August 1, 2024 • 40 mins
The legendary Kelly McCreary shares her experience on Scandal before being cast in a long-term Grey’s Anatomy role. Then Katie, Guillermo and Kelly break down some iconic moments from the show including Mellie’s slap! But, not before they take plenty of time to pick out cheesy moments from Huck and Quinn.
What do you think, Gladiators? Email us at UTT@Shondaland.com or leave us a voicemail at 805-298-1474 to share your thoughts about the show, about food, about life, but mostly about the show. We would love to hear from you!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with Higheart Radio scandh Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Oh my gosh, we have the greatest guest on today's episode. Hey, Kelly,
I feel like you come on to Scandal and you
are such a star, like a seen stealing shiny beacon
of stunningness.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Black leather jacket, wearing hair up like Lang, no way,
helmet Lang.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Forgetting it, won't get it because I knew I was
that my fate would change when I came back as
the character. When they had me in All Saints, it
was like last time they had me in Helmet Lang.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I was like, that is so funny, that is amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So for those of you listening who don't know her
by voice, you should or whatever social media picture we
put out. But the guest today is the one and
only Kelly McCreary. Yes, who was on season three of
Scanne or did you start in season two?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
No?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Three?
Speaker 1 (01:37):
She started in episode Yolo, which is yes, yeah, that's
when we first see Claire.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You played Claire.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
She played Claire bad Ass Claire Badass B.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Six thirteen agent who calls Harrison h and works for
Maya pope. But wait a second, first and foremost, was
this your first foray Intoshondaland it was.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Yes, yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So I had a meeting with Lynda Lowe just like
a general a couple of months before that. Yeah, And
so like when this audition came in, it was in
the midst of like episodic season when that was a thing,
So it was like really busy, and this was just
like a couple of little lines, and I was like, oh,
I want to play. I want to do more than
(02:23):
this on Scandal. I should wait until like better role
comes along. And then I was like, no, but Linda
and I had such a great rapport that I should
just say yes to this opportunity. And I went in
to just read my little two little lines, and it
turned out that the scene I was reading was not
the scene I actually did in that first episode Yolo
in the first place, because they always had dummy sides, right,
(02:44):
and then after that, you know, it was intended only
to be a single episode, but then came back and
did another one.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So when you audition, did you know that it would
recur or you didn't even think it was that.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
No, it was not supposed to recur.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Wha, that's how good you did.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
She was, wait, so like you even when you were
shooting it, like you didn't know that it was going
to come back another episode.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah, no, you know I went to college with Ramlah Muhammad.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
You did.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I didn't know that this episode with Chris Vans, Yes.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Right exactly. And ram La was on set that day
and I was like, oh, yead hey girl.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
I had no idea that she was even writing. I
had no idea why I.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Lost track of each other after college. And so we're
catching up and it's great and she's like, well bye.
When I was I was like, so good to.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
See you bye.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
And then yeah, it turned out that I guess like
I passed a vibe check or something, and she was
able to confirm for Shonda that I wasn't going to
cause them problems, and I came back for another episode.
Ushanda reached out to her to find out it was
worth bring me back, and so she vou.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Like, no assholelog.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah I did say bad, but yes, I guess I
literally causing no asshole policy.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
That was really good?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Were you when you came on the Scandal set? Had
you watched Scandal before or you had never seen it or.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, no, of course. Yeah, I remember sitting in my
New York apartment because it came on late mid season.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
Yeah, it was April.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Was the starting date April, which is so late for
even a mid season show.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, but I remember sitting on my brown sofa in
my New York apartment and watching with my roommate at
the time. Like, I remember watching those early episodes and
being like, oh my god, this is so cool and
exciting and flashy and sexy and glamorous and elegant and
so fun. I watched it in the very beginning, and
then I fell off for some reason. Oh I was
(04:47):
like living in Vancouver shooting a show or something, so
I was gonna watch TV. But yeah, I was just going.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
To say, were you a fan of Grays as well
early days?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yes, I was an early fan of Grace. I went
through a very long period of I hope when I
was saw one of those people, Oh I don't really
watch TV, but like I really.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
Knew I did too.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, I went through a period where two of my
apartments didn't even have a television, and I don't think yeah,
and I don't think I could have for a laptop
I literally have like a good four year span where
I never watched a show like.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, and this was like before streaming, before binginging for me,
like I'm dating myself here, but this was back when
you like had to be home to watch TV and
I lived in New York. I was running them streets now.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So when you found out your dummy size or dummy size,
then you find out, holy shit, I'm gonna come on
and I'm gonna have scenes with Harrison, Like had you
ever worked with him before?
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Did you know what that was going to be like?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Were you nervous walking on a set or were you like, oh,
I'm so pro with this or what was the vibe
for you?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
When I tell you it was like an out of
body experience. I had just shot my first series as
a series regular. I'd wrapped it earlier that year, so
I was not completely inexperienced. I knew how to be
on set, I knew how things went, I knew how
to I certainly felt capable as an actor. But something
about being on this set because it was like, I mean,
(06:07):
you guys, no, Seattle was such a big deal at
the time, and it was just like, yeah, it was such.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
A big deal, and I was like, wait, it's so
like normal here.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
And I don't know what I was expecting, but like
I was just waiting for something like jump out at me.
I don't know what I was thinking, but I was
so nervous, pretty sure. I was like, very sweaty.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Under that helmet lang leather jacket.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
You didn't look at it, so did you when you
walk down set where you like.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Oh god. And then Columbus was there and I was like,
oh my god, he's so handsome, like even more handsome person.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
I just but again, everybody was so just this is
just a normal, everyday work day. So I was like, okay,
it was so fast, and but of course that's always
a good thing when you're a guest star. They don't
have to do take after take for you because you're nervous.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
And you're sitting waiting for them to get to your ceety.
Speaker 5 (07:01):
Oh god, I've done that.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
That's the worst. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
What sucks is that we didn't even get to work
with you, Kelly, Like no, in fact, that's the only problem.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I worked only the Columbus was the only series Eary
where I worked with I worked with Candy Alexandelas and
Nasmy and Bonati and on the other day that I
or the other episodes I shot, I did the two
and so.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
I never worked with Billy anything. I'm like, is that true?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah? It was? Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So we can you tell us before we break down
the episode real quick? Can you tell us how the
whole because I vaguely remember the whisperings starting of like
how you got Gray's Scandal? Like how did this all unfold?
Tell us how this hasn't okay? My the narrative, like
(07:50):
the story arc. From my perspective, it looked like this.
I had the meeting with the general with Linda. She
brought me in for the small part on Scandal. She
that turned into a a.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Small recurring and then she brought me in for a
pilot that I wound up shooting a role on, not
the role I originally went in for, but that pilot
got picked up. It was Peter Horton, who was the
oh wows the director Anatomy, Yeah, and an early ep
(08:20):
on Grey's Anatomy, and he it was a project of
his and oh my god, I feel so bad. Let
me tell you something that I had the time of
my life shooting that in Boston in the dead of winter.
I was so excited about that show. And then this
Gray's Anatomy Park came out, which when they put out
the breakdown for it.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
It was it might have been a guest star, but
I knew.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I knew it was recurring. I knew it was going
to recur, and so I went in for it. And
then I booked that and I was like, cool, got
this this recurring role on this pilot. I got this
recurring role on Grays. Although I knew that the offer
was coming in the firm Grays, my manager and Linda
had been in communication. They were like, it's you. You're
have to pick, You're to pick. I didn't get this contract, y'all.
(09:04):
I was supposed to shoot on a Friday. I finally
got the contract on Wednesday night at nine pm, and
the contract was for a serious A series regular option
and I was like, excuse me, and I didn't know
what to do. And I was like, but I want
(09:25):
to do this other show, and I did not know
what to do. I have no time to make the decision.
