Jessy Schram Talks Chicago Med, Collaborating with the Writers to Shape Her Character’s Journey, and More

Jessy Schram is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading ladies. She has starred in countless hit television programs and blockbuster films including Falling Skies, Mad Men, Unstoppable, and more.

Currently, she can be seen reprising her role as Dr. Hannah Asher in Chicago Med.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Jessy about her journey in the industry, returning to Chicago Med, collaborating with the writers, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Jessy: That goes way back. I used to record fake commercials with my siblings on our VHS recorder. We would take liberties with the SNL commercials that would come out and make them our own. My older sister used to force my brother and me into plays and things like that, so I was starring in plays from a young age in our backyard. I’ve always loved singing and performing. I loved being able to connect with people and get a response from them. So it started from a young age, around ten or so. I started to audition and did some theater here in Chicago. I love the experience of being able to get into a story and pretend to be somebody else and take on another life and have it affect people. That definitely still drives me now.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jessy: That’s a large question! My great grandfather used to be a silent movie actor. But he was also an inventor and all these other things. When I used to go over, he would have me make an entrance coming through the door. He would teach me all these different things about silent movies. I think about all the different notes that he would give me that were so exaggerated but so much fun. He had a profound effect on me.

But also each job that I do. I get to meet people and I get to learn what’s working or what’s not working. That really shaped who I am as a person and as a professional.

PC: You’ve had so much success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Jessy: Right now, Falling Skies is really standing out to me. There have been so many different moments for different reasons that have been important. But recently I was thinking about Falling Skies. That was one of the first productions that I was a part of that was so massive in scale but also so massive in my personal life. That cast and crew became family. But it was also the first time that I was part of a show where my character grew. I became an overlord alien. It was the first time that I was given the responsibility of creating a character that I hadn’t auditioned for but they trusted me enough to go with it. That was a massive job for me on a personal and professional level.

PC: You’re one of the stars of Chicago Med, and your character made her return last season. How early on did you know that the showrunners and writers were going to bring you back? Did that change the way that you approached this character?
Jessy: I knew about a month before they brought me back. I was so excited. I didn’t expect it. I had no plans of coming back anytime soon. I knew it was always a possibility because my character left for rehab, so it was an open-ended storyline, but some time has passed since then.

The showrunners randomly called me up one day and asked if I would like to come back. I was like, “What’s the plan? Who is Hannah now?” They put a lot of that into my hands to help shape those scripts that were coming. We were creating Hannah 2.0 together. We get to see who she is without the drugs being at the forefront, which is really special.

PC: You’ve handled Hannah’s journey with so much nuance. How did you create the space for yourself to dive into both versions of Hannah—the one we’ve seen and the one we are going to see?
Jessy: I have to give so much of that credit to our writers for creating a base for Hannah that is so layered and nuanced to begin with. From the start, I did a lot of research watching as many documentaries as I could, reading the NA handbook, and talking to different people that have dealt with addiction. I did a lot of research into this world, and then ultimately I needed to take all of that information and shove it inside of me and see how I might handle these situations within the guidelines that I’d been given. It’s definitely been a journey.

I feel like in some ways, it’s been harder being in this space of recovery because I realized I was very naive about what the recovery process looks like. I had a very different picture of it. It’s been eye-opening for me as Jessy and also an actor to portray an authentic version as much as possible. I’ve been learning as much as I can along the way. I would say so much of it comes from it being Hannah’s storyline. That creates a lot of layers in itself.

PC: The Chicago franchise has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Jessy: That’s a great question. Each of the Chicago series brings different elements, but they’re all in Chicago. I know for Chicagoans, it’s great to see the city and these different locations and characters. You get those Midwest values that come with it as well. But I think with Med, it’s a matter of case-by-case episodes. There’s this relatability with our guest stars that comes through. Then you have our main characters that are doctors, firefighters, and police officers. They’re in these positions of power, yet they’re still completely relatable because there is a human side to them.

PC: Season 8 is airing now. We know you can’t say too much, but what can you tease about Hannah’s arc this season? Is there an episode or scene that you’re really excited for your fans to see?
Jessy: Our main arc of the season is going to be about the supply shortage. It screws us in every single direction, and it really drives everybody’s storylines by forcing people to be creative or creating new riffs within relationships. It puts us in dire situations, so seeing how people get out of it is really interesting. There’s a really neat episode with Will and Hannah where they need to be inventive and creative for a case that Hannah asks him to be a part of. You get to see them in a vulnerable way.

Also, because I play an obstetrician, we deal with a lot of female issues dealing with sexual assault and ectopic pregnancies. We deal with the whole gamut of what somebody in my position might see. We get to share these stories that can hopefully have a positive or educational impact on people.

PC: You were talking earlier about the things you learn on different projects. What is the biggest lesson that you’ve learned playing Hannah and being a part of this franchise that you’re going to bring to future projects?
Jessy: That’s another great question. Getting to be a part of a medical show is like learning another language. You definitely have imposter syndrome. I’m slowly lessening my imposter syndrome every time I go to work, but I would say it’s taking everything with a deep breath and really coming back to connection. We’re in a world where that language can seem foreign to me, but the reality is it’s all about connection. So even when you’re playing a doctor and you’re not allowed to let your personal emotions come through or your character’s emotions, there’s still this connection in everything you do. With this show, we have so much dialogue that’s foreign to me. But it’s about remembering that connection.

To keep up with Jessy, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Robby Klein