Jessica Capshaw Auditioned Three Times Before Winning Role As Dr. Arizona On Grey’s Anatomy
Jessica Capshaw was guest on Ellen’s talk show on Tuesday (2/2/10). The actress who plays Dr. Arizona Robbins on ABC’s Greys Anatomy and is the current love interest of Callie Torres played by Sara Ramirez.
(Image of Jessica Capshaw – Grey’s Anatomy – ABC.com – All Rights Reserved)
Jessica looked gorgeous as she walked down the steps to Ellen’s stage. Her long blonde hair was cascading into soft waves off a center part. She had on jeans, a chocolate brown ruffled sleeveless top and a pair of dark boots. She was wearing a multi-strand green beaded signature necklace.
Ellen said “Ohhh, so Jessica and I met, god I don’t know how long ago this was, do you remember the year?” Jessica “I think it was ten years ago.”
Ellen “ten years ago I did a movie with her mom Kate Capshaw. A movie called ‘The Love Letter’ and that’s where I met you.”
A photo was shown to the audience of Ellen with Kate and Ellen was wearing a blue headband.
Ellen saw the photo and said “Oh my god. They made me wear headbands.” Jessica “The headbands were the best part.”
Ellen “Nooo they made me wear them. I don’t know why they felt that it was a good idea. But that was my character. She wore headbands. And I don’t know what that was about. Ohhh that is hilarious.”
Jessica “that is what I remember the most (about Ellen in that movie). Is that bad?”
Ellen “Did you think that it was my idea to wear them?” Jessica “I did, I thought it was a choice.” Ellen “Nooo. It was not my choice.” Jessica “Really? Because I thought that would starve off any bad hair day. You just sorta pop that sucker on and you’re good.”
Ellen “No. They kinda, I was doing my sitcom before that and everybody thought I was too known for that so they thought well let’s change it, lets make you wear a wig. And I was like ‘I don’t want to wear a wig’. And so then they came up with the headband. Anyway. But that’s where I met you.”
Jessica “I loved that.”
Ellen “You were young then. Well you’re still young now.” Jessica “Well, hey, you know, we get older.” Ellen “Yeah.”
Jessica “It was right after I had graduated from college and it was the Summer and I was staving off any real responsibility and we did it in like a Summer town and you were really funny.”
Ellen “It was really beautiful (the town). It was a really fun shoot actually. We had a lot of fun.”
Jessica “Yeah.
Ellen “And you grew up everywhere. You like sorta moved around almost as much as I did.”
Jessica “Yeah, no, well my mom was an actress. Sooo we moved everywhere because we used to make movies and the places were they actually existed. Now we can make them anywhere. But we moved around a lot and I think we got to the point where I’d gone to twelve schools and I was only twelve. And I called Uncle.” Jessica told her mom ‘I was I’ve gotta stay in one place, all my friends are over 35 and that’s inappropriate.’ She continued “You know? I had to make some real friends my age.”
Ellen “That was your choice. Well good for you for doing that. And what movies, cause you were on some amazing sets with your mom. And what was your favorite one to be on?”
Jessica Capshaw “Well I think you’ve gotta pick the hands down “Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom” because, yeah look at that (a photo of Jessica, her mom and Steven Spielberg were shown on screen) my mom and I both sorta fell in love. My mom fell in love with Steven (Spielberg) and I did too. And now they’re married. And it all turned out well.”
Ellen “Steven Spielberg is the nicest man you’ll ever meet. Right? The nicest. And so kind.”
Jessica “Yeah. So generous and just so always interested in you feeling really great.”
Ellen “Yeah, I love him and your mom. They’re just lovely, lovely people. And you have a baby now.”
Jessica “I do. I have a baby.”
Ellen “How old is he?”
Jessica “He’s 2 1/2 and he’s actually back there (behind the stage). He’s 2 1/2 and he’s pretty much the best thing ever.
Ellen “What’s name?” A photo of Jessica, her husband and little boy was shown for the viewers.
Jessica “His name is Luke and that’s my husband Christopher.”
Ellen “Man, it’s a shame he’s not cute though” (Ellen was teasing because he was adorable). It’s the only thing, he’s not cute.”
Jessica laughed “Yeah. I know, I know.”
Ellen “And what is he like?”
Jessica “He’s a boy through and through. He’s all about the choo-choos, the trains, he likes to bang loudly. Mostly in public where he can embarrass me. And then I get to publicly parent him and negotiate that.”
Ellen “While people watch and judge you. That’s the best way to do it.”
Jessica “Yeah, yeah, yeah. And most of the time they’re looking at him and see me on the side and go like.” She demonstrated people looking at her with a frown and saying ‘is that, are you, Dr. Arizona (from Grey’s Anatomy), yeah.”
Ellen “And how is that. Is that true what I heard. That was your third time you auditioned for that show?”
Jessica “Yeah. It is my favorite show and I had been watching it since coming on in mid season and I loved it, I loved it and I just had Luke and he was about two weeks old and my agent called and said ‘you know, I normally would never normally call you but I know it’s your favorite show. Do you want to go in? There’s a nine episode arc coming up.” And I said “yeah, yeah. No, no, I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”
Jessica explained “And I hadn’t left Luke at all (at that point)”
Ellen “And the baby was two weeks old and you went in for an audition?” Jessica “I think I had upwards of 14 pairs of Spanx on my body. I just hauled my cookies in there and I sorta figured out what angle I looked like I hadn’t just had a baby from and I gave Shauna that angle as an audition tape and then the good news was they said ‘that was great. Can you come back tomorrow’ and I was like ‘do I have to do this again?’ And I read for Patrick, who I had worked with before and I left thinking ‘this is going to be great, this is going to be great. I’m going to be on my favorite show and they called and said ‘we really like you. You’re so great, but not so much now.’
She told Ellen “I was devastated. I only Tivoed them and didn’t watch them any more. I forgave them, I did. But I like to punish people with my silence. I said ‘no’ and then I watched them over the Summer. And then I got called in again and I went in and was like ‘Now they have to. Right? They loved me so much from the time before. Clearly I will not get this part.’ but “no, no part.”
Jessica said “so then they said ‘we really do love her but there may be something coming up and then, you know, they treated people they love the way they should. They called me and said ‘come in and do three episodes’ and then I did and the character grew into a series regular which I feel really really grateful for.”
Ellen “Well congratulations.
Jessica “Thank you.”
Ellen “It was so great to see you.” Jessica “I know.” Ellen “Cute boy.”
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Tags: 'Baby', 'The Love Letter', 14 pairs of Spanx, 2 1/2 years old, audition tape, bad hair day, choo-choos, Christopher, Dr. Arizona, Ellen teasing, Grey's Anatomy, Grey's Anatomy audition, headebands, Jessica Capshaw, Kate Capshaw, long blonde hair, Luke, Patrick, silence, Spanx, Steven Spielberg, summer, Tivo, trains, wigs