And I was like, I'm gonna kiss somebody off, like
no matter.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
And you know what, Grays, Yeah, you know what, Grays
are going to be there for like thirty eight years.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
This is for sure going to go listen.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
I did not know that because you guys at the time,
Grays had been on the air for ten seasons already.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Which so you were like that if I do the
Grays thing and it turned into a series regular, then
maybe it's just gonna be the last year of Grays
and then I'm gonna miss that might just be starting
your journey. And so maybe all of a sudden yeah yeah,
kindsight of twenty twenty, you didn't know that Grays was
going to be going.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
For twenty twenty ten.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I have no idea. I had no idea, So I
just I didn't. I was like, oh, okay, great, and
so that's pretty much I made the decision. And then
like within gosh, five or six episodes of the following season,
because I appeared at the end of season ten, like
(10:28):
and that last two episodes of season ten went back
to recur at the beginning of season eleven, and I
think within five or six episodes, Shonda called and promoted
me the series regular.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
So, oh man, what happened with the other show? Then
it just it didn't even make it to air.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
It did one season. It shot in New York City,
what I understand was the coldest winter up to that day.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
That sounds brutal.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh my god, what was the name of it because
it was a different name than what.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
We was damage control?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (11:04):
And then how many years did you do on Grades nine?
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Oh my god, my lord?
Speaker 5 (11:12):
Have wow that?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Is this true, Kelly?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
That you went to the powers that be and asked,
respectfully to that you wanted to move on and ye
done with the show. That's when you know you've been
on the show a long last time when you're like,
I think to move on.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Sandra did that too on the show, right, like she
does so amazing. That's just an amazing Yeah. Like artistically
or however.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Whatever reactly personal or professionally. You know, you're just like,
I'm wanted to move on, move on or whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I think that. Look the Sandra has done. Numerous actors
on the on the show have done it. I think
that nobody expects any actors job to last like a year,
let alone, you know, five, let alone nine. I got
that job at my thirties, so I had.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Up to the unbelievable. I don't even understand what's going on. Okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Right up to prior to that, I had been like
a journey woman actor and I'd played lots of different
roles and been in a lot of places. And then
I played Maggie Peers for nine years, which was absolutely incredible.
And do I think that Maggie Peers may still have
some stories left to tell? Absolutely, Like it's not like
there was nothing else to do or say in the role,
but it was just time for me creatively to like
(12:28):
get back on my horse. And also I'm in a
different place in life and like just things have changed,
and I thought, I think that I need some space
from this to figure out what the next step is
and to build up the rest Knockwood, the rest of
my career.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
To build it out with this incredible foundation.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Oh yeah, I can remember when Scandal was ending, Like
Jeff Perry said something to the extent of, like, it's
incredible if you can land an acting job in any
way that is secure or consistent for so many reasons,
you know, mentally, financially like all of those things, but inherently,
(13:09):
like being an actor is so nomadic, and what's exciting
about being an actor is playing lots of different things
overall a period of time. And so he would say
that when we were like getting bummed that scandal was
ending at year seven, because I think he was like, yes,
it's sad, but also we have to be excited about
the journeymanute being a journey actor like to play different
(13:30):
parts and whether you know you make that decision for
yourself or your show is ending after a really long run,
which you're so lucky to get, there's something creatively about
playing different parts.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
That's what's big about the job.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
For sure. I think that's what we all signed up for.
And like I said, like it's incredible, Like gosh, Ellen
has been playing Merreth Gray for over twenty years and
that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
Imagine playing the same character.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You're going through changes in your life and the character
comes along with you, and they inform that.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
I'm like, that is unheard of.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
When you they keep adding those zeros, they keep adding
those zeros.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
That's what makes it possible. Let's be real in this piece, I'll.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
Tell you that's what makes it impossible.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
To impossible to leave exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I love how all our lives crossed paths while we
were doing press for our shows. You started doing a
ton of for the upfront and the TCAs, and we'd
see Kelly at all these events, and we all just
had this mutual like shondaland love for each other because
we were fans of your show, You're fans of our show,
and it was just so it was so wonderful seeing
you out and chilling with you and hanging out.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
That was always it.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
I love the show. I loved you on the show.
I loved you on Scandal.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
We'll be right back, guys.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I do think that I got to join this show
at such a special time because the year that I
started on the show was the same year that How
To Get Away started, and so that was the first
year of TGIT, so where I was boarding this moving
train all by myself. By the way, because a lot
of people have come on to the show along with
(15:20):
other characters, I came alone, you know. I became a
series regular on great Or. Katerina became a series reg
go on Grays the same time, but she had already
existed in.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
The unifors and been backed and she got.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
On Private Practice, so she was definitely knew at the
same time as me and the grades, but she was
not new to the universe or I still felt like
I was charting new territory on my own. And but
it was like there was so much celebration around the
TGIT stuff. There was so much community building between the
three shows, and it was like, oh my god, I
(15:54):
just am so grateful that I was able to come
on at that time because I felt low. I was like,
I got to Gray's and everybody was wonderful and very
welcoming and interested in engaging with me and helping to
develop Maggie and everything like that. It was awesome. But
at the same time, they're like grown ass people with lots.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Of kids, you know in the show for a minute. Yeah, yeah,
And I was.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Just like nuw to la and nude to the this
part of the scene and stuff. And it was so
fun to be able to like have that celebratory party
vibe provided by our like shared TGI T experience. I mean,
big deal.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
That put her in that That put Shanda in the
like the dick Wolf category. You don't get full nights
of TV and you have multiple shows.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Happening at one time.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Somebody better pluck this girl yes into their show, because
not only are you you're such a beauty and so stunning,
but like your acting is so good.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
It's like it just seems so trained.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
So I'm so relaxed, like I'm just so oh my god,
she can do anything, like she's got it all.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Like it's just like.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I can't even believe you were on scan. Like it
was like, no, this girl is like a fucking star.
Get her out of hereever be the lead of her thing.
Obviously Shanda and was watching and was like, oh no,
she's mine anywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Thank you you guys, No, thank you so much. I
do I have to say, listen, there's definitely footage of
me on the internet, possibly on television to this day,
on my very first on screen acting job. I'm not
going to name it. I don't want to searching for it.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
I'm going to google it right now, Kelly, I had to.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I learned a lot on the job because I worked
really hard and I learned as I went. So much
of this is timing, and I happened to be like
really blossoming into my confident at the same time that
I was bossing into my abilities at the same time
that you know, I was ready to come to LA
And so it was, you know, after being in New
(18:08):
York for so long, So.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Are you a native New Yorker?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I went to
college in New York and State for a long time,
and that was sort of my home base. So I
did like a lot of regional theater and a little
out bad Way and one Broadway show. But like I
was just you know, journey Woman, a little bit of
guest starring here and there, founding the pavement that was
my training ground. And so yeah, I do I thank
(18:34):
you for saying all of that. And I do feel
like it was just a lot of manifesting timing, like
being in the right place at the right time. And
I do think also that Linda Lowe was a not
a guardian angel what do you call it, like a
fairy godmother, Like she just kept creating, kept like she
(18:56):
she kept.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Opening the door for you and putting you in the place.
But it was you you got there that could like keep.
And I had really similar Shanna used to say to me, like, oh,
where did you just come from? Like overnight is Quinn
And I was like I tested for all three doctors
of Off the Map last year.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
With you in there.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Because the Cat's bringing me, shoving me like in front
of her face because she knew at some point it
might line up. And did you say Linda was the
person who cast the other pilot that you were shooting Boston?
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah. She was such a champion. She was like, I'm
going to get this girl a job and she did.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Oh my god, she is the fucking best.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Okay she is.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
This is sadly the episode where your amazing character dies,
but we don't have to be sad because you went
on to have a nine year.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
Run worked out okay, And it was called although I
never wore any helmet laying on Gray's Anatomy, Yeah, damn it.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
This is episode three sixteen, which was called The Fluffer.
