Camilla Luddington is one of those people who always seems to look flawless: on our TV screens, as Dr. Jo Wilson on Grey’s Anatomy; on our social media FYPs, where we laugh over relatable reels of her and her husband; in clips from her podcast with former Grey’s costar Jessica Capshaw. And let me be the one to break it to you — Luddington appears just as picture-perfect in real life (damn it, woman). But sit down with her for 10 minutes, and she’ll be the first to tell you she is *not* as put together as she looks.
In fact, when Scary Mommy caught up with her, it quickly became clear she’s a bit of a hot mess mom. We recognize our own, you know? Her mornings, much like ours, are pure chaos. She’s not above plying her kids with food (she’s even partnered with her go-to bribery snack, Get’Ems!). And she admits to being a bit of an oversharer.
As if that wasn’t relatable enough, she’s also a die-hard Swiftie and kindly gave us the heads up that Grey’s upcoming 22nd season is going to wreck us. Keep reading to hear everything she had to say and see why we’re Camilla stans for life.
Scary Mommy: As moms, we both know this is an insane time of year. What has back-to-school season looked like for your house so far?
Camilla Luddington: I would like to say that we’re super organized, and I’m that mom who has it all together. I definitely don’t. It’s chaos. For one, I thought my daughter was starting school on Monday. It’s Tuesday. That’s what I found out today, so I would have dropped her off at an empty school.
I mean, listen, you’re right. This is the time of the year that it is always so chaotic … I cannot stand making packed lunches. I’m not the mom who looks forward to it at all. I’m not like, ‘Oh, I wonder what I should make today?’ My kids are yelling, they’re negotiating on what fruit goes in, half the time nothing gets eaten. Throwing Get’ems into their lunchbox, that section of their food I know is at least going to be eaten.
But it’s chaos.
SM: I feel like snacks are just a crucial part of success for back to school.
CL: I have hangry kids at the end of the day. I don’t know what your car ride home is like with your children, if they’re super chatty. My kids come back like they’ve been in a tornado. They’re sweating. They’re so hungry. They’re hangry, is what I should say.
SM: So true — that ride home, it’s just that late afternoon glucose crash or something, where they need more food so they’re like little zombies.
CL: They need more. It’s like they’ve never eaten before in their lives. It’s like they’ve never seen food before. It’s the first thing they ask. I’m like, ‘How’s your day?’ And they’re like, ‘Do you have a snack for me?’
SM: No, a hundred percent. Do you have any other hacks or routines that help you juggle everything?
CL: Yes. I don’t always stick to them, but… choosing clothes the night before, if I can remember to do it, because the arguments that I have over whether it’s a Spiderman T-shirt for the day or Batman are ridiculous. So if I can remember, and I’m not super crazy with filming, laying out clothes the night before.
SM: That’s smart. I never do that, but that is very smart.
CL: I don’t always do it, but when I do do it, I’m like, ‘God, you’re so smart, Camilla.’
SM: You’re balancing all of this while starring in one of TV’s most iconic shows. What has surprised you the most about being a mom in that space?
CL: The amount of support that we get from Shondaland and ABC. I think that when you’re starting as an actress, you’re like, ‘I don’t know when I’m going to be able to have kids. It’ll make work so hard …’ And I remember calling Shonda [Rhimes] and telling her I was pregnant, and her telling me, ‘Oh my God, we love babies.’ And I was like, ‘You do?’
Even when we had to breastfeed in the middle of filming, they would yell “cut” and then give us whatever amount of time it took — even though it meant that filming was going to take longer — to support us when we were going through breastfeeding the babies. So, that was the most surprising thing ever. All the moms on set were just so grateful for that support.
SM: It’s huge to have that kind of environment. And speaking of that environment, Camilla, my girl, that cliffhanger at the end of Season 21…
CL: Do we have to talk about it?! So traumatic. OK, fine, let’s go.
SM: Is there anything you can tease about where Jo’s head is at coming into Season 22?
CL: Oh my God. I mean, I’m laughing because — you know when you laugh because you’re nervous because things are so bad? That’s why I’m laughing.
SM: Nooo, that makes me nervous laugh.
CL: The premiere is so stressful, and she’s so heavily pregnant. I mean, it’s so much drama. It feels like an action movie, actually. We came away from the table read, and we’re like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to film this in regular filming days. This is a 20-day shoot.’ And somehow we did it.
It’s just nonstop. It does not stop. Even in the table read, I was like, ‘Really? That’s what we’re doing? We’re really doing that. Yep, we are.’ So, sometimes I’m like, ‘Don’t worry,’ to fans, ‘You’re going to see what happens.’ And sadly, this is one of those premieres where I’m like, ‘OK, well maybe buy some extra wine.’
SM: I’m already extra anxious because I feel like Shonda has been real generous lately in not killing off people. I’m bracing myself.
CL: As you should.
SM: Oh God, Camilla.
CL: I know, I know. I wish I could say you didn’t have to, but you’re going to have to brace.
SM: Damn, OK. Shifting to something lighter. Both you and your husband, Matthew, as well as your onscreen husband Chris Carmack and his wife Erin—
CL: They’re so funny.
SM: So funny! Y’all have both become kind of content creators on social media.
CL: Yes. Somehow it’s happened. I don’t know how, but yes.
SM: Do y’all ever compare ideas on set? What has this journey been like?
CL: Erin is pranking Chris — I don’t know if you’ve seen all the pranks. I can’t do that because the truth is that we’re going to have a heart attack over here. We’re in the midst of so much chaos. I don’t need to add any fake chaos to my life, but we do.
We compare a little bit because I did one skit with Matt where it was based on a real thing. They were showing basically what happened last season on Grey’s Anatomy. It was so many makeout scenes with me and Chris. And Matt was like, ‘Really? Do we need the recap of that?’ So we made fun of that. And then I said to Chris, ‘You guys should do the same.’ They did a little response video, the two of them. We do talk about it. I mean, it’s so funny. You can’t not.
SM: He isn’t the only Grey’s co-star you collab with. You and Jessica Capshaw launched your Call It What It Is podcast over a year ago now. What kind of conversations are you most excited to have on the pod in the future?
CL: Here’s the truth. When we do press for an ABC show, you have Disney training for press, and so you sort of know the dance that you do, not getting too into your own life and just kind of talking about the characters. And we had to let go of that media training and just get really real. We’ve talked about all the things. I’ve joked on the podcast that listeners could pick up my RX at CVS because they know what it is.
So, I think I’m just really excited to continue having open conversations and keep being, honestly, kind of vulnerable on the podcast and letting people into our lives more. It’s a little bit scary when you’re like, ‘Well, I have this now, and this was my week.’ I think that the response has just been so welcoming, and the listeners have really embraced what we’re doing.
SM: We have time for one more question, and it’s an important one. I know you’re a Swiftie… if you had to pick one Taylor Swift song to soundtrack your life right now, what would it be?
CL: My life right now? OK. Oh, this is so cheesy, though. Oh, wait. No, I’m not going to choose cheesy. I was going to choose ‘This Love,’ and Matt’s going to be upset because he’s going to be like, ‘That would have been a really cute one…’ But I’m like, ‘No, never mind’ — ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart,’ because Grey’s Anatomy. I think that one works. For my real life, ‘This Love.’ Fine, Matt, I’ll choose ‘This Love.’ But for Grey’s Anatomy, ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.’ I’ll do two.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
