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