‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Producer And Actors Talked New Season 15, Male, Gay Storyline Facts
Happy Wednesday, “Grey’s Anatomy” fans. In this brand new report, we’ve got the showrunner/producer for Grey’s Anatomy Krista Vernoff and actors Alex Landi aka Dr.Nico Kim and Jake Borelli aka “Glasses”/ Dr. Levi Schmitt chatting it up about how their new, gay storyline came to be. They reveal what was the decision-making like that brought them to this place of introducing the first, gay male couple to the show.
Entertainment Weekly were the ones that talked to them. Krista went first. She revealed that she just wanted to do something really different with Jake this year stating, “Jake who joined the Grey’s cast last season is an incredible actor, and the more we wrote for him, the more we wanted to write for him. So, the story didn’t begin with, “Hey, we’ve never done a gay male love story.” It began with, “What are we going to do with Jake this year that’s different?”
Krista went on to reveal that she wanted Jake’s character to reveal his truth because he reminded her of a friend she had in college who completely transformed into an entirely different person when he finally started living his truth. She said, “Living in his truth seemed to set something free in him where he was no longer tripping over his own feet.
He emerged with strength and power and sex appeal that had not existed in him publicly prior, and when I remembered my friend, I wanted to tell that story with Jake because it felt like a really beautiful way to evolve his character. Then we realized we’d never done it! It was a hugely exciting thing.”
Krista also told them that their production assistant Zaiver was really excited about this new, gay storyline because he’s also gay. In fact, he got so excited that he cried about it. She stated, “Our production assistant Zaiver, who is a gay man and took the brave steps of writing to the whole writing staff saying he couldn’t stop crying reading the writers’ room notes realizing that we were finally going to tell a story that would speak to him in this way.
He was just so moved and so excited, and he thought it was going to be moving and exciting to a whole community of people who had not yet felt represented on the show but that were huge fans. I was already excited to do it, but that email made me cry.”
Krista said Jake was really excited to take on the gay role. From there, they eventually found his new love interest Alex Landi aka Dr. Nico Kim.
Next, Alex chimed in to reveal that he knew from the very start his Nico character was openly gay. He thought it was great especially with the unique characteristics Nico possesses. He explained, “I knew from the beginning that the character was openly gay, and I felt it was a great opportunity and I couldn’t pass on it. They wanted him to be a masculine, strong, bro type, but at the same time he was openly gay, which definitely defies LGBTQ stereotypes, and I think that’s great. And the fact that he’s Asian as well, that just adds to the mix.”
Krista chimed back in to explain how her first meeting with Alex went. Apparently, he had a lot of confidence because he only bought a one-way ticket to fly in to see her! Krista explained, “I looked at a dozen audition tapes, and Alex was the only one and I said, “I need to work with him. I want to meet him because this storyline is ultimately going to be a big deal.” He flew in from New York, and in the casting room I said, “So, how long are you in town?” And he said, “I only bought a one-way ticket.” And I was like, “That’s my guy.” Just the confidence, it was just great.”
Krista went on to say that Alex and Levi’s chemistry is great stating, “You know you’ve got two great actors, but you don’t know if they’ve got chemistry, and that’s where we worked out. These guys are just magic together, I think, and it’s been so exciting to watch it evolve.”
Jake Borelli chimed in to talk about how his character Levi felt about the kiss he and Nico shared. He said Levi is starting to learn about his own sexuality for the first time. Before Nico, Levi wasn’t even aware that he was gay. Jake explained, “I think after this kiss, we see something click in him that all of a sudden this feels right. That he feels empowered by this, that this is something maybe he knew was deep inside of him somewhere, but he didn’t fully understand it.
I think he’s changing right before my eyes, and I think he’s changing right before his own eyes. Yes, he slept with Dr. Jo Wilson at the beginning of season 14, and I think he didn’t necessarily know what that meant and didn’t understand. I think at this point in his life, he is coming to terms with his own sexuality. He’s learning about sexuality for the first time. He’s a little bit of a late bloomer. I think it wasn’t until Nico had started to be smitten by him or to start advances by him that he was even consciously aware that this might be something he would be into.”
Alex also talked about the kiss. He said it was an interesting realization for Nico as well since Levi had never kissed another guy before. He stated, “It’s crazy because the scene goes from “Oh my God, it’s happening!” and all of a sudden it’s, “Oh my God, what the hell is happening?!” It goes from 100 to 0 really quick, as opposed to 0 to 100. I’m sure Levi is ecstatic and confused when it first happens, and then all of a sudden Nico has a realization that Levi has never kissed a guy before and it kind of goes from a moment of euphoria for Levi to him being crushed. It’s definitely an unexpected twist that hopefully the audience will appreciate. But at the same time, it builds the storyline which is great.”
Lastly, Jake revealed that he really hopes this new, gay romance works out for his Levi character and that it empowers him. He stated, “I hope that after this kiss, Levi is able to come into his own more. I hope that he feels empowered by this. I hope that he’s accepted by everybody at the hospital. I just want the best for him. I have so much love for Levi. I really want it to work out for him. I know he doesn’t have the best track record in terms of having things work perfectly for him, and I really hope that this changes with this.”
How do you guys feel about the new, male, gay love story that’s taking place on Grey’s Anatomy for the very first time? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Or do you just not care one way or the other? Let us know in the Facebook comments and stay tuned. Also, be sure to follow us on our Grey’s Anatomy Facebook page for more Grey’s Anatomy news by Clicking Here.
