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Up close 'The Good Doctor' cast as show celebrates its 100th episode
LOS ANGELES — We were excited to get to know better the cast members of "The Good Doctor," now celebrating its 100th episode this month when we visited the set recently in Vancouver, Canada.
Christina Chang, 51, is a Filipina Taiwanese-American actress who portrays Dr. Audrey Lim. She said she can't wait to go to the Philippines and visit "the beautiful islands."
Hill Harper, 56, an alum of Ivy League schools like Brown University and Harvard, has a lot of Filipino friends since he did Jessica Hagedorn's "Dogeaters" play in 2001 as Joey Sands.
"That's why I am familiar with Filipino food," he proudly said. He portrays Dr. Marcus Andrews in the show.
Noah Galvin, 28, and Bria Henderson, 29, who portrays Dr. Asher Wolke and Dr. Jordan Allen respectively, were both singing a tune when we walked into the room to interview them. Galvin, in fact, confessed that he would want to do a musical of the show. He replaced Ben Platt in the Broadway hit "Dear Evan Hansen" and also got engaged to Platt after Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, this year.
Paige Spara, 33, who portrays Lea Dilallo, the wife of Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) on the show, is bubbly and down-to-earth in person and we were not surprised when she told us that she and Highmore turn into 12-year-olds especially after a long, difficult shoot.
Finally, the newbie on the show, Brandon Larracuente, 28, who portrays Dr. Daniel Perez, can be the next heartthrob doctor on television.
Below are excerpts of our interviews with them on the set.
Christina Chang (Dr. Audrey Lim) and Hill Harper (Dr. Marcus Andrews)
You have both been doing this show since 2017. What keeps you going?
Harper: I love the show that it has this beautiful heart and soul about the idea that no matter who you are, no matter where you're from, you have something to add. You add value. That rings true consistently all the time. So, difference is good, differing opinions, different voices in the room are good. Diversity of opinion, diversity of ideas, diversity of backgrounds is good. That's something that the world needs to hear and understand these days. I love the show because of that.
Chang: He said that very beautifully. Heart and hope would be the two words that I would use to describe what makes this show special and why being on it feels good.
What is it about your characters that inspires you, that you admire most?
Chang: I am inspired by her frankness. She's fair, and I like that about her. The word strong is used a lot. Her fortitude, her persistence, her dedication to her work is admirable.
Harper: For Dr. Andrews, he is ambitious, talented, smart. He wants to see great outcomes. What a lot of people forget is that he is a "patient first" doctor. He's about the patient, so even though it seems like he's about himself sometimes, and he wants the power, at the end of the day, he's about the patient. So, he makes decisions based off patient outcomes. That's why he risked his career at one point to save Dr. Shaun Murphy, because he realized that Shaun is a great doctor who can save many patients. So, let's not wash him out. Let's keep him. Very proud to play Dr. Marcus Andrews, the president of St. Bonaventure Hospital.
How do you see the arc of your character in season six?
Chang: Lim has a lot of challenges that she's up against. Once again, it's about how does Lim rise to the occasion? How does she rise to that challenge? She's done a pretty fantastic job. But season six lies before us. Let's see what's to come for her. They're personal challenges.
Harper: And I'm excited about Dr. Andrews exploring his friendship with Dr. Lim. They're colleagues, and they're basically the last two characters on the show that are the most senior in the hospital on a day in, day out basis. So, that's interesting. Right? The residents, Dr. Park and Dr. Shaun Murphy, are in many ways doing the job that they used to do early seasons as attendings and overseeing the surgeries in the room, etc. It's exciting to see that evolution, and then exciting to see how our relationship as being the senior folks…
Any show, no matter what you do, it's all about the writing. If the writing's good and the characters are interesting, and different challenges are put before the character and the actor to play, that's always fun and exciting. And this is such a great group of people here behind the camera, as well as in front of the camera.
How was it working with Freddie Highmore as your colleague and executive producer?
Chang: Freddie's fantastic. We're happy to reiterate that Freddie is a superhuman. He is wonderful to work with as a colleague and as an actor. He's a smart director, and he's a clever writer. He's a joy.
Harper: I've worked with Academy Award winners, Emmy winners, Tony winners, and I believe that Freddie Highmore every year should be nominated and win in the best actor category in the drama series. This is why, because what he does in portraying this character that people love and resonate with is really not easy.
They're both smart. But at the end of the day, a lot of people think that that's who Freddie is in some way, shape, or form, but he's very different than his character in a wonderful way. The character he portrays as Shaun Murphy is and one of the iconic characters in the television landscape. Freddie deserves all of the credit for creating that character.
