"Grey's Anatomy" star Sara Ramirez was asked to do something that very few actors in a TV ensemble cast ever do: Act in almost every single scene of an episode.
In the Thursday night episode of ABC’s hit show, the 38-year-old actress will be in all but one scene of the heavily emotional episode.
Titled, “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word,” the episode features Ramirez’s character Callie Torres, an orthopedic surgeon in Seattle, being sued for malpractice. Her professional and personal lives are thrown upside down and put to the test.
“When I found out this was going to happen, I thought ‘how am I going to do this’,” she told Fox News Latino on Wednesday. “And then you just do it. The crew does this every day – being there from the morning and to the end of the day.”
Ramirez, who was born in Mexico but grew up in San Diego, said that during the two weeks it took to film the episode, she really needed to listen to her body that was not used to working 12 to 14-hour days. She gave a lot of credit to director Jeannor Szwarc and her team for being flexible in giving her time to go home and rest.
“You have to maintain your stamina,” Ramirez said. “It can be very difficult to film a TV show because a lot of machinery is moving. You just have to mindful, drinking a lot of water.”
She continued: “You go back to the basics to show up and do the work,” noting that there were days her body would need sleep, but other days she would work out during her lunch break. “You just really need to be in tune with your body.”
Ramirez, who won a Tony award for her portrayal of "Lady of the Lake" on Broadway, said working on the episode was a riveting experience and she is excited to see how it turned out.
“I have not seen it yet,” she said. “I will be seeing it live with everyone else.”
The episode provided an opportunity to film scenes in locations other than the usual set, such as in a courthouse.
Joining as a special guest is actor Hector Elizondo, known for his many roles in Garry Marshall films. He returns to “Grey’s.” playing Callie’s father, Carlos.
“Hector is such an awesome actor,” said Ramirez, gushing about her on-screen dad. “He brings so much humor and comedy to the set… We picked up right where we left off.”
The lawsuit is a continuous twist in the steadfast roller coaster the cast and fans of the show have been riding for two seasons that has included a plane crash, buying a hospital – and in Callie’s case, an amputation, cheating and a separation with her on-screen love Arizona, played by actress Jessica Capshaw.
“These writers – they trust us with these storylines,” Ramirez said. “And it’s a fantastic opportunity to play the drama and the comedic tones. It stretches us as an actor to convince the audience of the storyline.”
When asked about what fans can expect about any reconciliation between her character and Capshaw’s character, Ramirez played coy, noting, "through the malpractice lawsuit you will learn things about her relationship with Arizona and she will make a decision based on that.”
Then she let out some laughter.
“That’s a good answer, right?”
When Ramirez isn’t playing a hardcore, rock star orthopedic surgeon on “Grey’s”, fans can catch her as Queen Miranda in the animated Disney show, “Sofia the First.”
Ramirez called the show really impactful, noting it is full of compassion and integrity – offering an example to young girls of someone who is learning important life lessons.
“It’s really powerful to understand that these elements are important to have,” she said, adding, “These life lessons are universal. And they do it through music, which keeps it fun.”
Fans of “Grey’s Anatomy” will be able to interact with the show’s star on Twitter. Ramirez, using the handle @SaraRamirez, tweeted to her more than 170,000 followers that she will be live-tweeting during the east coast and west coast airings of the show. Fans can also follow her on Instagram at @TheRealSaraRamirez.
“Grey’s Anatomy” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
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