We'll get into that in a second. It aired on
April third and twenty fourteen.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
And it was written by Chris Van Duson and Ramaala
Mohammad and it was directed by the jhos Wark.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
The episode was starring John Tenny As, Andrew Nichols, Tom
and Mandy's and Samuel Ruston. Candy Alexander Is, Maya Lewis,
Paul Eedelstein is Leo Bergen.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Brenda Strong is Joan rest In, Sebastian Rochet is Dominic Bell,
and Kelly McCreary is Claire Tucker Kelly and then to.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Just rack everyone's brains, including our own, of what the
hell this episode was about. As Olivia tries to get
the truth from her father, the White House deals with
a major press issue. Janine Locke is back with a
tell all book about her affair with fits. Since Olivia
took a day off, both Cyrus and Fitch ignor her
advice and try to solve the problem for themselves.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Meanwhile, Quinn Charlie track down Maya Pope is Hockey is
about to shut down B six thirteen thanks to a
little spy work from Olivia, but everything goes belly up
on both Maya and Jake know that Olivia has been intervening.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Okay, we usually go were you able to watch the episode,
It's totally okay. If you didn't, I did.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
I watched it last year, which was okay.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
So ten years ago you look exactly the same, so
congratulations on that. Let's just go through each of us
like favorite highlight moments. We'd like to say the Kerry
Washington school of acting, where you're just like holy shit,
that person's acting was crazy.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Or Shonda Rhymes school of writing was like the best
writing ever.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I couldn't get over Mine is a different category. A.
I thought Andrew Nichols is sporting a black guy the
whole time, and I thought it looked terrible. Really, he's
the guy running on the ticket with VI and in
the episode before, Fitz punches him in the face because
(21:57):
he finds out that he and Melly are having an
affair there love with each other, so he punches him.
So this whole episode he has to sport this black
guy that's healing.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I didn't even know. I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I'm like, what are you talking about? Black guys did
not look good?
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Sorry, I love you. Scandal makeup.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
They were to be real subtle.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Yeah, they were really subtle.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
My favorite line is when the Janine block book comes
out and the whole press releases or the press is
all asking.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Him does he have a breadstick or a begette.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
It's definitely I thought that they were like gonna cut
away right before she said it or something.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
I was like, oh no, no.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
More times, I'm like, this is the luckiest dog in
all of TV.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Like you for all this time.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
You just have the writers making you like the swaggiest,
coolest hung dude.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
It's like he can do no wrong, he can do
no wrong. Like it's insane. Did anyone have your favorite parts?
You know?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:10):
I loved this scene where Olivia flex is on the VP.
That was so good. That was such a great scene
where she's like, you got two choices, and then I
just loved like it was just quintessential scandal because it
was like, here goes the power flex Here comes the
moral ambiguity, here comes the how is she going to
leverage her power to still win in this situation without
(23:31):
just like telling somebody what to do, but like actually
making making it so that they really don't have a choice.
Was so gangster. I I that was such a great scene.
It was so good.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
It's so sad, Fitz says to Olivia.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
She says, what do you want?
Speaker 5 (23:47):
What do you want?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
He says, have Andrew Nichols stop sleeping with my wife.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Stop screw Oh it's horrible.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
And then she goes and gives Andrew Nichols and ultimatum,
like Kelly said, you have two choices. Either you can
run for president, run for vice president, or you can
continue being in love with Melly, but I'm going to
make your life a living hell and we're going to
destroy your entire reputation. Your career will be over, you'll
be run out of DC.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
It's a class and then Mellie won't want you anyway.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
So exactly, yeah, right, once you're.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Enoughing politically, Mellie's not going to want you. So what
do you want to be vice president for four years?
Or do you want to fuck Melly for a month?
What's your yeahs? Basically, don't make me take out my
big stick. And so it's astral.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
One of my favorite scenes, like top top favorite scene
in this in this episode is when Jake is outside
of Live's door and he's please let me in. I'm drunk,
and she's like no, and then she has this line
that I freaking love. She says, I would never kill
your friends because Jake had killed James. At that point,
she's so heartbroken and sad and just on the other
side of the door.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
And then at the end of that.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Scene, he says to her, I asked you to save
me and you said no. I mean, I'm sure she
had walked away from the door already. Oh, it's so
sad to see Jake so vulnerable. Olivia, I need you
to save me, and she basically was like, no, go home,
get out of here.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
That's such a heart wrenching scene. So good.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Also in this episode, Jake and Live hook up again
in Bone they go to Bone Town and the whole
time I was thinking, she's super pregnant and how was she?
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Yes, she was. I don't remember. In this episode, I.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Had to do a sex scene while pregnant. I can't
even imagine how like uncomfortable that is. Have you had
to do that, Kelly, Like, I can't even imagine.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
No, I remember doing like a little snog.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I was like my body, get off of me in
the way.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
Yeah, Like I can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
I feel like when we had Scott on he might
have even talked about it to you where he was
like they were like can you roll over?
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Yes, it was choreographs.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Yeah, like I can. He was like I can't. I mean,
she was like very pregnant at this point. They made
it look great. It was a lot of quick.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Cuts and I was gonna say I even wrote down
and notes that this was the hottest sex between Living
Live and Jake, Like this scene and maybe it was
because it was edited so beautifully and when it was
just quick and hot, and you knew that Olivia was
up to no good because she's trying to get something
from Jake and.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
She brings she takes advantage of him.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
She's like snugging on his chest and for the first
time vulnerable and he falls asleep, and then she steals
his phone, brings the phone into o PA sad.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
It's so sad. We will be back with more after
the break.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
My ultimate favorite part of the episode is when Melly
goes up to Andrew Nichols and is like, do you
want to meet for a little fun time for a
couple hours and he's no, sorry, if it's I'm not
ever doing that again, you sort of thing. And then
she just marches into the Oval office and there's a
million people in there. She fucking bitch slaps Fits so
hard across the face and only like Melly in her
(26:57):
in her.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Death rattle voice is like to take everything from there.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
That was a great moment. I had to say. I
was like, I haven't watched the show. First of all,
I can't believe you guys have been off the air
for six years. It feels like it was just yesterday,
but yeah, crazy weird. So I haven't watched the show
since it was on the air. I was like, oh
my god, there's time the casual violence that was such
an int Yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Somebody's throwing live up against a wall.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Oh yeah. I was like, oh my, oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
This is very ten PM or whatever. It was very violent.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
They that always just a shock Shonda, because you would say,
like standards and practices has so many issues going through
what's allowed to be aired on the network show.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
They had so many issues with some.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Sexual stuff, abortion stuff, this that, But like the guns
and the violence was like willing.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Like fine, yeah you could pull her out, Well.
Speaker 5 (27:54):
You can do whatever you want.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Was gruesome, right, Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Talk about how did you think you did, Kelly, How
did you think your acting was? I think you were amazing,
But like I thought Quinn was red. There was one
part where Twinn runs in out of the their surveillance
Herman Hawker, her and Charlie are doing surveillance fan on
Maya Pope and then all of a sudden, B six
thirteen gets shut down. Hawk hacks into B six thirteen
(28:20):
and Olivia says shut it down, and he shuts down
all of Thesic thirteen and I jump out of the
van and I run with a gun into the hotel room,
and my god, my acting was bad.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Yeah, I was pretty bad. Did you have it pretty bad?
Speaker 5 (28:34):
What did you think? What did you have?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I think there was some corny moments in this episode.
That that scene where Huck is like, I can shut
it down live, I can do it right now if
you want me to, and she takes the moment she's like,
shut it down. It was a bit over dramatic and
a bit of camp, but it was still fun. And
then I still am blown away by the I think
even on set, I had an issue with Jake coming
(28:58):
up to Olivia and grabbing her by the necond, pushing
her up against the wall.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
I was like, Huck would have like murdered.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Him, but you know, her thing is gone. He's pointing
his gun at Hucks, So I get that. It was
such a It was such.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
An odd why he does that. I don't like either either.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, I didn't love it.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Listen, it was in the script doing that. Yeah, the script.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
You guys never challenge the script.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
No, I think other actors did on Scandal, but I
definitely didn't g did you No.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
I think there might have been a moment where I
said something like, what, I don't understand you. I don't know,
but I didn't. I didn't challenge it hard like other
actors too.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
We listen.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I was afraid I was going to get booted off
the show just for you know, just because they were
done with Hucks.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
So I didn't want to. I didn't want to make
any sudden movements.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
I also think after Grey's Anatomy, Sean knew like she
had this rule that was like, I guess we followed it,
but I bet like Kerry and Tony would talk to
her about stuff, but she would say, Okay, after a
table read, you have twenty four hours you send me
an email.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Oh you did, okay?
