Even in the perilous world of Grey’s Anatomy, Camilla Luddington’s character has had a particularly chaotic ride. Since debuting on the show in 2012, surgeon-turned-OB resident Dr. Jo Wilson has reckoned with abuse, been left by her first husband, adopted a dead patient’s newborn baby, become unexpectedly pregnant with twins, survived a harrowing convenience store holdup, and — most recently — nearly lost her new spouse, Link (Chris Carmack), in a hospital explosion.
But even Jo has her more relatable moments, and over 14 seasons, Luddington is still surprised to see her own life intersect with her characters in sweet ways. “I loved filming when she was up all night, dealing with sleep issues with Luna. At the same time, I had a 1-year-old, so I was coming to work so tired. It was this mirroring of our lives,” says Luddington, who shares two children with her husband, Matthew Alan. “I’m like, ‘Damn, we’re growing up together, me and this girl.’”
During her Grey’s tenure, the actor has also adapted to the shifting media landscape, becoming one of the show’s most familiar online ambassadors. She frequently posts videos of lighthearted, behind-the-scenes shenanigans with her castmates — a welcome supplement to such a suspenseful show. “We’re still having fun,” Luddington says. “It’s nice for [fans] to see that side of filming, too.”
Below, Luddington opens up about a cut storyline, Taylor Swift, and her hopes for another Grey’s musical episode.
Showrunner Meg Marinis said in an interview that Jo will have her babies this season. What can you tease about that next chapter?
It’s a big storyline. I’m in the thick of it, and it’s very emotional. Crazy things happen during birth. I think of Sarah Drew on the table, that C-section by Jason George — it was bonkers.
In your tenure on the show so far, is there a moment or arc that stands out as the hardest to film?
There are two that really stand out to me. The episode — oh, man, I loved filming it, and I hated it at the same time — where Jo comes out of the elevator and runs into her ex-husband was such a moment. This person that she had been talking about for so long, almost like a ghost of her past, and then he’s there in her home. That was wild to film.
Meeting her mom was an incredible episode for many reasons. Sitting in the diner all day and doing those scenes was seared in my brain.
I was also wondering if there were any storylines that didn’t make it to air.
Yes! I’m trying to remember why this got cut — maybe COVID — but I filmed an entire episode where Jo rescued a dog in the loft with Jake Borelli, and we filmed with the scruffiest, cutest dog all day. The joke was that Levi was really allergic, and Jo was like, “But I found him on the street!” That was going to be their dog, and I was so excited. For some reason, the storyline got scrapped very soon after filming. I didn’t say it for so long because I was like, “I need the storyline to come back around. If I say it out loud, it’s not going to happen.” [But] Jo has, like, 800 kids now. No way she’s going to be grabbing a dog.
As a Grey’s veteran, I’m curious what you think of the state of the medical genre as a whole. Do you keep up with other shows in that vein? Are you watching The Pitt?
You know what’s funny is, I know that Chris Carmack is watching The Pitt. Because I’ll come in, he’ll say, “Did you watch The Pitt last night?” I feel like if I get home from work, I don’t want to turn on another medical show. I feel like I’m living it. I want to put on The Valley or Real Housewives — something that’s so completely different from what we’re filming.
Do you have a theory as to why people love Grey’s and keep coming back to the genre?
Grey’s did such a good job at making surgeons rock stars. Even in the beginning of the series, Derek would turn on music [during surgery]. Grey’s also gives the other side, [showing] what’s going on in people’s real lives. One thing I love about our show is that none of us are perfect, and we f*ck up all the time.
We used to be 24 episodes; now we’re 18 episodes — it’s an honor to get that many episodes in this day and age of TV. You really get to live with these characters as they redeem themselves, or they don’t, and they have to learn through their mistakes. All of that is a testament to the writers, and it’s what keeps people watching, because they see themselves in that.
Since you’re a Swiftie, is there a Taylor Swift song or era that you would use to describe this season going forward?
There are a couple of characters that I feel like are having a “[Fate] of Ophelia” season. For Jo, what’s the song where she’s like, “Have a couple kids…”
Oh, “Wish List”!
Yes! I think “Wish List” is Jo this season.
That’s so sweet. Especially after what they’ve been through — she just wants that simple family life!
She didn’t have that growing up. So it really works for her.
Speaking of music, you came to Grey’s after Season 7’s musical episode. Theoretically, would you ever want to be a part of one in the future?
You know what? The stories that I hear from the cast of making it are all so fun. If it made sense, I’d be down. I do totally feel like I missed out. I feel like it’s a cult-classic episode. Also, hello, we have Chris Carmack! He was on Nashville. We gotta use him.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Photographer: Sarah Krick
Stylist: Maren Taylor
Hair: Bradley Leake
Makeup: Kate Lee
