THE SUNDAY CONVERSATION - Dr. Hahn, you are wanted in surgery
BROOKE SMITH, a former guest star on "Grey's Anatomy" as Dr. Erica Hahn, the heart surgeon character who used to taunt Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington), has now joined the libidinal surgical fray full time. Smith has appeared on "Weeds" and "Crossing Jordan" and "Six Feet Under" and, yup, she was the girl in the pit who wouldn't put the lotion in the basket in "The Silence of the Lambs."
So how did this come about -- did you hatch some scheme with ["Grey's" creator and executive producer] Shonda Rhimes?
No! I've been dabbling over there in Season 2 and then in Season 3. After every time I would hope that they would call and also hope not too -- kind of like when I used to be single. And they finally actually called!
OK! So how's it going? Everyone is so unpleasant!
They are? You mean the characters.
Indeed! A little gritty, a little narcissistic. . . .
Oh yeah. That.
And your own is a little abrasive.
Yes. I've heard that word used before. What's the question?
You're the first person to ever confront me on not asking questions. You must have been to a lot of therapy or something.
Oh, that was years ago, but I need to go back.
Oh, we'll circle back to that. So?
She's a professional! She's a workaholic! She has little rules in her head about how you're supposed to act at work. That doesn't mean she can't break the rules. But everyone else is supposed to follow them.
And you made your grand entrance to the set as a full-timer? Was there cake?
No cake! I got a bottle. I got a little, you know, thermos. I think one thing that should be mentioned and applauded is that they have banished plastic bottles from the set. Isn't that cool? It's the first time I've seen it. The thermos says 'Grey's Anatomy Season 4.' You have to be responsible with that thermos. You have to bring it with you. Because you have to hydrate. It's the desert here.
I'm assuming that it actually turns out that everyone is nice with some exceptions.
I haven't met anyone who's not nice there. Truthfully! And I've known some of those people before. I did a movie with Patrick [Dempsey], and I did a play with Sandra [Oh] in New York called "Stop Kiss." We were lovers!
So you know each other quite well!
We do! When I first got to "Grey's," she told the producers I was a good kisser. Ooh, very controversial. And I did a "Law & Order" a million years ago with Ellen [Pompeo]. And T.R. [Knight]! I met T.R. at the O'Neill Theater Festival. Very highbrow. What can I say?
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