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Oh yeah, for hours to send an email if you
wanted a change or something like that. If I agree
with the change, you'll see it in a rewrite. But
if I don't agree with the change, you'll just never
hear from me.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
That's so funny.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
One of my other favorite things in this episode, You Guys,
is went at the top of the show when Abby
walks into the White House and she's wearing the White coat,
holding a purse at the edge of her wrist, real
freaking professional and ready to go and take over for
Olivia Pope and they are just not having.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Her walk out of the room on her I'm like.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Yes, yeah, wow, Abby is not Olivia Pope.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
We do not accept her by proxy on this campaign trail. Goodbye.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
And this is the first time that Cyrus calls Abby
Gabby and she keeps correcting him. He's yeah, okay, Gabby, okay.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
So Kelly, do you watch yourself work? Do you watch
your acting as a rule? Do you have rules about that?
And how was it watching yourself last night?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
I watched myself at the beginning of stuff, right, So
see what sort of tweaking and fine tuning is what
I'm trying to do?
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Reading?
Speaker 5 (31:11):
What can I do more of? What do I need
to do?
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Less of? What habits am I falling into that I'm
not aware of? And then I cannot watch myself anymore?
Like I didn't watch it the last I can't say
how much of Grades I didn't watch, but it was
a lot. I can't do it. But watching myself last
night on Scandal, I was like, oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
You're so sexy, You're so good in it. And the
fact that Claire calls Harrison h It's such a double
O seven like moment. It's very that, right. I just
love that she calls him h It's so it's so sexy,
it's so great.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
It's so good.
Speaker 5 (31:46):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
It was like that. But Claire was only that one scene.
The character only existed in that one scene. But her
calling him hyeah tells you so exactly. Yes, Yes, that.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
Little rehearsal of writing was just like so youngy.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
So I was like, oh, there's history, there's mysteries, like
there's something here, and so it was really fun to
lean into that. I certainly don't think of myself as
like a mysterious person.
Speaker 5 (32:16):
I'm working with Candy Alexander.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Oh my god. First of all, she is so cool,
but she's sexy and fabulous and talk about confidence, she's
like dripping with it. And after one I don't know
if it was a rehearsal or a take. Speaking of habits,
I like default to like a quirky behavior. I think
it was.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
I don't know if it.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Was in like a rehearsal or if we were shooting
and it was on coverage or something. But I like
made this like kind of face, like she was staring
at me in a very intimidating way, and the appropriate
reaction for this character would have been to, like, I
pretend like I was staring down back at her, right
because I was trying to be her equal, and I
(33:02):
did something weird.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
I don't know what it was, but she no, she
and she was like, she literally was like, you're so weird.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Weird weirdo.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
That is so did you know I'm a huge fan
of Candy. I mean, everyone's a fan of Candy Alexander's
but she was. I mean, the first thing that pops
in my head is Poetic Justice, which I love that.
But she also, Kelly, did you know that she choreographed
like three of Whitney Houstonson Houston's like top world tours.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Did you know this?
Speaker 5 (33:37):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Oh yeah, I did not know that, But I remember
learning something about her that day, about her dance career
that I was like, oh my god. But like I
had my mind blown that day and you're just reminding
me of it, so I can't remember exactly what the
details of it are right now, but like I remember
that day being like what so you can look at
her body. I mean, oh, you're a dancer, and I
(34:00):
think I remember like asking about that or something, you know,
but yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
I haven't had a body like that since high school,
Like man, like, how are you that compact and strong?
Pushing and she's unbelievable. Okay, you always do Giermo's Six
Degrees of Horror or Madonna, because then there's two favorite
things in the world. Have you never done horror film?
Speaker 5 (34:26):
I've never done a horror film. I've done.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
I did this like really cool short that was like
a kind of a thriller, but it was really more
like suspense. It was not horror.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
But are you a fan of the horror? The horror Kelly,
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
I don't like the gore. I don't like the jump scares, like,
oh God.
Speaker 5 (34:46):
Get that jump scare.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I like a jump scare, and like a murder mystery,
like a murder comedy, but like a jump like an
axe coming down on somebody is like not my jam.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
But you're probably like a fan of like Silence of
the Lambs, like that sort of horror thriller.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
No or no, even that's too much, too scary for me.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
It's too scary.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
To me suit out of a human skin.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
That's true.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
That's true. That's true.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
Man, nobody wants that. I don't care for it.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
There was one guest star on the show, Sebastian Rochet,
who played Dominic Bell, who did three sort of horror
esque shows. He was on Supernatural for a while, and
then he was on Fringe with our girl j Justeseka
Nicole Yeah yes, who played Huk's wife for a bunch
of episodes, and then he was also on The Vampire Diaries.
So it's a horror esque but she has exactly yeah, yeah,
(35:38):
but like I.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
Could do so. So here's the thing. Horror is no
genre I like to watch. But actually, ironically, I was
just reading this Lupita Jungo profile and Glamour Yesterday free
plug but and she talks about how she loves to
do it because it's fun, but also it requires the
way that you have to sustain and because the energy
of the tension requires so much actual physical energy, like
(36:03):
over the person, there's so much salmina And I thought
that's interesting. That would be a really interesting acting challenge,
right because in anything else, you're like, I've been in
flowing with it. But there it's always in a text.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
She was did you guys see Lupita and Us? She is, yes,
ridiculously talented in that movie that she has to do
in that film.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
It's to see this quiet place. Pretty cool because I
like that. I liked quiet Place. Does that count as far?
Speaker 4 (36:30):
Yes? Yeah, absolutely, I like that one.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Yeah, let's talk about some I know, Kelly, this is terrified.
Happened a few Scandal tweets of the time, because it's
like opening up a time capsule, and.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
Oh, this is good to know.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Carrie Washington tweeted, so we can all feel better about this.
F yi is stunt double who was thrown up against
the glass door? Oh scandal? So even her and she
was pregnant and gee, you don't even remember that.
Speaker 4 (37:05):
No, I don't remember there being a stunt double. Listen cave.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Victoria Chase tweeted you telling me B six thirteen can
take out.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
It can be taken.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Out by trip and a circuit breaker.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Hashtag unbelievable, hashtag nights that hashtag scandal.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Yes, Kelly, were you on Twitter during this time, like
during like the like when you did scandal and unwillingly?
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yeah, not enjoy the social they give me big anxiety.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Andy t Germ tweeted, I'd love to meet the five
year old boy who writes all the Fits's dialogue hashtags.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
Jazmine Ballejo tweeted, finally watched Scandal episode from last night,
and I'd just like to say that Jake Ballard can
get it anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Oh shit, it's hard in the eyes emoji.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
I finally watched the episode from yes last night.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
Girl, how much It's so true. It's so true. That's
so funny.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
Okay. At spect in Script tweeted, so.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Was it me?
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Or was there some eye flirting going on between Abby
and Leo and yesterday's eppie hashtags?
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Always there was always?
Speaker 5 (38:16):
Oh yeah, the Leo Abby chemistry was fiery. It was hot.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
This is one of my favorite tweets. Nasty Woman Kiky tweeted.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Fuck you Fits and Olivia, you both suck hashtags Scandal.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
Yes, she mad, same chick.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Nasty Woman Kiky tweeted, oh my, Melly is gonna get
screwed because Fits is a douchebag that gets to have
a mistress but his wife can't Scandal.
Speaker 5 (38:41):
Fuck you Fits, I love it.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
It is not fair.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
It is freaking fair.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
Oh my God, Like Kelly, you are the greatest.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
The next episode up is number three seventeen, called Flesh
and Blood. I have no idea if we have a
guest or not, but Kelly, what you came on briefly
at Scandal and.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
You left your mark, you left, you made an impression.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
Ah sucks. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
You're lucky to have talented, so talented, so beautiful.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
It's an honor to be here.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
This is so much fun.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
I love that you guys are doing this.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
You're the culture of your show was happy and about together,
this and joy, and all these years later, you're still
doing this and I'm so grateful to be part of it.
Thank you so much for you such a fun walkdown
memory lane, you guys.
Speaker 5 (39:32):
Thanks Kelly.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
I love you guys.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Thanks for listening. Gladiators, We love you, Gladiators.
Speaker 5 (39:42):
Next week, episode three seventeen. I don't remember the name.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
Flesh and Blood.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Oh, flesh and Blood, Bye bye.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Thank you guys for joining us on Unpacking the Toolbox.
