you know.
And then and then on top of it to know that Michelle was working on it, and then on top of it he was working on and then I just worked with Stephanie on North from Queen, so it's just like this kind of like this, these pieces coming together.
I was like, oh my god, this is this has unheard of, Like, well, whatever, how what other movie you would be able to work on some like this where I have a raccoon on my head, Michelle's on top of on top of my shoulders, and then I'm on top of her shoulders like no other place, So that
alone would have been so neat. And I remember during lunch when you know, that was the first time I met Jamie Lee Curtis and she was in her kind of gray hair outfit, and I remember we all sat down quietly because the Daniels are like, our editor are working on one sequence.
We want to show everyone.
This was in the middle of shooting the movie out in Seemi Valley, and then they show keys fanny Pack fight sequence and literally I was like, I did not expect this. I never seen anything like this. And I was like, how are you guys releasing this? Please tell me it's in this movie theater. So they're like yes, I'm like that's when I knew.
I was like this thing.
I didn't know it was gonna win Oscars do any of that, but I knew it was going to be very successful. And then when all those other kind of accolades came, that was, you know, the cherry on top for sure.
We were on this sete grades now and people don't know this, but we decorated our little holding room all Oscar style for hair. Oh that was so sweeting and it was really cute.
All that we were.
Everyone was so excited, and we felt like you were ours at that point, because you're we'd stolen you and your own grays anatomy, and so we kind of felt part of it in our own way too, and we were just so excited for you guys.
Oh my god.
That said that, said that, that whole week was just I can't one one that I'm saying, like, even the Grace, It's one of the loveliest sets I've ever been on, honest, to be honest with you, it's just it really says a lot about you know, one, it takes time to get to the place that it needs to be twenty
one years to see this. But but but what the more fascinating thing, it's not even just that how long it takes to to really figure out the pieces of what it makes, what it is to make a set feel the environment when you have guest stars are like, oh my god, is this like normal?
I was like, yeah, this is this is what the set is.
And but also you know, ran all up by women and and and knowing that there's this like care that's being done with with each other people's needs, beyond like creative, just just you know, servicing each other in a way that I think the industry should take note on. So so what I saw that and when you know, you guys decorated that. I think that that was just such
a beautiful. It really warmed my heart because you know, one, I feel like the movie had made an impact on people outside of like me being part of it, but then like, oh, you guys do care about people's other you know, wins as well outside of the show, and and that was just gorgeous.
So I I I love that. That was just like such a It made everything that week that was already great even better.
I wish I'd been there for that. It was real cute. That's real cute.
I know.
And I know that you work with of course John on Crazy Rich Asians. Yeah, and so have you text him because of course Wicked is heading to the Oscars as it should have you had any.
Oh my gosh, he's just been on this whirlwind. Like you know, I've known John since like two thousand and seven.
I worked on Step Up two.
He did Step Up too. I didn't know that.
Isn't that crazy?
You look at his whole like, oh, it's just all it's it's all over the place in a great way because it just shows a range as a director.
But yeah, Step Up two was his first movie.
And you know, uh, he is a master at being able to to tie emotions with with not just song, but like with movement and dance. And he's kind of one of those like just directors that not only are they very talented, but just such a good person as well. And you know, and and and you know, he really cares about the people around him, really cares about, uh, you know, making sure that they're able to perform their best while also creating an environment where it feels very collaborative.
So I'm just over the moon for him for Wicked and what what has in Stork? And it's crazy. When you make the movie it comes down you're like you think it, that's it, and you know there's this whole other piece of it.
Which I live so quick at twenty four to seven. In my house, I have two daughters that are I mean they they will fight, well, they will, they will. They would commit murder over who gets to be Alfa Alphaba versus to.
Be who's the popular witch in your household right now? Because Hayden wants to be Alphaba. Yeah yeah, yeah, no Alphabe for sure.
But it goes back and forth with what I'm saying, so like, yeahuse there's two of them, and because they are acting out and stuff, then you got they can't have two Alphi's.
You gotta have an Alfie. Yeah, you gotta change to see Lucas my son, he gets the reject of the day, do you know what I mean? Like he's forced me out ways for TikTok. That's like alphabet glinda Alphabinda. Yeah, that's the one that's like the switch. Here's the witch, witch Witch, I'm a witch.
Yes, Like I had to do that last night, by the way, and they thought that she thought that Josie thought she had me really well trained, and she did not.
