‘Doc’: Blair Underwood Opens Up About Joining Show & Ben’s Relationship With Amy

Paging Dr. Ben Grant. Blair Underwood‘s trauma and cardiothoracic surgeon was introduced in last season’s finale, when he helped with the deadly viral outbreak — and his past relationship with Dr. Amy Larsen (Molly Parker), which she doesn’t remember after losing eight years of memories in a car accident, was revealed. Now, he’s joining the staff for Doc Season 3, premiering on Tuesday, September 22.

Underwood teases what’s next.

What excited you about joining Doc?

Blair: What excited me was the fact that the show is a great show, number one. Let’s start with that. It’s just a great show. When I heard about it, I went back and watched all the episodes from Season 1 and Season 2, and I just thoroughly enjoyed the show. I loved Molly’s work as Amy and the entire cast. So, that was from a creative perspective.

But also, from a practical perspective, the fact that it’s a hit show; it’s always nice to step into something like that that people are excited about. I’ve done a number of projects that you may love it creatively, but you shoot it and you work hard, and it never sees the light of day. So it’s always nice when you know you have a built-in audience and it’s up and running and it’s working and firing on all cylinders. And to step into that kind of energy and momentum is always enthralling and exciting.

But it starts with the creative. It starts with, what is the show, who are the characters, and what does this world look like? And the fact that it’s a medical drama is exciting. I actually did a medical drama 26 years ago — my son was born at that time. It was called City of Angels. Steven Bochco, who gave me my break in LA Law, created the show, and I played a chief of surgery. And this character’s the chief of surgery. I was in the second week of shooting this in March, the last two episodes of this second season that I did, and I said, “Wait a minute, it just hit me.” I think my character back then’s name was Ben. And I went back and looked it up and it was, sheer coincidence. I know Barbie [Kligman] and Hank [Steinberg], our creators and showrunners, were not aware of that at the time, but it’s been kind of fun to dust off a lot of the medical jargon, especially.

John Medland/FOX

You came in those last two episodes, major emergency — not the best situation, not the best time, not even there for work, Ben just happens to get caught up in it. But now Ben is joining the staff. So how much time has there been between seasons and how much time between that incident and when Ben joined the staff?

It’s not long after the final episode that you saw when Ben comes into the hospital and he sees an opportunity. I think that’s in the trailer, where he says he basically wants to work in, if not take over the surgical department. So basically, those two episodes you saw, he saw that there was a need and there was an opportunity that he felt he could fill. And he makes no bones about it. He’s not shy, as you can tell.

Yeah. And he proved himself in the middle of that, that this is the guy they want there.

Yeah, that’s right.

We got a bit of the Ben and Amy dynamic in the finale under the worst of her circumstances, then that cliffhanger where it was revealed they have this history that she does not remember. What are their interactions and that dynamic like as they’re working together when he remembers their past and she doesn’t?

Well, I think that’s the greatest caveat, the fact that he’s aware that there was history between them and she is not. And he’s not in a rush to tell her. I think it’s the very thing that makes this show so special. It’s the context, it’s the concept, the setup of the whole story, the fact that Amy’s had this accident and she doesn’t remember eight years of her life. And his entrance into her life was during a time that they were different people. She certainly was a different person, as we know. And it was a period of time earlier, so I won’t say that he’s that different per se. But I just find it fascinating the setup of these characters and that he’s come into this time and space and there’s an attraction between the two of them, but it’s more than an attraction. I think that’s what we’re going to find out — what the relationship was and all of its complexities and what it is now and why he doesn’t tell her off the bat that there was history.

That’s what I was going to say. Why isn’t he telling her? Are we going to see that struggle in him? Because the thing is also, he’s coming in as this new guy. It’s not like he has anyone he can talk to at the hospital to vocalize where he is when it comes to that. So are we going to see anyone in his life where he can talk and explain his reasoning at this point to keep it from her?

I think we’ll see that over the course of the season as I understand it. We’re [currently] shooting episode five this week [August 17], and that is my understanding, that we will eventually see just that.

What does he think of this Amy? Because she is different than the Amy he knew because this is an Amy without those memories that she had when he first met her.