If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share with your friends, rate,
or leave us a review.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Unpacking the Toolbox was executive produced by Sandy Bailey Alex
Alce Lauren Holman, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer
and editor is Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Scandal is a production of ABC Signature, and you can
follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit
the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with Higheart Radio scandh Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Oh my gosh, we have the greatest guest on today's episode. Hey, Kelly,
I feel like you come on to Scandal and you
are such a star, like a seen stealing shiny beacon
of stunningness.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Black leather jacket, wearing hair up like Lang, no way,
helmet Lang.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Forgetting it, won't get it because I knew I was
that my fate would change when I came back as
the character. When they had me in All Saints, it
was like last time they had me in Helmet Lang.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I was like, that is so funny, that is amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So for those of you listening who don't know her
by voice, you should or whatever social media picture we
put out. But the guest today is the one and
only Kelly McCreary. Yes, who was on season three of
Scanne or did you start in season two?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
No?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Three?
Speaker 1 (01:37):
She started in episode Yolo, which is yes, yeah, that's
when we first see Claire.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You played Claire.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
She played Claire bad Ass Claire Badass B.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Six thirteen agent who calls Harrison h and works for
Maya pope. But wait a second, first and foremost, was
this your first foray Intoshondaland it was.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Yes, yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So I had a meeting with Lynda Lowe just like
a general a couple of months before that. Yeah, And
so like when this audition came in, it was in
the midst of like episodic season when that was a thing,
So it was like really busy, and this was just
like a couple of little lines, and I was like, oh,
I want to play. I want to do more than
(02:23):
this on Scandal. I should wait until like better role
comes along. And then I was like, no, but Linda
and I had such a great rapport that I should
just say yes to this opportunity. And I went in
to just read my little two little lines, and it
turned out that the scene I was reading was not
the scene I actually did in that first episode Yolo
in the first place, because they always had dummy sides, right,
(02:44):
and then after that, you know, it was intended only
to be a single episode, but then came back and
did another one.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So when you audition, did you know that it would
recur or you didn't even think it was that.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
No, it was not supposed to recur.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Wha, that's how good you did.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
She was, wait, so like you even when you were
shooting it, like you didn't know that it was going
to come back another episode.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah, no, you know I went to college with Ramlah Muhammad.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
You did.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I didn't know that this episode with Chris Vans, Yes.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Right exactly. And ram La was on set that day
and I was like, oh, yead hey girl.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
I had no idea that she was even writing. I
had no idea why I.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Lost track of each other after college. And so we're
catching up and it's great and she's like, well bye.
When I was I was like, so good to.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
See you bye.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
And then yeah, it turned out that I guess like
I passed a vibe check or something, and she was
able to confirm for Shonda that I wasn't going to
cause them problems, and I came back for another episode.
Ushanda reached out to her to find out it was
worth bring me back, and so she vou.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Like, no assholelog.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah I did say bad, but yes, I guess I
literally causing no asshole policy.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
That was really good?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Were you when you came on the Scandal set? Had
you watched Scandal before or you had never seen it or.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, no, of course. Yeah, I remember sitting in my
New York apartment because it came on late mid season.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
Yeah, it was April.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Was the starting date April, which is so late for
even a mid season show.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, but I remember sitting on my brown sofa in
my New York apartment and watching with my roommate at
the time. Like, I remember watching those early episodes and
being like, oh my god, this is so cool and
exciting and flashy and sexy and glamorous and elegant and
so fun. I watched it in the very beginning, and
then I fell off for some reason. Oh I was
(04:47):
like living in Vancouver shooting a show or something, so
I was gonna watch TV. But yeah, I was just going.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
To say, were you a fan of Grays as well
early days?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yes, I was an early fan of Grace. I went
through a very long period of I hope when I
was saw one of those people, Oh I don't really
watch TV, but like I really.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
Knew I did too.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, I went through a period where two of my
apartments didn't even have a television, and I don't think yeah,
and I don't think I could have for a laptop
I literally have like a good four year span where
I never watched a show like.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, and this was like before streaming, before binginging for me,
like I'm dating myself here, but this was back when
you like had to be home to watch TV and
I lived in New York. I was running them streets now.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So when you found out your dummy size or dummy size,
then you find out, holy shit, I'm gonna come on
and I'm gonna have scenes with Harrison, Like had you
ever worked with him before?
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Did you know what that was going to be like?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Were you nervous walking on a set or were you like, oh,
I'm so pro with this or what was the vibe
for you?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
When I tell you it was like an out of
body experience. I had just shot my first series as
a series regular. I'd wrapped it earlier that year, so
I was not completely inexperienced. I knew how to be
on set, I knew how things went, I knew how
to I certainly felt capable as an actor. But something
about being on this set because it was like, I mean,
(06:07):
you guys, no, Seattle was such a big deal at
the time, and it was just like, yeah, it was such.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
A big deal, and I was like, wait, it's so
like normal here.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
And I don't know what I was expecting, but like
I was just waiting for something like jump out at me.
I don't know what I was thinking, but I was
so nervous, pretty sure. I was like, very sweaty.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Under that helmet lang leather jacket.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
You didn't look at it, so did you when you
walk down set where you like.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Oh god. And then Columbus was there and I was like,
oh my god, he's so handsome, like even more handsome person.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
I just but again, everybody was so just this is
just a normal, everyday work day. So I was like, okay,
it was so fast, and but of course that's always
a good thing when you're a guest star. They don't
have to do take after take for you because you're nervous.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
And you're sitting waiting for them to get to your ceety.
Speaker 5 (07:01):
Oh god, I've done that.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
That's the worst. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
What sucks is that we didn't even get to work
with you, Kelly, Like no, in fact, that's the only problem.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I worked only the Columbus was the only series Eary
where I worked with I worked with Candy Alexandelas and
Nasmy and Bonati and on the other day that I
or the other episodes I shot, I did the two
and so.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
I never worked with Billy anything. I'm like, is that true?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah? It was? Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So we can you tell us before we break down
the episode real quick? Can you tell us how the
whole because I vaguely remember the whisperings starting of like
how you got Gray's Scandal? Like how did this all unfold?
Tell us how this hasn't okay? My the narrative, like
(07:50):
the story arc. From my perspective, it looked like this.
I had the meeting with the general with Linda. She
brought me in for the small part on Scandal. She
that turned into a a.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Small recurring and then she brought me in for a
pilot that I wound up shooting a role on, not
the role I originally went in for, but that pilot
got picked up. It was Peter Horton, who was the
oh wows the director Anatomy, Yeah, and an early ep
(08:20):
on Grey's Anatomy, and he it was a project of
his and oh my god, I feel so bad. Let
me tell you something that I had the time of
my life shooting that in Boston in the dead of winter.
I was so excited about that show. And then this
Gray's Anatomy Park came out, which when they put out
the breakdown for it.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
It was it might have been a guest star, but
I knew.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I knew it was recurring. I knew it was going
to recur, and so I went in for it. And
then I booked that and I was like, cool, got
this this recurring role on this pilot. I got this
recurring role on Grays. Although I knew that the offer
was coming in the firm Grays, my manager and Linda
had been in communication. They were like, it's you. You're
have to pick, You're to pick. I didn't get this contract, y'all.
(09:04):
I was supposed to shoot on a Friday. I finally
got the contract on Wednesday night at nine pm, and
the contract was for a serious A series regular option
and I was like, excuse me, and I didn't know
what to do. And I was like, but I want
(09:25):
to do this other show, and I did not know
what to do. I have no time to make the decision.
And I was like, I'm gonna kiss somebody off, like
no matter.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
And you know what, Grays, Yeah, you know what, Grays
are going to be there for like thirty eight years.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
This is for sure going to go listen.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
I did not know that because you guys at the time,
Grays had been on the air for ten seasons already.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Which so you were like that if I do the
Grays thing and it turned into a series regular, then
maybe it's just gonna be the last year of Grays
and then I'm gonna miss that might just be starting
your journey. And so maybe all of a sudden yeah yeah,
kindsight of twenty twenty, you didn't know that Grays was
going to be going.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
For twenty twenty ten.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I have no idea. I had no idea, So I
just I didn't. I was like, oh, okay, great, and
so that's pretty much I made the decision. And then
like within gosh, five or six episodes of the following season,
because I appeared at the end of season ten, like
(10:28):
and that last two episodes of season ten went back
to recur at the beginning of season eleven, and I
think within five or six episodes, Shonda called and promoted
me the series regular.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
So, oh man, what happened with the other show? Then
it just it didn't even make it to air.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
It did one season. It shot in New York City,
what I understand was the coldest winter up to that day.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
That sounds brutal.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh my god, what was the name of it because
it was a different name than what.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
We was damage control?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (11:04):
And then how many years did you do on Grades nine?
