Chandra Wilson Shares Inspiring Career Advice: ‘You’re Already There’
September 29, 2022
Chandra Wilson is sharing the sweet advice she gives to actors.
The actress — who has appeared on “Grey’s Anatomy” for 19 seasons — appeared on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" (original air date September 29, 2022) to discuss her illustrious career, which includes roles in acclaimed films such as 1993’s “Philadelphia” and TV shows including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Chandra has previously shared that she believes having a “career is a bonus,” and she delved into her reasoning during her chat with Jennifer Hudson.
“Want another lesson?” Chandra asked JHud.
After graduating from New York University, she landed a role in an off-Broadway production, which meant she got a union card, medical insurance, and, of course, a paycheck.
“I was an actor,” she declared. “Everything after that was icing on the cake.”
While also landing film and voiceover roles, Chandra still had to work “bread and butter” gigs, including jobs as a temporary employee.
However, no matter what came her way, Chandra knew one thing: “I was still an actor.”
“That decision was made for me at that point,” she said. “Didn’t matter what the acting was. Regional theater… [it all] goes to insurance. I was always an actor.”
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View StoryWhen Chandra gets approached by young men and women trying to break into the entertainment industry, telling her, “I’m trying to get to where you are,” she gives them the same piece of advice.
“If you’re an actor, you’re already there. Let the icing come on the cake.”
Also in the episode, Jenn asked Chandra how she handles complicated medical terms on the drama series, about a group of doctors at a Seattle hospital.
“I still don’t know what I’m saying,” Chandra admitted. “It’s phonetic. I play word games with myself.”
In one scene, Chandra had to say “anastomosis,” which is a connection made surgically between adjacent blood vessels, parts of the intestine, or other channels of the body. To tackle the challenging term, she broke it up into two simple words.
“I say, ‘nasty moses.’ That kind of stuff.”
Watch more below:
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Check your local listings.