Well, she is a softer, gentler type of Amy that we see, but he’s very direct and forthright. And I believe it’s something that brought them together as part of the magnetic attraction because they’re both brilliant at what they do, but they’re both very supremely confident in what they do. So, that was part of the attraction, I can tell you, from Ben to her. He’s really assessing this new side of her. And of course there’s beauty and something very exquisite about who she is now, but it is a different version of her.

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You said that we’re going to find out what that past relationship was, but what can you say about what that was and how serious it was from his standpoint?

Well, I can’t say much, but what I can say is it happened after her divorce from Michael, Dr. Hamda [Omar Metwally]. It wasn’t hanky-panky on the side. It was when she was single and living her life and after, of course, the death of their son. And I can’t give away what he’s dealing with, what he’s going through. But he’s finding his way himself as an adult man at this season of life, he’s finding his way and doesn’t always get it right. But there’s definitely a magnetic pull between the two of them that pulls them together and draws them together.

Speaking of, what is that pull like in the present? Because the closer they get, you would think he would want to tell her, but then also she’s having memory flashes we know about. So if she starts remembering, is he the type of person who will open up about that immediately or be hesitant?

No, he’s definitely hesitant. And the why of which he’s hesitant, we’ll find out. But it’s something that I think he holds close to him and I think he explores the question with himself: Is it necessary to bring this up? Will it complicate things right now? I mean, truly Ben is there because he sees an opportunity for his employment, for his advancement, but also for probably the right thing, and really, believe it or not, to help people. I think he feels he can contribute to this hospital at this time. But it’s really not so much about necessarily the fact that Amy is working there, but the fact that she is there just complicates his journey.

We got a bit of his family life in the two-parter; that’s why he was in the hospital. Are we going to meet anyone else in his family? How much are we going to get to see his life away from work?

I can say we haven’t yet in the first four or five episodes, but I don’t really quite — I know the general arc of the character. The specifics, I’m not sure. But we allude to them in the family that he has and has had, but I don’t know if we’ll see them yet.

Does Ben know of Amy’s complicated love life with Michael and Jake (Jon Ecker) going into the season?

He’s learning. I think when he enters those doors, he’s not very much aware of all those complicated dynamics.

But then he’s watching them …

He’s watching and listening and learning the whole time.

Who at the hospital impresses Ben the most?

I would say Amy. He’s very impressed with her. He’s very impressed with her intellect, with her abilities, her disposition, this new version of her. But also she’s brilliant and he recognizes that and respects and acknowledges that, and it turns him on, too.

Besides Amy, who’s next on the list?

There is no one besides Amy.

John Medland/FOX

To impress him from the hospital staff.

To impress him. Well, definitely TJ. TJ, played by Patrick Walker, becomes his mentee. Those scenes are always fun. I told you 27 years ago when I was doing City of Angels for Steven Bochco, my favorite scenes then were the surgery scenes. My favorite scenes now are working with Amy, Molly, and TJ, Patrick. But the surgery scenes — it’s because it’s the challenge of the medical terminology, it’s the challenge of understanding what you’re doing, and it’s the challenge of simulating the procedures, the surgeries in that sense. So, it’s always fun. And then of course all the prosthetics are always gory and fun to work with.

It doesn’t sound like Ben necessarily cares too much about how he’s fitting in at the hospital. He’s there to do a job, do what he wants. But how is he fitting in? How is the rest of the staff dealing with him being there?

From his perspective, I think he’s fitting in pretty well. He’s going to clean the slates where he sees there’s excess in either personnel or dollars in running the surgical department. But you’re right, I don’t think he’s concerned too much about ruffling feathers. He’s going to do what he feels he needs to do and should do. And really, I think his beacon, his north star is the patients and the patient care.

… [The premiere is] Ben’s entrance and there’s some negotiations with the board at the hospital as to what he feels they need, what he feels he can bring to the table. I always love playing no nonsense characters, unapologetic, bold, unrepentant characters, and those who can back it up. And Ben is certainly of that ilk.

And I mean, I think he’ll get along well with the doctors because none of them get along well with the board, so he’ll fit right in.

Exactly. [Laughs]

Doc, Season 3 Premiere, Tuesday, September 22, 9/8c, Fox