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Oh my god, my lord?
Speaker 5 (11:12):
Have wow that?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Is this true, Kelly?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
That you went to the powers that be and asked,
respectfully to that you wanted to move on and ye
done with the show. That's when you know you've been
on the show a long last time when you're like,
I think to move on.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Sandra did that too on the show, right, like she
does so amazing. That's just an amazing Yeah. Like artistically
or however.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Whatever reactly personal or professionally. You know, you're just like,
I'm wanted to move on, move on or whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I think that. Look the Sandra has done. Numerous actors
on the on the show have done it. I think
that nobody expects any actors job to last like a year,
let alone, you know, five, let alone nine. I got
that job at my thirties, so I had.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Up to the unbelievable. I don't even understand what's going on. Okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Right up to prior to that, I had been like
a journey woman actor and I'd played lots of different
roles and been in a lot of places. And then
I played Maggie Peers for nine years, which was absolutely incredible.
And do I think that Maggie Peers may still have
some stories left to tell? Absolutely, Like it's not like
there was nothing else to do or say in the role,
but it was just time for me creatively to like
(12:28):
get back on my horse. And also I'm in a
different place in life and like just things have changed,
and I thought, I think that I need some space
from this to figure out what the next step is
and to build up the rest Knockwood, the rest of
my career.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
To build it out with this incredible foundation.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Oh yeah, I can remember when Scandal was ending, Like
Jeff Perry said something to the extent of, like, it's
incredible if you can land an acting job in any
way that is secure or consistent for so many reasons,
you know, mentally, financially like all of those things, but inherently,
(13:09):
like being an actor is so nomadic, and what's exciting
about being an actor is playing lots of different things
overall a period of time. And so he would say
that when we were like getting bummed that scandal was
ending at year seven, because I think he was like, yes,
it's sad, but also we have to be excited about
the journeymanute being a journey actor like to play different
(13:30):
parts and whether you know you make that decision for
yourself or your show is ending after a really long run,
which you're so lucky to get, there's something creatively about
playing different parts.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
That's what's big about the job.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
For sure. I think that's what we all signed up for.
And like I said, like it's incredible, Like gosh, Ellen
has been playing Merreth Gray for over twenty years and
that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
Imagine playing the same character.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You're going through changes in your life and the character
comes along with you, and they inform that.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
I'm like, that is unheard of.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
When you they keep adding those zeros, they keep adding
those zeros.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
That's what makes it possible. Let's be real in this piece, I'll.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
Tell you that's what makes it impossible.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
To impossible to leave exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I love how all our lives crossed paths while we
were doing press for our shows. You started doing a
ton of for the upfront and the TCAs, and we'd
see Kelly at all these events, and we all just
had this mutual like shondaland love for each other because
we were fans of your show, You're fans of our show,
and it was just so it was so wonderful seeing
you out and chilling with you and hanging out.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
That was always it.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
I love the show. I loved you on the show.
I loved you on Scandal.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
We'll be right back, guys.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I do think that I got to join this show
at such a special time because the year that I
started on the show was the same year that How
To Get Away started, and so that was the first
year of TGIT, so where I was boarding this moving
train all by myself. By the way, because a lot
of people have come on to the show along with
(15:20):
other characters, I came alone, you know. I became a
series regular on great Or. Katerina became a series reg
go on Grays the same time, but she had already
existed in.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
The unifors and been backed and she got.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
On Private Practice, so she was definitely knew at the
same time as me and the grades, but she was
not new to the universe or I still felt like
I was charting new territory on my own. And but
it was like there was so much celebration around the
TGIT stuff. There was so much community building between the
three shows, and it was like, oh my god, I
(15:54):
just am so grateful that I was able to come
on at that time because I felt low. I was like,
I got to Gray's and everybody was wonderful and very
welcoming and interested in engaging with me and helping to
develop Maggie and everything like that. It was awesome. But
at the same time, they're like grown ass people with lots.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Of kids, you know in the show for a minute. Yeah, yeah,
And I was.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Just like nuw to la and nude to the this
part of the scene and stuff. And it was so
fun to be able to like have that celebratory party
vibe provided by our like shared TGI T experience. I mean,
big deal.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
That put her in that That put Shanda in the
like the dick Wolf category. You don't get full nights
of TV and you have multiple shows.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Happening at one time.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Somebody better pluck this girl yes into their show, because
not only are you you're such a beauty and so stunning,
but like your acting is so good.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
It's like it just seems so trained.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
So I'm so relaxed, like I'm just so oh my god,
she can do anything, like she's got it all.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Like it's just like.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I can't even believe you were on scan. Like it
was like, no, this girl is like a fucking star.
Get her out of hereever be the lead of her thing.
Obviously Shanda and was watching and was like, oh no,
she's mine anywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Thank you you guys, No, thank you so much. I
do I have to say, listen, there's definitely footage of
me on the internet, possibly on television to this day,
on my very first on screen acting job. I'm not
going to name it. I don't want to searching for it.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
I'm going to google it right now, Kelly, I had to.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I learned a lot on the job because I worked
really hard and I learned as I went. So much
of this is timing, and I happened to be like
really blossoming into my confident at the same time that
I was bossing into my abilities at the same time
that you know, I was ready to come to LA
And so it was, you know, after being in New
(18:08):
York for so long, So.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Are you a native New Yorker?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I went to
college in New York and State for a long time,
and that was sort of my home base. So I
did like a lot of regional theater and a little
out bad Way and one Broadway show. But like I
was just you know, journey Woman, a little bit of
guest starring here and there, founding the pavement that was
my training ground. And so yeah, I do I thank
(18:34):
you for saying all of that. And I do feel
like it was just a lot of manifesting timing, like
being in the right place at the right time. And
I do think also that Linda Lowe was a not
a guardian angel what do you call it, like a
fairy godmother, Like she just kept creating, kept like she
(18:56):
she kept.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Opening the door for you and putting you in the place.
But it was you you got there that could like keep.
And I had really similar Shanna used to say to me, like, oh,
where did you just come from? Like overnight is Quinn
And I was like I tested for all three doctors
of Off the Map last year.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
With you in there.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Because the Cat's bringing me, shoving me like in front
of her face because she knew at some point it
might line up. And did you say Linda was the
person who cast the other pilot that you were shooting Boston?
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah. She was such a champion. She was like, I'm
going to get this girl a job and she did.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Oh my god, she is the fucking best.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Okay she is.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
This is sadly the episode where your amazing character dies,
but we don't have to be sad because you went
on to have a nine year.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
Run worked out okay, And it was called although I
never wore any helmet laying on Gray's Anatomy, Yeah, damn it.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
This is episode three sixteen, which was called The Fluffer.
We'll get into that in a second. It aired on
April third and twenty fourteen.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
And it was written by Chris Van Duson and Ramaala
Mohammad and it was directed by the jhos Wark.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
The episode was starring John Tenny As, Andrew Nichols, Tom
and Mandy's and Samuel Ruston. Candy Alexander Is, Maya Lewis,
Paul Eedelstein is Leo Bergen.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Brenda Strong is Joan rest In, Sebastian Rochet is Dominic Bell,
and Kelly McCreary is Claire Tucker Kelly and then to.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Just rack everyone's brains, including our own, of what the
hell this episode was about. As Olivia tries to get
the truth from her father, the White House deals with
a major press issue. Janine Locke is back with a
tell all book about her affair with fits. Since Olivia
took a day off, both Cyrus and Fitch ignor her
advice and try to solve the problem for themselves.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Meanwhile, Quinn Charlie track down Maya Pope is Hockey is
about to shut down B six thirteen thanks to a
little spy work from Olivia, but everything goes belly up
on both Maya and Jake know that Olivia has been intervening.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Okay, we usually go were you able to watch the episode,
It's totally okay. If you didn't, I did.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
I watched it last year, which was okay.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
So ten years ago you look exactly the same, so
congratulations on that. Let's just go through each of us
like favorite highlight moments. We'd like to say the Kerry
Washington school of acting, where you're just like holy shit,
that person's acting was crazy.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Or Shonda Rhymes school of writing was like the best
writing ever.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I couldn't get over Mine is a different category. A.