I could not memorize it as well. No, I can't remember that either.
I don't know how these kids be memorizing so like, I just think it takes me old men. There's just like the here once and it's it's, it's and the dances.
Well, I mean you're talking, are you kidding? Sorry, I forgot.
Myself, Okay, so let me just because I'm because I'm curious because you came after I was there, so I then I, you know, it came last year, and I am always curious what people's paths are to the show. So how did you find your way to Gray's anatomy? Do they come find you web him?
You know, the show has come up a couple of times, you know, I you know, I watched the show and and on and off, just you know, as as as one does when the show has been going on for so long. And one thing that always kept me Jenna Ashkowitz, who played Tina co and Chang. She was like a massive fan, so I would she would talk about it on set, and I kind of would know what was
happening through through through, through through that. And then you know, after a while, I I as I got into other shows, and you know, we're auditioning, and then there would be a lot of auditions I would come up for for grades and I would never get them, and it was for usually for patients and never for doctors. And and then came came around the time where there it was right before I got an offer to as as a patient.
It was a beautiful storyline, but it just wasn't the right time, and and my scheduling was was all off and I couldn't take that on. And then shortly after I I and I got a call from them that they wanted me to play Lou Benson Kwan. I just I remember reading the character description and kind of whether the story was going and along with just the beautiful work that has been done, but I just wasn't prepared for.
The like being on set now.
The care that's still there for like trying to tell a good story and caring for the characters. And after all these years, I don't know why it made me because a little part of me has been a little jaded about what we've kind of dealt with in the industry as you've seen other things and where you know, as time goes by, usually with anything you know, less care gets put into it, and I never and I
keep seeing that here. When I got on that, I was so pleasantly surprised but I saw that in what was written with the character, what was written within the story, and that really gravitated me.
And also being part of this legacy was just something that I wanted to really be a part of.
It's a responsibility, it's a it's a real responsibility to feel like that when you get on the show, too, like, yeah, you really do.
Yeah. I find that that the viewers are so personally invested, attached, they put so much care into the watching of it that when you feel that there's just an extra an extra sweetness to doing the joba right or something. I don't know it it makes it personal. Right, It's just I mean, it should be just business, but there's something that it does kind of make you take it personally.
It really, it really does.
I think you I didn't realize that until you know, I knew the responsibility, but I didn't realize how how incredibly impactful is beyond just people you know, enjoying television or the or the characters that they can fall in
love with. It was more of these are the next generation of surgeons and and and people who want to get into uh uh, into the medical field and and and and have and also get a glimpse of just like you know, the fun parts of it, but also the really really hard and difficult parts and also the science behind it as well, which I think the story does.
I mean that the show does really really well. And I'm learning, just like I was learning these songs on on Glea, I'm learning a lot of you know, uh right now, well, medical breakthroughs that that that are happening or that have happened, and just being able to be put on the.
Platform like this.
Have you had one of those hum dinger like you're in the table read and you turn the page and you see your name and then a really long speech.
Yet, oh yeah, you've gotten some law, Yeah, really long.
I've gotten some.
There's some pressure on that. There's some pressure.
The hardest one was when there was a crossover on Station nineteen.
I got these sides and I was like, okay, cool, I'm gonna I'm gonna be on Station nineteen and and it was just me and.
I had to It was in the er, and the sides were fine. It was like a couple of medical terms. I was like, I could deal with it.
And then I went to bed really early because I had an early call and they changed it and it just just added a whole monologue of I would say, like I would say at least like twenty medical terms that are probably some of the hardest one. So I woke up to this like, oh, this can't be right. So I called and they're like, oh, no, this is right, and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm really serviced well because the character was really fumbling through and trying to figure out how to so I really use that
as well. But you still can't get it wrong. So it was the most nerve wracking day experience I had on the show. And it wasn't even on the show yet, so that I'm sure y'all have dealt with.
That here we've been there. No, it's no, it's still terrifying. It doesn't matter how long you've been on that show. It's still so scary. Ah and I and and again you know that, like the there's a real possibility for greatness because you look at the monologue and you're like, this is good, Okay, all right, No, I'm going to be good.
I'm going to be good, and then you're like working it and then you hope that it's good, and then sometimes it will surprise you sometimes it won't. When I came back last year, Meg gave me the water, she gave me, she gave me a biggie, and she was so funny because she said to the director, she said, Okay, I know it's a lot of words, but and I know you don't know Jessica because you haven't worked with
her yet. But she talks really fast, so she's that really long speech's not going to be And then I remember doing it and we actually did it in one take.
