'Chicago Med' star Jessy Schram spoke EXCLUSIVELY with HL about her full-time return to the present, Hannah's journey in restoration, and what the longer term appears like for Will and Hannah.
Dr. Hannah Asher is able to begin a brand new chapter in her life. After battling a drug dependancy and getting assist, Hannah is in restoration and again on the hospital. Hannah has returned for good and season 8 can be about discovering out who Hannah is at her core.
HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Chicago Med star Jessy Schram about persevering with Hannah’s vital and related journey with dependancy. Whereas Hannah is “mentally in a extremely nice area,” she’ll nonetheless be “bodily coping with the results of her previous” and “preventing in opposition to that.” She additionally weighed in on the subsequent part of Will and Hannah’s relationship, whether or not it's romantic or platonic. Learn our Q&A under:
Hannah is now again full-time. Did you ever suppose that whenever you first left the collection that Hannah’s story would come again round and proceed?
Jessy Schram: I imply, there have been whispers of Hannah’s storyline persevering with, after which when COVID hit each storyline on this planet modified. Every part modified. And after I got here again to form of believing, everyone simply saved reminding me, ‘Hey, you haven’t died. You haven’t died. Subsequently you'll be able to come again at any time.’ So I all the time form of held that flame of hoping that there can be the chance for Hannah to return again and see the place every thing goes. As time went on, I simply form of silently began nodding to, wow, what an amazing expertise. Sure, that’s a chapter closed. While you lastly mentally shut that chapter, you then get a knock on the door. It was a shock and one thing that I used to be tremendous enthusiastic about. I knew that there was all the time the likelihood. A lot time had handed that I actually didn’t suppose Hannah was coming again, so it actually was really a shock.
I really feel like Hannah’s story is so vital to inform these days as a result of the world, whether or not it's on tv or in politics, doesn’t like to handle it. I feel that Chicago Med showcasing this robust however hopeful journey for her is extremely related.
Jessy Schram: I positively respect that they’re touching base on the opiate disaster, dependancy, and a special face. I used to be extraordinarily naive to all of the other ways and those who dependancy really affected. I used to be not conscious of how widespread it was. I took on this function and folks had been sharing their tales and realized that everyone has been affected personally or by means of anyone else with dependancy of their life. I'll say one of many issues that I actually respect with Chicago Med of their portrayal of Hannah on this life is that we’re bringing her by means of the dependancy. We noticed her inside it. We noticed the downfalls. We noticed her in withdrawal. We see her going to restoration, and now we’re on this technique of anyone that’s in restoration. For me, it’s actually attention-grabbing as an actor attempting to determine, okay, we all know who Hannah is because the addict, however who’s Hannah at her base? The dependancy is a part of her. It’s not all of her. I applaud Chicago Med for happening this journey and displaying her past her dependancy.
Hannah must NOT run into burning buildings any more. The state of affairs together with her lungs finally ends up being a bit bit extra intense than I feel she anticipated. There’s a line within the premiere the place Hannah says that she will’t appear to shake her previous. That can be a part of the dependancy journey, coping with your previous and shifting ahead. Given what’s occurred, what's Hannah’s mindset going ahead?
Jessy Schram: I feel you hit it proper on the top of going ahead, however then her physique’s retaliating from the previous. Regardless that mentally she is in a great area… Clearly, whenever you’re in restoration, you’re all the time an addict. You’re all the time in restoration. So it’s not one thing that ever completely goes away, however you’re in several durations which can be good. Hannah is in a extremely sturdy and grounded place. She’s nonetheless coping with the stigma when it comes from different medical doctors and different those who encompass her and the way it impacts her profession. The stigma of her being an addict is following her, and it’s nonetheless affecting her profession despite the fact that she is years into restoration and on a special path. She is mentally in a extremely nice area, bodily coping with the results of her previous, and nonetheless preventing in opposition to that.
The stigma is a vital side to handle as a result of it's one thing we see continually, and it may be debilitating for folks in restoration. I simply hope that this stigma doesn’t get to be an excessive amount of for her.
