Photo: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.
Chandra Wilsonhas starred inGrey’s Anatomysince it premiered in 2005, but she wasn’t always sure about her character’s longevity on the show.
The five-time Emmy Award nominee, 52,opened up about juggling a second jobduring the first season of the hit medical drama during an appearance onThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThursday.
“As a working actor out there in New York, you’re used to having your bread and butter,” Wilson told guest hostMario Lopez. “My bread and butter was my job in the document processing department at Bankers Trust at the time, before it became Deutsche Bank. It was long-term temp, and it was perfect because it was overnight, and I could still audition and work during the day and make the high-end money.”
Wilson has played Dr. Miranda Bailey for all of the show’s 18 seasons, making her one of only three actors to stick around since the first season (includingJames Pickens Jr.’s Dr. Richard Webber andEllen Pompeo’s Dr. Meredith Grey).
“I had an actor friend who said, ‘Don’t ever put all your eggs in one basket, especially when they call you out here to L.A., because jobs don’t last,’ " Wilson explained. “And I had gone through a series before, that we only got six or seven episodes before we were canceled.
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
abc
Wilson has earned four Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Dr. Bailey. She also marks her 22nd time in the director’s chair forGrey’s Anatomywith Thursday’s episode.
RELATED VIDEO: Sandra Oh Saw a Therapist to ‘Stay Grounded’ During ‘Traumatic’ Rise to Fame onGrey’s Anatomy
The NYU alum previously expressed that she has no intention to leave the show. “I always sayuntil the wheels come off, I’ll be there,” she toldVarietylast December when asked the “million-dollar question.”
“I think there have been so many versions of when the show would end and how the show will end that there isn’t a version at this point,” Wilson continued. “I keep showing up when they call me and tell me that we’re doing another one.”
Grey’s Anatomyairs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
source: people.com
