Wendy Crewson says she's 'done with being nice' in her new role as acting Chief of Surgery
“I’m done with being nice. Done!” says actress Wendy Crewsonwith a laugh. She plays Dr. Dana Kinney, the tough talking interim chief of surgery at Hope-Zion hospital.
“I think the interesting thing about Kinney is that she’s not interested in making friends,” reflects Crewson. “In other roles, when you’re the mom and the wife, you always have to be nice. Kinney doesn’t have to be nice. She’s the boss. She’s not beholden to anyone.”
“It’s so liberating. It’s so much fun. Kinney’s got a swagger. I love that about her,” gushes Crewson. “I love the fact that she’s calling everyone by their last names and shouting. It’s a lot of fun.”
Charlie was the “well-loved” chief of surgery before his accident, and Kinney was chief of plastics. “It wasn’t something she was expecting to do, or had time in her schedule to do,” says Crewson. “She had a big, busy life going on and suddenly had to take on this role, which is an incredible responsibility.”
Crewson says being chief of surgery at a teaching hospital is a lot like playing head master. “Kinney’s job really is to shape these residents into full-fledged doctors,” Crewson says. “But she’s not the nice, nurturing ‘come under my wing’ kind of chief of surgery. She’s more ‘Get your job done, head up and get in the game!’ I love not having that thing about always having to be so kind!”
“It was a nice neat little team (Alex and Charlie) had there,” Crewson says, about Alex as chief surgical resident and Charlie as chief of surgery. “Alex has to get used to the fact that she’s no longer engaged to the chief of surgery, it’s now me,” says Crewson. “I think Dana sees that Alex needs a really tight leash right now because Alex is emotionally involved with everything that’s going on with Charlie and it clouds her judgment.”
But though she understands where Alex is coming from, Crewson doesn’t think Kinney lets herself get sentimental about Alex, even though her fiancé is in a coma. “I don’t even think she necessarily likes her, or even really thinks about that. Kinney thinks Alex is a good doctor, and that she could be a better doctor. . . I think Dana sees her job as toughening Alex up.”
And Erica Durance, the actress playing the grieving Alex, agrees with Crewson. “Kinney is the one telling Alex, ‘You’re a doctor, you’ve got to get it together.’”
But, Durance notes, Alex senses warmth beneath Kinney’s tough exterior. “There’s a sense of mentorship and Alex looks up to this type of woman and perhaps sees herself in that role at some point,” says Durance.
“It’s a multi-layered (relationship) and as an actress, I was so excited when Wendy wanted to be a part of this,” Durance gushes. “We have a lot of fun. She’s incredibly warm and wonderful.”
"Saving Hope" airs on Thursday, June 7 at 9pm ET/PT on CTV.
“I think the interesting thing about Kinney is that she’s not interested in making friends,” reflects Crewson. “In other roles, when you’re the mom and the wife, you always have to be nice. Kinney doesn’t have to be nice. She’s the boss. She’s not beholden to anyone.”
“It’s so liberating. It’s so much fun. Kinney’s got a swagger. I love that about her,” gushes Crewson. “I love the fact that she’s calling everyone by their last names and shouting. It’s a lot of fun.”
Charlie was the “well-loved” chief of surgery before his accident, and Kinney was chief of plastics. “It wasn’t something she was expecting to do, or had time in her schedule to do,” says Crewson. “She had a big, busy life going on and suddenly had to take on this role, which is an incredible responsibility.”
Crewson says being chief of surgery at a teaching hospital is a lot like playing head master. “Kinney’s job really is to shape these residents into full-fledged doctors,” Crewson says. “But she’s not the nice, nurturing ‘come under my wing’ kind of chief of surgery. She’s more ‘Get your job done, head up and get in the game!’ I love not having that thing about always having to be so kind!”
“It was a nice neat little team (Alex and Charlie) had there,” Crewson says, about Alex as chief surgical resident and Charlie as chief of surgery. “Alex has to get used to the fact that she’s no longer engaged to the chief of surgery, it’s now me,” says Crewson. “I think Dana sees that Alex needs a really tight leash right now because Alex is emotionally involved with everything that’s going on with Charlie and it clouds her judgment.”
But though she understands where Alex is coming from, Crewson doesn’t think Kinney lets herself get sentimental about Alex, even though her fiancé is in a coma. “I don’t even think she necessarily likes her, or even really thinks about that. Kinney thinks Alex is a good doctor, and that she could be a better doctor. . . I think Dana sees her job as toughening Alex up.”
And Erica Durance, the actress playing the grieving Alex, agrees with Crewson. “Kinney is the one telling Alex, ‘You’re a doctor, you’ve got to get it together.’”
But, Durance notes, Alex senses warmth beneath Kinney’s tough exterior. “There’s a sense of mentorship and Alex looks up to this type of woman and perhaps sees herself in that role at some point,” says Durance.
“It’s a multi-layered (relationship) and as an actress, I was so excited when Wendy wanted to be a part of this,” Durance gushes. “We have a lot of fun. She’s incredibly warm and wonderful.”
"Saving Hope" airs on Thursday, June 7 at 9pm ET/PT on CTV.
About Lindsay Zier-Vogel
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Lindsay Zier-Vogel
Lindsay Zier-Vogel has been working for CTV.ca and covering So You Think You Can Dance Canada since 2008. In addition to interviewing the famed American choreographer Bill T. Jones and Canadian prima ballerina Karen Kain, Lindsay’s highlights include criss-crossing Canada on four SYTYCDC audition tours and covering the Juno Awards.
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