Jessy Schram: She’s coming by means of it, and there’s simply that fixed journey of it. I hope that when there are folks which can be watching that may see that different facet as a result of even when Chicago Med was bringing me again I used to be like, what does it seem like to be in restoration? I don’t know. I simply had such a special view of what every thing appears like. It’s very nice to have the ability to painting one thing and provides an schooling of a special face of what this appears like.
We've to debate the on-again, off-again romance with Will. There’s a lot historical past there. What does their future seem like? She did run again right into a burning constructing for him.
Jessy Schram: I do know! He's nonetheless continually attempting to be a pressure and safety for her. Within the season premiere, I bear in mind studying the script and being like, ‘The place are we going? Will is de facto taking care of Hannah. She went into the constructing for him… what's up with them?’ I feel what we’ll see on this season is we had been seeing prior to now that they had been projecting onto one another, their codependency, after which two exes having to work in the identical workforce, once more projecting onto one another who one another was, and getting into patterns the place neither wish to be that individual or are that individual anymore. So now I really feel like we’re actually seeing respect between the 2. Clearly, there's a love from the historical past that they've, however I actually really feel on this season we’re going to see who they're now to one another and that simply constantly is unfolding.
When Chicago Med first started, Will and Natalie had been very a lot the primary couple of the present. It’s robust to comply with a pair like that, however you and Nick [Gehlfuss] have navigated it so nicely and given followers a special relationship to essentially root for.
Jessy Schram: Will and Natalie had been fan favorites. That's the relationship that we grew with in Chicago Med, so coming in after that, that already had followers on guard concerning the Hannah character. However then additionally, too, the world that we’re each residing in and what I’m bringing him into. There was quite a lot of concern concerning the dysfunction and if Will was going to be tainted. It makes me really feel good as a result of I do hear lots of people getting to regulate to who we're as that couple on the present and go on the journey with us and perceive it’s greater than only a actually fast fling that was taking place. I personally completely adore working with Nick Gehlfuss. I really feel like he cares a lot concerning the work and so do I. He’s such a straightforward individual in actual life to get together with, but it surely’s actually additionally very straightforward to behave with him.
Whereas Hannah is again full-time, Scott is leaving. What was your response to how the premiere ended?
Jessy Schram: I used to be shocked. I didn’t know that his character was departing till every week earlier than we began filming and we bought the script. I used to be advised by our producer beforehand, however I used to be in shock. I didn't see that coming. We’re dropping a implausible forged member and an amazing actor. We by no means actually absolutely bought to do an excessive amount of collectively due to our storyline, however I’m nonetheless form of like, wow, I can’t consider he departed. I can’t consider the character’s gone.
On the subject of Chicago Med, there are all the time memorable circumstances that the medical doctors need to face. What are you able to tease about what Hannah can be encountering within the hospital?
Jessy Schram: We’re moving into the world of an OBGYN. I’m studying issues that I by no means knew had been potentialities or issues that locations may go. A variety of my storylines are going to cope with the feminine physique and replica and infants. Each episode I’m getting, I'm so shocked and be taught so many new issues. Every part that we’re doing shouldn't be one thing that you just’ve seen earlier than. This season is nearly a refresh season of simply including all-new parts. I'll nonetheless be within the OBGYN world however my character is in ER much more than normal. She will get to cope with circumstances that additionally aren’t in her specialty.
What has been like working in Chicago?
Jessy Schram: So I’m initially from Buffalo Grove, which is a northwest suburb of Chicago. I’ve lived in LA for 20 years, however I grew up mainly in Chicago. I’ve missed the humidity. I’ve missed the seasons. I've missed the wind hurting my face. I'll say I’m not trying ahead to 7 months of that climate, however I really like Chicago climate I feel as a result of it's so altering. To me, the climate forces folks to have hobbies and group. I really just like the climate in Chicago. I imply, let’s be actual. It’s white skies as a substitute of blue on a regular basis.
So mainly, Chicago Med is sort of a homecoming for you.
Jessy Schram: Very a lot. It was the primary time after about 18-20 years coming again and attending to work with the Chicago crew in my hometown. It really is full circle.