Camilla Luddington

Starring on the record-breaking hit series Grey’s Anatomy, Camilla Luddington shines as fanfavorite, Jo Karev. Having joined as a series regular in its tenth season, the English actress describes the gig as a dream come true. “It was such a surreal experience because I had been a fan of the show for so long,” she explains. “Grey’s Anatomy was one of the first shows I started watching when I moved to Los Angeles so it still feels unreal to me that I get to be apart of it. It was truly a rush to be walking those halls for the first time and to be working alongside the same people that I had been watching on TV. It’s been such a journey and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to do it for as long as I have.”

Recalling her first time on set, Camilla says she couldn’t help but be taken over by nerves. “I remember thinking ‘Oh my God, I’m a terrible doctor. They’re going to fire me,’” she laughs. “My first scene was with Ellen [Pompeo] and it was a monologue that was packed with medical jargon. I had to memorize everything overnight and I remember feeling so intimidated by everyone. Of course, as nerve-racking as it all was, it was so incredibly fun. The nerves were definitely balanced with excitement. All I can say is that it was, and still is, an unforgettable experience.”

With a fan base that’s as fiercely protective as Grey’s Anatomy’s, viewers needed a little extra push to embrace Jo as part of the team and a potential part of Alex’s love life. “Honestly, I think Jo was a tough sell to the viewers,” the actress says. “People were very protective over Alex and Izzy’s relationship and the fans didn’t want Jo to replace her. I think it took awhile for viewers to really like her and accept her as Alex’s newest love interest. Slowly but surely, Jo forced her way into the hearts of everyone!”

Fast forward to season 15, fans of the show can’t imagine Jo and Alex with anybody else. “I probably love Jolex more than the viewers do,” Camilla laughs. “I love it because I’m in it everyday. It’s impossible to not be invested when we’ve been at this for so long. I love them together so much and I just hope that they never break up. I know it’s Grey’s Anatomy and that anything can happen at anytime, but I hope Jolex is forever.”

Having found a safe space in one another, Jo and Alex connect on a level that can’t be denied. “I think they’re both very understanding of each other’s backgrounds and they allow each other to fall and trust that the other will catch them,” the actress explains. “They bring out the best in each other and I hope that we get to see them do that for a very long time because it’s so much fun to watch them interact. They’re so playful as a couple and they’re still so flirty and romantic with each other; I think they compliment each other so well.”

When it comes to her onscreen evolution, Camilla describes Jo’s character development as an actor’s dream. “It’s been wonderful,” she gushes. “I’ve been playing this role for seven years now and, with a role like that, you always hope that there’s been some sort of growth or evolution as the time goes by. I think what I’m happiest about is her being able to let down her guard enough to let someone else in. Before Alex, it was very difficult for Jo to love and trust someone, due to her past experiences. This season, you really just get to see her enjoy being in love and accepting love back, which has always been hard for her. I think it’s been a beautiful evolution, for sure.”

On the professional front, Jo’s come into her own as a talented surgeon. “As an intern, we watched her make all the intern mistakes. Now, she’s really holding her own and it’s exciting to watch her take charge of her career. I’d say that her ultimate career goal is to win awards and be apart of something innovative that she could say was her own. Ultimately, she wants to follow in Meredith Grey’s footsteps – who wouldn’t want to do that?!”

“The fans are the reason that we all get to make this incredible show. Truly, we can’t thank them enough. We all feel so incredibly grateful that we get to do this everyday.”

In true Grey’s fashion, the medical drama often features storylines that hit close to home to its viewers. “There are definitely some heavy topics on this show,” the actress notes. “To prepare, it’s all about doing as much research as we possibly can. With Grey’s, we’re very fortunate enough to be able to reach out to groups and have conversations with organizations to make sure we’re fully informed. We never want to go into any of these storylines without being equipped with the knowledge that we need. Of course, there’s space to take some artistic license to be able to make the experience and storyline your own and make it be specific to the character. We definitely have many conversations and prep-work so we’re not going into any heavy storyline blind.”

“When the Matthew Morrison episode aired and fans learned more about Jo’s abusive relationship, it resonated with a lot of people,” she adds. “I think, for some, the episode was a triggering one and they were able to see themselves in Jo’s past relationship. I had a lot of people write to me online and let me know that they saw similarities in the relationships that they had been in and that they understood the pain and manipulation that comes with that abuse. I think that episode and storyline was probably the time that I was reached out to the most by fans and viewers. It was definitely tough but I think it’s important that we have those heavy topics on the show because you never know who’d be able to relate.”

As for dream storylines, Camilla hopes that Jo will get to be a mother. “I would love to see Jo and Alex have babies at some point,” she gushes. “I really want to see Jo take on motherhood and see what that’d bring out in her and how she’s challenged by it. I think it’d be so interesting and rewarding to see Jo and Alex take things to that level.”

“Ever since becoming a mother, the storylines of the show just hit me differently,” she adds. “Any storyline with kids and/or pregnancy hits so much deeper now. Being a mom has changed things because it makes me think of my own life when I’m working.”

Officially the longest-running prime time medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy never fails to deliver. “I still feel the very same way at every table read,” Camilla says. “I get so anxious about whatever’s set to happen and I always find myself flipping ahead to find out whether or not everything’s okay. It’s crazy how this show still finds ways to surprise me! I’m also blown away by the fans. They are the reason that we all get to make this incredible show. Truly, we can’t thank them enough. We all feel so incredibly grateful that we get to do this everyday.”

The biggest lesson Camilla’s learned on set? “I could never be a doctor in real life,” she laughs. “Honestly, I have no idea how they do it. I give major props to all the real doctors because it’s something I could never do - I think I’ll just stick to pretending to be one on the show!”