Bria Henderson (Dr. Jordan Allen) and Noah Galvin (Dr. Asher Wolke)
Representation is very important. How is it important to this show?
Henderson: It's important because I feel like I am representing a group of people. I hope that we're doing a great job with representing Black women in medicine. So, I do feel like a huge weight is on my shoulders because I feel like I'm representing my mom, my sister, my friends, and stuff like that. It's exciting, and it's a responsibility that I'm honored to have.
How do you see the arc of your character now in season six?
Galvin: Similar to Bria's feeling of the weight of being representation for people, I also feel that. I'm not only playing an openly gay character on a show, but I'm also playing an openly gay Jewish character on a show. I think there's a lot of antisemitism in the world right now, so it's very cool that we are checking a lot of boxes.
You've been directed by Freddie Highmore before? How was the experience?
Galvin: Yes, we've both been directed by Freddie. Freddie's a multi hyphenate. He's talented. It's clear that he's been in this business for a long time. He is a multifaceted creator. It's cool. It's really impressive. I very much look up to him.
How does it feel to have your colleague also be your executive producer?
Henderson: Inspiring. I want to be there one day. I want to have my own show, be an executive producer, be number one. I'm just watching him and taking notes.
How do you think the show is representing autism to the public?
Henderson: I feel like that's what makes the show special. It brings in a different kind of audience. It also brings awareness to that in a beautiful way. Freddie does a great job in bringing that character to life and showing this character in the world that a lot of people would never even think could happen. It just opens up space for just the imagination as well as the possibilities. It's brilliant, the way they do it.
If you were given a chance to change the script, what would your character do or become?
Galvin: I'd write a musical episode as fast as I could.
Henderson: I would write an episode that highlights Jordan's character and a little bit more of her backstory, as well as bring in more of her blackness to the show as well and what that means within the hospital and within the world that she's in. Because there is a story with that as well.
Have you seen the Korean version of the show?
Galvin: No, but I think it's beautiful that there was this source material that our show then took. It was a mini-series. It was very limited. And so, our show being now six seasons, I think it's a cool thing that they took this small nugget of an idea and turned it into something as large as what we're a part of.
Do you have any memorable episodes in the show? Unforgettable scenes?
Galvin: Honestly, our Halloween episode that's about to air, it's pretty special.
Henderson: I feel like I don't have any unforgettable episodes. But moments, the season premiere with Dr. Lim and the surgery; not the episode that was unforgettable, but the behind the scenes. I really enjoyed working with the cast because we're really all funny. It was a hilarious night. Even though viewers saw something so traumatic, we were actually laughing the whole time.
Do you think you get also squeamish when you see the sight of blood, when you know it's fake blood, but it happens like you thought it was real blood for you?
Henderson: I feel like the blood looks more real on camera after an edit. Because in person, it just looks like ketchup. Bria: It's looks like Kool-Aid.
Galvin: When I watch the show on television, I squirm. But when we're shooting it, it makes me laugh, honestly. When there's ever a blood spray, I can't help but be like "Hee-hee-hee."
Do you do any improv in the show?
Galvin: They run a tight ship around here. We're not allowed a lot of improv-ing or a lot of looseness, but every once in a while. It's season six. Things get a little loose.
Paige Spara (Lea Dilallo)
You've been on the show since 2017, portraying Lea Dilallo. Talk about what makes you continue doing the show.
Oh, so many reasons. I honestly just love working with this cast and crew so much. I've learned so many valuable lessons professionally, personally, and it's genuinely my happy place coming to work for sure. I love being a part of the Shaun and Lea storyline and exploring love through their eyes and that world. It's just been one of the most fulfilling times of my life.
What is it about your character that you admire the most?
I admire her ability to love the way that she does in a very honest way, a very non-judgmental way, very patient way. I've learned so much through the dialogue between the conversations Lea and Shaun have had.
How do you see your character in season six, now that you're married to Shaun?
Lea is navigating married life. She's navigating past trauma from her miscarriage and how that resurfaces, and she's also going to be exploring the option of possibly conceiving again. We're going to really see Lea navigate through all of those womanly subject matters, and it's been a lot.
What qualities do you think Lea has that will make her a good wife, or doctor like Shaun?
Her quality of wanting to communicate, wanting to learn, wanting to remain curious about herself and her partner, in order for them to evolve together. I really admire all of those qualities that she has.
How is it working with Freddie Highmore both as a co-star and as an executive producer?
