Jaicy Elliot talks what to expect from Helm in Grey’s Anatomy

Jaicy Elliot plays Helm on Grey’s Anatomy. To get ready for the series’ return tonight, here’s everything she has to share and tease about the episode.

Over the last few years, we’ve got to know Jaicy Elliot as Helm on Grey’s Anatomy. And what a quirky character she is. Each episode she’s on sees her growing in confidence and skill, and it’s exciting to see what’s to come next.

Of coure, right now, Helm and other interns, doctors, and firefighters are trapped in Joe’s Bar, which had a car drive through the window during the closing moments of the winter finale. With Grey’s Anatomy‘s return tonight and the Season 3 premiere of Station 19, she teases what to expect from the episode and her character.

One thing to remember going into this episode is that Grey’s Anatomy is moving to a new time. It’s actually its original timeslot of 9/8c. But you’ll want to tune in for Station 19 Season 3’s premiere first, even if you don’t want it. Tonight is a two-hour crossover event, wrapping up that storyline from the Grey’s Anatomy winter premiere.

Hidden Remote: What was it about this particular character that you love, that excites you about going to work every day on Grey’s Anatomy?

Jaicy Elliot: We have a lot of parallels in life, but what I loved the most was the level of habits she does, and how far she’s willing to go at work.

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HR: I’ve heard a lot of actors who have played doctors on TV that they learn a bunch of stuff they have no clue about. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since you’ve started playing Helm on Grey’s Anatomy?

Elliot: Oh, I think what I’ve learned is that you think you have knowledge to assess the situation or what the patient has had, but things aren’t always what they seem to be and you’ve got to let yourself be taught.

It’s funny; I’m somehow convinced that I know what I’m talking about. And then it changes in the middle of the scenes, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I guess I had no clue!’

HR: Well, it’s better than going on Web MD. Like don’t ever go on Web MD if you seriously need to know what you have, because it tells me one of two things every time: I have cancer or I have something up my nose. At that point, I’m like have either of those things been true?

Elliot: Yeah, I stay away from Web MD as much as possible. And now I have all these friends who are doctors, so it’s very convenient.

HR: So, the buzz this week is the Station 19/Grey’s Anatomy crossover. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just ask are we allowed to say anything about your role in that? I assume that you obviously pop up at some point.

Elliot: Yes. Well, I think as we’ve seen at the midseason finale, we know that some of the interns are right there at the bar. The car comes into the bar and we are located right underneath it. So I think that’s basically all that I want to get out because it’s there. It’s gonna be on Thursday and we’re gonna see what happened right after. But yeah, there’s a lot of drama.

HR: How was it to film because I talked to the people that do the Chicago franchise crossovers and they always tell me that they’re just huge logistical nightmares trying to coordinate all these people at the same time.

Elliot: Oh, yeah, absolutely. It took us a really long time. It was very late that day. I think it was like 4 a.m. or something that the day we shot with the car and because you have to make sure that every step is secure, and everyone’s aware, and everything has been practiced, and takes a lot of time and focus to get through these.

But it was very exciting, and I love working with everyone on the set at Station 19 everybody’s so excited and enthusiastic and it’s nice to be from another show and being on a different show. It solidifies Helm as a doctor on Grey’s, which was exciting,

HR: Which kind of led me to a thought. I think this show may have one of the largest ensemble casts on TV, not counting the folks for Station 19, who obviously they closely interact with. For you as an actor how do you keep up with the things that you need to know for Helm.

Are you able to keep up with everything that’s going on? Or do you have to zero in on anything that’s just directly connected to you, because that’s a lot of information?

Elliot: Well, I go to the table reads, and that’s how I get my information for what’s going on in everybody else’s life. And then I watched the show so I’m pretty tuned in as in terms of like, what’s going on.

But yeah, we just we worked together and we live together. I’m friends with a lot of people from the cast so it’s kind of like an immersive experience where my life is about out of my work.

