A BOOK OF Magazine interview with Grey's Anatomy's Kelly McCreary

American actress Kelly McCreary currently plays the role of Dr. Maggie Pierce on the ABC drama series Grey’s Anatomy. In the show, she plays the half-sister of the series protagonist Meredith Grey.

In this exclusive interview, the brilliant actress spoke to us about her character Dr. Maggie Pierce and playing her on the show, acting on an emotionally heavy episode with her real-life sister Crystal, her favorite episodes of the show, her acting journey, and also gave advice to those who want to pursue the craft of acting.

What’s the best part about playing Dr. Maggie Pierce in Grey’s Anatomy?

Right now, it’s the rivalry with her ex, Jackson Avery. This petty side of Maggie is so unexpected and so much fun to play. On another, kind of related note, one of the greatest gifts Maggie has given me is a deepened compassion and appreciation for humans who are vulnerable enough to reveal their fragility. In a world full of curated “sharing,” I think it’s really refreshing to see the inner life of a woman whose outer appearance projects power and confidence, and at the same time, the toll that the pressure of perfectionism takes on her. I love discovering how the daily dings of life add up in Maggie, and what happens when a person doesn’t have all the tools she needs to navigate every moment with the grace and strength others might desire of them. She reminds me to check my judgmental thoughts of people, because you never know what’s really going on inside.

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Do you have any favorite episodes/moments in the show so far?

Oh, there are so many! The episode arc with Maggie’s mom (Latanya Richardson Jackson) still breaks my heart. I think my all-time favorite Maggie Pierce line is “You’re a cylon! This is Galactica!” from her Season 12 drunken meltdown about the possibility of being single forever. And Maggie and Amelia’s conversation about implicit bias was a major moment of alignment between myself and Maggie— that was a conversation I was having with a lot of my white friends at the time. Plus, it was the first time on the show that characters specifically articulated issues of race like that.

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Let’s talk about your acting scene with your sister Crystal in Grey’s Anatomy. How was it working alongside your sister in the episode?

We had a blast, and it was kind of a trip. You don’t often get to look into the eyes of someone you’ve known for your whole life and perceive that person as a stranger, but also as someone you just inexplicably understand and connect with.

How did you prepare for that emotionally heavy episode?

By drinking lots of water, to stay hydrated through all that crying. Also, I turned to my old friend, Google. I did a lot of reading about the Sabrina’s condition and the risks of the surgery to understand what feat Maggie was trying to pull off. But I especially wanted to hear from surgeons and their loved ones to fill in the emotional connective tissue about the impact of such a loss because Maggie had never lost a patient due to her own error. I read that in circumstances where mistakes are made, or judgment is off— those are the losses that some surgeons never recover from. I imagined Maggie replaying the surgery over and over, trying to correct her mistakes. She is so confident in her abilities and so used to being successful and solving puzzles with relative ease, so I knew the experience would shake her to her core.

Speaking of acting, what’s the story of your acting journey in a nutshell? What inspired you to pursue the craft?

When I was a kid, movies like WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and MARY POPPINS were played on repeat in my house. So that was the spark— I loved the weird, the whimsy, the pathos of that kind of storytelling. During the summers, I took classes at the high school around the corner, which oﬀered music, art, and theater classes, and it was there that I first got to put my love into practice. I continued until I went oﬀ to college by attending excellent public schools where the arts were integrated into the curriculum. I continued my studies at Barnard College, digging into the classics and immersing myself in the vibrant world of new plays being produced in NYC. And as soon as I graduated, I began pounding the pavement— in fact, I actually skipped my Columbia University graduation ceremony to go to my first Broadway audition. (It was for Mamma Mia. I don’t regret not getting that job, and I also don’t regret missing the ceremony.) After that it was years of regional theater, commercials, then on and oﬀ-Broadway and then TV.

Out of all the characters that you’ve played, which one resonates with you the most and why?

Esther Mills from the gorgeous play Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage. She went on a long, hard journey to discover that she was worthy of love as beautiful as her radiant soul. She reminded me of myself and so many other women I know whose confidence in what we have that is commodifiable— our skills and talents— belies the lack of value we place on the wholeness of our humanity. And it was the second time I’d played a character who migrated from the South to a northern city during The Great Migration. I can’t get enough of exploring those stories, probably because they mirror my own family’s story— my mother’s family came to Milwaukee from Louisiana, and my father’s family came from South Carolina (same as Esther) via Ohio.

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Which role/project do you dream to do next?

There are a number of real people whose stories I’d love to get onto the screen. Eartha Kitt (I can’t believe there hasn’t been a film made about her incredible life), the tennis great Althea Gibson, the civil rights activist, Pauli Murray. On the lighter side, I’d love to do more comedy, and heists and whodunnits are two genres on my film bucket list.

What advice can you give to young and aspiring actors out there?

First thing, get your training. Learn the craft. You’ll have more fun and be more free if you have skills and technique at your disposal. Then, don’t forget it’s a business. Get curious about every element of it. Learn everything you can about how things work at studios, production companies, casting oﬃces, agencies— everything. The more you can demystify the business side of it all, the more you can make empowered choices that nurture your creativity. Oh, and get together with your creative friends and make some stuﬀ.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. It’s something I work hard to practice every day.