ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I would imagine you were aware ofGrey’sbefore you joined the show?
RICHARD FLOOD:Oh yeah.
I mean, of course.
Richard Flood and Ellen Pompeo on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images
It seems like the whole world is aware ofGrey’s.
So yeah, I was very aware of it.
So what made you want to join?
Was it specifically this character?
Yeah, well, I got to L.A. and they asked to meet with me.
They outlined the character to me, and I thought he was interesting.
We haven’t had a ton of single dads onGrey’s.
So yeah, it had all those ingredients that I was very happy to take and run with.
So I’m curious, what has your experience been with theGrey’s Anatomyfandom?
Oh, the fans have been very kind to me.
So it was fun to play with that idea that he’s oblivious.
He doesn’t know that he’s been thrown into the deep end of the pool.
Yeah, it was a quick one.
It’s maybe not the most flattering one, but I’ll take what I can get.
[Laughs]
It’s true.
McWidow is no McDreamy.
McDreamy, McSteamy, and then pulling up the rear there is McWidow.
[Laughs]
There was at one point a McVet.
I feel like you’re at least better than McVet.
There was a McVet?
Are we building to a love triangle this year?
Because I’m also picking up on vibes with Megan [Abigail Spencer].
I don’t know how much I can say.
I think it’s pretty clear that McWidow and Grey have a strong connection, a strong flirtation.
I think last season was difficult, obviously, because she was in a coma.
And this season there’s a lot of story to tell, so we had to move it on.
But these are adult relationships and they’re complicated and timing is often very tricky, very difficult.
And these characters are always being pulled in so many different directions.
There will always be obstacles in the way.
I mean, it all just depends on where they want the story to go.
So I don’t know, it could build in many different directions.
When I came in, the character was fairly hardened.
He’s been hardened by losing his wife.
He’s raising two kids.
He’s a pediatric surgeon, which is such a demanding role.
And he had built up a pretty significant suit of armor there.
He’s now more comfortable in the hospital.
He’s had moments where he’s had to reach out for help.
He’s had other people help him.
But yeah, I think he’s a good guy.
I think he’s a solid guy.
Yeah, I know.
But it’sGrey’s Anatomy, they always keep you guessing.
How has the medical jargon side of it been for you?
I was most aware of how challenging that would be.
So you feel very confident in the information that you’re being given.
So it’s fine.
But it’s just about doing the homework, nothing more than that.
We started talking about you joiningGrey’s.
Now that you’re in your third season, has this experience been what you expected?
Has anything surprised you about being onGrey’s Anatomy?
It’s been a big life experience because we’ve moved the whole family here.
So we’ve all moved to L.A., which has been massive.
That’s been the biggest change and the biggest demand probably on the family.
The fundamentals of the job, for me anyway, are always the same.
I like to keep it simple and keep it moving.
So hopefully that comes across in the work.
Grey’s Anatomyairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