I thought Andrew Nichols is sporting a black guy the
whole time, and I thought it looked terrible. Really, he's
the guy running on the ticket with VI and in
the episode before, Fitz punches him in the face because
(21:57):
he finds out that he and Melly are having an
affair there love with each other, so he punches him.
So this whole episode he has to sport this black
guy that's healing.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I didn't even know. I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I'm like, what are you talking about? Black guys did
not look good?
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Sorry, I love you. Scandal makeup.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
They were to be real subtle.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Yeah, they were really subtle.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
My favorite line is when the Janine block book comes
out and the whole press releases or the press is
all asking.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Him does he have a breadstick or a begette.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
It's definitely I thought that they were like gonna cut
away right before she said it or something.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
I was like, oh no, no.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
More times, I'm like, this is the luckiest dog in
all of TV.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Like you for all this time.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
You just have the writers making you like the swaggiest,
coolest hung dude.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
It's like he can do no wrong, he can do
no wrong. Like it's insane. Did anyone have your favorite parts?
You know?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:10):
I loved this scene where Olivia flex is on the VP.
That was so good. That was such a great scene
where she's like, you got two choices, and then I
just loved like it was just quintessential scandal because it
was like, here goes the power flex Here comes the
moral ambiguity, here comes the how is she going to
leverage her power to still win in this situation without
(23:31):
just like telling somebody what to do, but like actually
making making it so that they really don't have a choice.
Was so gangster. I I that was such a great scene.
It was so good.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
It's so sad, Fitz says to Olivia.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
She says, what do you want?
Speaker 5 (23:47):
What do you want?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
He says, have Andrew Nichols stop sleeping with my wife.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Stop screw Oh it's horrible.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
And then she goes and gives Andrew Nichols and ultimatum,
like Kelly said, you have two choices. Either you can
run for president, run for vice president, or you can
continue being in love with Melly, but I'm going to
make your life a living hell and we're going to
destroy your entire reputation. Your career will be over, you'll
be run out of DC.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
It's a class and then Mellie won't want you anyway.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
So exactly, yeah, right, once you're.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Enoughing politically, Mellie's not going to want you. So what
do you want to be vice president for four years?
Or do you want to fuck Melly for a month?
What's your yeahs? Basically, don't make me take out my
big stick. And so it's astral.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
One of my favorite scenes, like top top favorite scene
in this in this episode is when Jake is outside
of Live's door and he's please let me in. I'm drunk,
and she's like no, and then she has this line
that I freaking love. She says, I would never kill
your friends because Jake had killed James. At that point,
she's so heartbroken and sad and just on the other
side of the door.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
And then at the end of that.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Scene, he says to her, I asked you to save
me and you said no. I mean, I'm sure she
had walked away from the door already. Oh, it's so
sad to see Jake so vulnerable. Olivia, I need you
to save me, and she basically was like, no, go home,
get out of here.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
That's such a heart wrenching scene. So good.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Also in this episode, Jake and Live hook up again
in Bone they go to Bone Town and the whole
time I was thinking, she's super pregnant and how was she?
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Yes, she was. I don't remember. In this episode, I.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Had to do a sex scene while pregnant. I can't
even imagine how like uncomfortable that is. Have you had
to do that, Kelly, Like, I can't even imagine.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
No, I remember doing like a little snog.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I was like my body, get off of me in
the way.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
Yeah, Like I can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
I feel like when we had Scott on he might
have even talked about it to you where he was
like they were like can you roll over?
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Yes, it was choreographs.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Yeah, like I can. He was like I can't. I mean,
she was like very pregnant at this point. They made
it look great. It was a lot of quick.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Cuts and I was gonna say I even wrote down
and notes that this was the hottest sex between Living
Live and Jake, Like this scene and maybe it was
because it was edited so beautifully and when it was
just quick and hot, and you knew that Olivia was
up to no good because she's trying to get something
from Jake and.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
She brings she takes advantage of him.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
She's like snugging on his chest and for the first
time vulnerable and he falls asleep, and then she steals
his phone, brings the phone into o PA sad.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
It's so sad. We will be back with more after
the break.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
My ultimate favorite part of the episode is when Melly
goes up to Andrew Nichols and is like, do you
want to meet for a little fun time for a
couple hours and he's no, sorry, if it's I'm not
ever doing that again, you sort of thing. And then
she just marches into the Oval office and there's a
million people in there. She fucking bitch slaps Fits so
hard across the face and only like Melly in her
(26:57):
in her.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Death rattle voice is like to take everything from there.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
That was a great moment. I had to say. I
was like, I haven't watched the show. First of all,
I can't believe you guys have been off the air
for six years. It feels like it was just yesterday,
but yeah, crazy weird. So I haven't watched the show
since it was on the air. I was like, oh
my god, there's time the casual violence that was such
an int Yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Somebody's throwing live up against a wall.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Oh yeah. I was like, oh my, oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
This is very ten PM or whatever. It was very violent.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
They that always just a shock Shonda, because you would say,
like standards and practices has so many issues going through
what's allowed to be aired on the network show.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
They had so many issues with some.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Sexual stuff, abortion stuff, this that, But like the guns
and the violence was like willing.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Like fine, yeah you could pull her out, Well.
Speaker 5 (27:54):
You can do whatever you want.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Was gruesome, right, Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Talk about how did you think you did, Kelly, How
did you think your acting was? I think you were amazing,
But like I thought Quinn was red. There was one
part where Twinn runs in out of the their surveillance
Herman Hawker, her and Charlie are doing surveillance fan on
Maya Pope and then all of a sudden, B six
thirteen gets shut down. Hawk hacks into B six thirteen
(28:20):
and Olivia says shut it down, and he shuts down
all of Thesic thirteen and I jump out of the
van and I run with a gun into the hotel room,
and my god, my acting was bad.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Yeah, I was pretty bad. Did you have it pretty bad?
Speaker 5 (28:34):
What did you think? What did you have?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I think there was some corny moments in this episode.
That that scene where Huck is like, I can shut
it down live, I can do it right now if
you want me to, and she takes the moment she's like,
shut it down. It was a bit over dramatic and
a bit of camp, but it was still fun. And
then I still am blown away by the I think
even on set, I had an issue with Jake coming
(28:58):
up to Olivia and grabbing her by the necond, pushing
her up against the wall.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
I was like, Huck would have like murdered.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Him, but you know, her thing is gone. He's pointing
his gun at Hucks, So I get that. It was
such a It was such.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
An odd why he does that. I don't like either either.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Yeah, I didn't love it.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Listen, it was in the script doing that. Yeah, the script.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
You guys never challenge the script.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
No, I think other actors did on Scandal, but I
definitely didn't g did you No.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
I think there might have been a moment where I
said something like, what, I don't understand you. I don't know,
but I didn't. I didn't challenge it hard like other
actors too.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
We listen.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I was afraid I was going to get booted off
the show just for you know, just because they were
done with Hucks.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
So I didn't want to. I didn't want to make
any sudden movements.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
I also think after Grey's Anatomy, Sean knew like she
had this rule that was like, I guess we followed it,
but I bet like Kerry and Tony would talk to
her about stuff, but she would say, Okay, after a
table read, you have twenty four hours you send me
an email.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Oh you did, okay?
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Oh yeah, for hours to send an email if you
wanted a change or something like that. If I agree
with the change, you'll see it in a rewrite. But
if I don't agree with the change, you'll just never
hear from me.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
That's so funny.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
One of my other favorite things in this episode, You Guys,
is went at the top of the show when Abby
walks into the White House and she's wearing the White coat,
holding a purse at the edge of her wrist, real
freaking professional and ready to go and take over for
Olivia Pope and they are just not having.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Her walk out of the room on her I'm like.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Yes, yeah, wow, Abby is not Olivia Pope.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
We do not accept her by proxy on this campaign trail. Goodbye.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
And this is the first time that Cyrus calls Abby
Gabby and she keeps correcting him. He's yeah, okay, Gabby, okay.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
So Kelly, do you watch yourself work? Do you watch
your acting as a rule? Do you have rules about that?