Oh, the best. I love Freddie so much. He's again taught me so much about this industry, how to conduct myself on a set, how to put in the time to do good work, the payoff in that, as well as he's always made me feel capable. He's always encouraged me professionally and personally. I feel very taken care of and I feel so thankful to have someone like that as my friend, as my mentor. He's never asked to be any of those things; however, he is, and I'm so grateful for that.
Do you have any funny or memorable incidents that happened in a season or an episode?
Every day. At least one thing goes wrong, but it's usually, we handle it with such good humor, and nothing really in particular comes to mind because just little things happen. Especially if Freddy and I do a full day of scenes together, we get so loopy and hyper by the end of it, it's like we're bat shit crazy. We bounce off of walls and we feel like we're 12 years old again, being like, we're living our dream. How is this possible? So, it's like, it's the best when we get very hyper energy together.
What kind of reactions do you get from your friends watching the show?
They are just so proud of me and so in awe of, that I was able to become an actress. I come from a very small town, and they find it so admirable, which is really nice to be supported in that way.
How do you think the show is changing perspectives about autism?
It's opening up dialogue of the limits that we've once come to think autism is. This starts a dialogue that we keep breaking those limits wider and wider, and wider and open. I feel very proud to be a part of a show that encourages everyone to take a look of how full someone's life can be, who may have autism.
Brandon Larracuente (Dr. Daniel Perez)
You're the newest member of the show. How is it being the newest doctor in the group?
It's pretty cool. It's very parallel to real life. You join this group of people who have been working together for quite some time and you're trying to find your footing. I feel like Dr. Perez, which is who I play, is trying to do so in the show. When I got here, I was trying to do so as well. But I feel like over time, like with anything, over time and with interacting with people, you start to find it pretty quickly.
What are the traits of your character that you really admire most?
The traits of my character that I admire the most is one of my favorite things about Dr. Perez is he is super sure of himself. He knows who he is, he knows where he comes from, and that's what keeps him super grounded and humble.
On the first day of your taping, what was your experience? How did the cast accept you? How was the experience on your first day?
Everybody was super welcoming. No more than 10 minutes into me stepping on set, I already had a text from a couple of the cast members just welcoming me. I had some nerves and stuff, but those quickly went away once I got to set and once, we started to work.
How was it working with Freddie Highmore, who's also a co-star, a director, and executive producer?
Freddie is one of the most talented young individuals that I've ever had the chance of working with. I was just saying to the gentlemen earlier, I had watched him when I was a kid on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Then of course, my parents loved him in "Bates Motel." So, knowing that I was joining a cast that had such an extensive resume, it kicked my work ethic into a new gear and I'm grateful for it.
How do you prepare for your role? Did you read a lot of medical journals, or do you watch more medical shows?
I didn't watch any medical shows. I tried to watch a lot of videos of real doctors. I had a couple of people that I consulted with as well, in addition to the people they have here. They're such a great resource if I ever have a question. I'm grateful for them as well.
How do you see the show dealing with autism?
I know a couple people, close family, and friends who either have children who are on the spectrum. I haven't watched the show beyond the pilot, so I really can't answer the question in its entirety. But people seem to like the show. The show's been going on for six seasons for a reason. So, I like to believe that they do a pretty good job at finding a voice for everyone, no matter who watches the show.
Also, if you had a chance to change the script and your character had to do something different, what would it be?
You know what? This is going to sound very cliché, but I don't think I would. I think the writers do a phenomenal job at writing and fleshing out each and every character. There are some aspects of my character that are vastly different from who I am, especially his background. It gives me a chance to explore something that I never would've been able to before. So, I don't think I would change anything.
Do you have any fun or memorable incidents on the set?
Oh, boy. Yeah. Too many to count already. I know I've only been here for a short time, but I never feel like I'm going to work. Although it is work, I never feel like I'm going to a job. I wake up every day just grateful for another opportunity. And every day, there's laughter on set. We're here to do a job. At the same time, we can have a lot of fun. So, every day brings something new. It'd be super tough to just choose one moment. But one of the coolest things was working with a pig. That was pretty damn cool.
That was your first time to work with a pig?
Yeah. Aside from the petting zoo and stuff like that. I've never worked with another animal on set, so that was the first for me.
Among the co-stars, who did you bond the most with?
Everybody's been super welcoming for me. My first day on set, within 10 minutes of me being here, Freddie had texted me, "Welcome to the cast and I can't wait to meet you." So, everybody's been really nice, and really welcoming, so I could not be luckier.
—MGP, GMA Integrated News