Yeah, you're like the capture the Arizona's back.
Baby.
We had some questions about Blue that I want to ask you. So I want to know what you would like his specialty to be.
Oh my goodness.
You know it's a big question and it changes, honestly season to season.
But in this moment, neurologists, I think still the brain is just so fascinating, and I think for Blue, possibility of you know, things coming up or even in the past that I've just really I think I would like him to edit towards there. Yeah.
I don't know what they have in store, but I just think there's something really fascinating there because I think there's so little that still we know, and I just think it would be cool to be part of that, to discover new things that kind of can help have a better understanding of maybe even himself, but also beyond that, to be able to help people, because I think we're starting to find new things that I'm fascinating myself, especially when you're talking about gut to brain and the things
that are affecting.
Is that, like, are is that really controlling us or something else controlling the brain?
You know?
And and you know, so I don't know. I think there could be some really interesting We.
Got to get into the love story of it a little bit. Of course, you are entangled. Blue is entangled in a kind of let's say, messy situation. Very nicey this situation this season, but we did get fans wondering if you think that he still is harboring feelings for Jules. Do you still think or do you think that that's been put to bed?
I don't know. I think you're cold show that anything's possible. Of course, if you have if you have a little flame, that flame can turn into something much better.
Yeah, I.
Don't know.
I think this storyline is really fascinating to me because when you talk about memories and how much those mean when you talk about forgetting, especially if you've gone through a breakup and you're like, just forget about that.
But those memories are a part of you. And yeah, and so if you lose that, like what.
Are you like?
What are you like? Does that define you? Or or or should you? Should you? Should you just like allow that to I don't know.
There there's a lot of like conversations about when you're when you're growing up and you know, whether you have these good memories, then then if the bad memories don't exist, and do those good memories exist as well?
Right, Like it's just this is back and forth.
So and and when you talk about love and having someone that that is trying to get these memories back or wanting to to get these memories back, and then you I don't know, there's just a lot of complications that can happen. And I think I'm really excited to see where that story goes because I think they're I feel like the writers as they always are are.
Doing Oh yeah, I mean I think I can tease this. I'm not gonna say any specifics, but there's there's some fantastic moments coming up for you and that love story in the season that hasn't aired yet, there's one in particular can think about. But it's juicy and it does and it gets messier. So you guys have to tune in and absolutely see that like and messy, and we love juicy and messy. Before we let you go, though, you have a children's book and I want I read it.
I snatched it from you at the table read and I read it, and so I want you to promote it. And it's so good. I didn't know this. I'm so excited about this one, and so I want to leave talking about this before you go.
Oh thank you know my.
Wife and I, Shelby Ramara. She we wrote a children's book together and it was really inspired by a daughter in a lot of ways, just kind of really there wasn't a children's book especially that showed up. This one in particularly shows the Filipino boy who, you know, it's afraid to dance because he got made fun of and you know, his grandma is as a as a one guardian supports system really encourages him to like, you know, get his confidence up and and and sleep on it.
And when he does sleep on it, he has a dream and goes on to the vast space and encounter the Martian.
That kind of helps him gain his confidence back.
And then and yeah, teaches him these dance moves but really based on the characteristics of each planet from Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and really the swirling storms and things that that that you can do with movement and allows him to get off his mind and being not being self conscious about his movement but more of like I'm just doing a swirling storm. And then and so there's there there's a way of like showing that confidence in different ways. And I don't know if there's video, but
he is called Marty. There's the dance and you can get it on blue books Dot. And yeah, we're just incredibly proud of it because.
It's you should be.
It's really good.
It's just really it's a really fun book and it's just uh and the kids can or or even adults who read it that can there's an account of a dance that you can learn as well.
I'm gonna try this. Maybe this will work for me. Yeah, maybe this is this is your moe. Yeah, maybe this is.
What you need.
We'll all do it together and we recorded a song that's going to come out, and our daughter recorded a song for it.
So it's really fun.
It's just a fun like family project that you know, that is that has been really neat to see other people kind of uh do the dance and and kind of enjoy it, enjoy the book as well.