And how was it watching yourself last night?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
I watched myself at the beginning of stuff, right, So
see what sort of tweaking and fine tuning is what
I'm trying to do?
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Reading?
Speaker 5 (31:11):
What can I do more of? What do I need
to do?
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Less of? What habits am I falling into that I'm
not aware of? And then I cannot watch myself anymore?
Like I didn't watch it the last I can't say
how much of Grades I didn't watch, but it was
a lot. I can't do it. But watching myself last
night on Scandal, I was like, oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
You're so sexy, You're so good in it. And the
fact that Claire calls Harrison h It's such a double
O seven like moment. It's very that, right. I just
love that she calls him h It's so it's so sexy,
it's so great.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
It's so good.
Speaker 5 (31:46):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
It was like that. But Claire was only that one scene.
The character only existed in that one scene. But her
calling him hyeah tells you so exactly. Yes, Yes, that.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
Little rehearsal of writing was just like so youngy.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
So I was like, oh, there's history, there's mysteries, like
there's something here, and so it was really fun to
lean into that. I certainly don't think of myself as
like a mysterious person.
Speaker 5 (32:16):
I'm working with Candy Alexander.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Oh my god. First of all, she is so cool,
but she's sexy and fabulous and talk about confidence, she's
like dripping with it. And after one I don't know
if it was a rehearsal or a take. Speaking of habits,
I like default to like a quirky behavior. I think
it was.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
I don't know if it.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Was in like a rehearsal or if we were shooting
and it was on coverage or something. But I like
made this like kind of face, like she was staring
at me in a very intimidating way, and the appropriate
reaction for this character would have been to, like, I
pretend like I was staring down back at her, right
because I was trying to be her equal, and I
(33:02):
did something weird.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
I don't know what it was, but she no, she
and she was like, she literally was like, you're so weird.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Weird weirdo.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
That is so did you know I'm a huge fan
of Candy. I mean, everyone's a fan of Candy Alexander's
but she was. I mean, the first thing that pops
in my head is Poetic Justice, which I love that.
But she also, Kelly, did you know that she choreographed
like three of Whitney Houstonson Houston's like top world tours.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Did you know this?
Speaker 5 (33:37):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Oh yeah, I did not know that, But I remember
learning something about her that day, about her dance career
that I was like, oh my god. But like I
had my mind blown that day and you're just reminding
me of it, so I can't remember exactly what the
details of it are right now, but like I remember
that day being like what so you can look at
her body. I mean, oh, you're a dancer, and I
(34:00):
think I remember like asking about that or something, you know,
but yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
I haven't had a body like that since high school,
Like man, like, how are you that compact and strong?
Pushing and she's unbelievable. Okay, you always do Giermo's Six
Degrees of Horror or Madonna, because then there's two favorite
things in the world. Have you never done horror film?
Speaker 5 (34:26):
I've never done a horror film. I've done.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
I did this like really cool short that was like
a kind of a thriller, but it was really more
like suspense. It was not horror.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
But are you a fan of the horror? The horror Kelly,
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
I don't like the gore. I don't like the jump scares, like,
oh God.
Speaker 5 (34:46):
Get that jump scare.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I like a jump scare, and like a murder mystery,
like a murder comedy, but like a jump like an
axe coming down on somebody is like not my jam.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
But you're probably like a fan of like Silence of
the Lambs, like that sort of horror thriller.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
No or no, even that's too much, too scary for me.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
It's too scary.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
To me suit out of a human skin.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
That's true.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
That's true. That's true.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
Man, nobody wants that. I don't care for it.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
There was one guest star on the show, Sebastian Rochet,
who played Dominic Bell, who did three sort of horror
esque shows. He was on Supernatural for a while, and
then he was on Fringe with our girl j Justeseka
Nicole Yeah yes, who played Huk's wife for a bunch
of episodes, and then he was also on The Vampire Diaries.
So it's a horror esque but she has exactly yeah, yeah,
(35:38):
but like I.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
Could do so. So here's the thing. Horror is no
genre I like to watch. But actually, ironically, I was
just reading this Lupita Jungo profile and Glamour Yesterday free
plug but and she talks about how she loves to
do it because it's fun, but also it requires the
way that you have to sustain and because the energy
of the tension requires so much actual physical energy, like
(36:03):
over the person, there's so much salmina And I thought
that's interesting. That would be a really interesting acting challenge,
right because in anything else, you're like, I've been in
flowing with it. But there it's always in a text.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
She was did you guys see Lupita and Us? She is, yes,
ridiculously talented in that movie that she has to do
in that film.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
It's to see this quiet place. Pretty cool because I
like that. I liked quiet Place. Does that count as far?
Speaker 4 (36:30):
Yes? Yeah, absolutely, I like that one.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Yeah, let's talk about some I know, Kelly, this is terrified.
Happened a few Scandal tweets of the time, because it's
like opening up a time capsule, and.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
Oh, this is good to know.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Carrie Washington tweeted, so we can all feel better about this.
F yi is stunt double who was thrown up against
the glass door? Oh scandal? So even her and she
was pregnant and gee, you don't even remember that.
Speaker 4 (37:05):
No, I don't remember there being a stunt double. Listen cave.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Victoria Chase tweeted you telling me B six thirteen can
take out.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
It can be taken.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Out by trip and a circuit breaker.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Hashtag unbelievable, hashtag nights that hashtag scandal.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Yes, Kelly, were you on Twitter during this time, like
during like the like when you did scandal and unwillingly?
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yeah, not enjoy the social they give me big anxiety.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Andy t Germ tweeted, I'd love to meet the five
year old boy who writes all the Fits's dialogue hashtags.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
Jazmine Ballejo tweeted, finally watched Scandal episode from last night,
and I'd just like to say that Jake Ballard can
get it anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Oh shit, it's hard in the eyes emoji.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
I finally watched the episode from yes last night.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
Girl, how much It's so true. It's so true. That's
so funny.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
Okay. At spect in Script tweeted, so.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Was it me?
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Or was there some eye flirting going on between Abby
and Leo and yesterday's eppie hashtags?
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Always there was always?
Speaker 5 (38:16):
Oh yeah, the Leo Abby chemistry was fiery. It was hot.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
This is one of my favorite tweets. Nasty Woman Kiky tweeted.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Fuck you Fits and Olivia, you both suck hashtags Scandal.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
Yes, she mad, same chick.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Nasty Woman Kiky tweeted, oh my, Melly is gonna get
screwed because Fits is a douchebag that gets to have
a mistress but his wife can't Scandal.
Speaker 5 (38:41):
Fuck you Fits, I love it.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
It is not fair.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
It is freaking fair.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
Oh my God, Like Kelly, you are the greatest.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
The next episode up is number three seventeen, called Flesh
and Blood. I have no idea if we have a
guest or not, but Kelly, what you came on briefly
at Scandal and.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
You left your mark, you left, you made an impression.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
Ah sucks. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
You're lucky to have talented, so talented, so beautiful.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
It's an honor to be here.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
This is so much fun.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
I love that you guys are doing this.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
You're the culture of your show was happy and about together,
this and joy, and all these years later, you're still
doing this and I'm so grateful to be part of it.
Thank you so much for you such a fun walkdown
memory lane, you guys.
Speaker 5 (39:32):
Thanks Kelly.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
I love you guys.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Thanks for listening. Gladiators, We love you, Gladiators.
Speaker 5 (39:42):
Next week, episode three seventeen. I don't remember the name.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
Flesh and Blood.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Oh, flesh and Blood, Bye bye.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Thank you guys for joining us on Unpacking the Toolbox.
If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share with your friends, rate,
or leave us a review.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Unpacking the Toolbox was executive produced by Sandy Bailey Alex
Alce Lauren Holman, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer
and editor is Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Scandal is a production of ABC Signature, and you can
follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit
the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Guillermo Díaz
Katie Lowes
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