I'm going to do a shout out to like Disney because Disney needs to turn this into a cartoon. This needs to be better than just this, So let's pitch it out. Let's put it out into university. We have songs, we have dances the kids can learn, like I see this for you.
Yeah, yay, I'm in for it right.
Oh my gosh, I'm so happy that you came on.
No, thank you for having me. This is so cool. I love this conversation. You know you too.
I really I really admire what you all y'all are doing and what you have done. So this is is really cool to sit down and and chop it up as we say.
I love it. Well, you know, it's such It sounds like I'm imagining this in my mind because you've talked about it, but I feel like when you're in it sounds like you and your wife have such a strong partnership and and it comes from it comes from all the things that we hear about, you know, on repeat, but there's a real enjoyment right of each other, and so clearly that gives birth to wanting more projects. So like you don't have enough projects together, you're writing a
book together. And I feel that well in a different way, but the same way about Camilla, where it's like I just enjoy her partnership.
And we have so much fun. Yeah, it makes it not work, No, not, it's not working.
And then we get to sit down with people like you and exactly that's what I was going to say, is that I'm so grateful to you know, and Camilla it said, my gosh, like I love him so much, he's so great, and like I didn't get to spend that much time with him, but I know that if
you love him, I'm gonna love him. And so to have you on and be able to talk about the things, you know, in the way that we like to and also just always you know, we don't we don't talk about grays all the time, you know, that's not what the entire podcast is about. So when we have these moments that bring us back to how we met. Oh yeah, it's fun. It's so much fun, and that shared crossover and and just having a similar approach to.
How kind of what you said earlier, it's like, how does it happen? It happened.
It's the it's the it's the hard work plus preparation plus good luck. Right, So we all get to be here together because of those things. But man, it's so much more enjoyable to be with people who feel the same oh man.
Well said, Well said, this is this is what I One last thing I'll say is that we don't have enough of And I think that's why podcasts are so popular, where we as a society like we don't have these long conversations anymore. People like we we we we don't, And then when you do, you we don't have enough of it, you know you kind of y'arn like I want more. I want to sit there and talk to my friends or people that I kind of have never met and want to get to know a little better.
And the fact that you know, y'all get to do this on a weekly basis is so cool and I'm honored to be on one hour of it. However, long descision I.
Know I was looking at the time. I'm like, no, I want more.
You've joined the crew and it's an ever everlasting, ever loving crew.
But also I feel like once you join Gray's Anatomy, I do feel like it doesn't matter if you're on what season, Like there's this weird you're part of this legacy and there's this like weird family feeling. So even though you do haven't worked, you know, did you work at all together?
Well, but one day it wasn't much. Yeah, I got to see you work.
Yes, yes, you know what I remember you from as the hair and makeup trailer, which is way more important.
Yeah, that's that's that's where the chit chat talks.
That's where it all goes down.
That's where the podcast should be. You should, oh, we.
Should do that one day. Yes, that's good. Harry.
Will you come back on? I would love to.
Okay, Well, as the season goes on and some explosive things happen in our universe on grays Anonomy, we'll have Harry on and maybe we'll do a little post interview for an episode and because it's all about to shake out on the show, yeah it is. Will let you go on with your day, Please say, give your beautiful family so many kisses from us, and thank you so much for joining us. Thank you first of many.
Bye.
He's so lovely. He's the best god. I mean, by the way, he's done a lot. I mean I was looking at our time. I'm like, once again, this could be a two hour podcast because I'm not even getting through all the things. I know, because we had to start with why you so fine? Well that was an important question. Why are you so fine?
Harry?
Listen? Harry comes into the trailer. I come in and I'm like, I literally look like a slug, right Like, I'm like, do some serious magic to transform me. Harry comes in looking like that. He's I don't even know if he goes through the works. I mean, what have you even put on that face? Well, he was lovely. I love his whole mindset.
I feel like I would I feel like I would enjoy I would enjoy cast chair in between setups with him.
I think he's the best because some people join the cast and you're just like, we can't ever lose you. You gotta stick with us. Yeah, yeah, and yeah, he's he's honestly incredible, as you can tell.
From Glee, to everything everywhere all at once, to chrays anatomy. I think he's also doing pretty well for himself, so I'm really happy for him.
Well, also there's crazy rich Asians and there's oh yeah, I mean, there's so many things we didn't get to, but he's done in the hour. So this will this is what we're gonna happen. In the meantime, we've got to call it miscapshaw. The end of the episode,