HR: You don’t need that room in your attic with everything connected with the little pieces of string.

Elliot: No, no, I have that in my head.

HR: So obviously a lot of people I’m sure have been asking you about Helm’s crush on Meredith on Grey’s Anatomy. That was a big part of how we got to know her a little bit. Is there anything else in store for her? Because I’m really interested in seeing more about her personally beyond just that.

Elliot: I think we will see in the second part of the season as Helm gets a little more outspoken about her feelings and that’s really exciting for me. She kind of grows a little stronger and it goes there and so we will feel the more of that and I’m very excited for her.

HR: I’m particular excited to see you share some screen time with Sarah Rafferty.

Elliot: Oh yeah, she was fantastic.

HR: Is there anyone else that we’re allowed to tease that we should be on the lookout for? Because you guys do have some really interesting people who wander into Grey’s Anatomy.

Elliot: I actually just finished shooting an episode with [Raffert] and I don’t know if I’m allowed to mention it so I will just tease it for you with that. I’m a great fan of hers and she was wonderful to work with. So I guess we have a few very exciting people coming up.

HR: I love to ask what are the shows or the other actors or other things that you’re a fan of? I love to hear what you’re super passionate about and that you recommend to people.

Elliot: I’ve always kind of liked an underdog or someone that is maybe a little underappreciated. I recently finished watching Unbelievable with Toni Collette and the whole cast is incredible and the story is a little…it’s a hard show to watch because of the sexual assault but it’s just the way that was made. It’s the way there are two simultaneous stories, and it was treated beautifully and the acting is impeccable.

I always go back to Kathy Bates. For me, Kathy, is I mean, I if you look at her career, it’s been slow and steady. And she’s had some really interesting and very different roles.

And yeah, I’m always interested in the supporting actor and what that person is doing. Sam Rockwell and all of these that you don’t really see until you see in one thing and then you’re like, ‘Oh, right. They’ve done so much and so gracefully.’

HR: You’re one of those people that’s like ‘it’s that guy, in that thing.’ And your friends are like, ‘what?’

Elliot: Yeah, yeah, I’m like, ‘Yes. And he, he was the cook not to start the first but the second cook. But then he did another movie.’ If I could have a wish for myself, it is to have a career that is filled with little juicy roles that aren’t necessarily the top front of the line roles but that sees me in very different ways. That’s what I’m craving right now.

HR: So I’ve asked you everything I wanted to know, but I want to give you a little bit of space. Is there anything else I’m not thinking of that you want to throw in here or anything that you’re like, you know, wish people would ask you about and they’ve overlooked it so far?

Elliot: That’s a good question and I’ve never been asked that before. Honestly, I like acting and I love doing what I do. And it’s been such an incredible, unbelievable experience that I’ve been going through and I’m blessed to do it for the first season and hope to do it for as long as they want. And that said, I’m very excited about developing this project, and hopefully my own projects at some point and not necessarily in acting, either.

I’m producing and co-creating, and I’m excited about the development of my art in general around me and to go as far as I can. My father is an artist and I’ve always been very connected to reading art and knowledge and information through that medium. And so that’s maybe something that I would like to talk about, but I don’t have a specific question.

Outside of that, I’m very passionate about, you know, health care in America. I’m French, and where I’m from health is a human right. It’s not like a service that you can get. It’s part of living in the country. That’s, that’s what you get. And so I’m an ambassador for the Valley Community Health Center in the valley right outside Los Angeles, and that’s something also that I’m very passionate about.

I do a lot of things but this is probably what makes my job so exciting is that I can get time and space and energy to do things like that, that help other people. And I think that’s so much more important to what I do for myself is that I, I finally ended in a spot in my life where I can give back, and the Valley Community Center is definitely a place that I cherish. I love working with them. They’re really amazing. And they provide free health care for people who just need it, anyone from any background, and they don’t really ask questions; they just try to help. And I think that’s really important and it’s as artists, we could do anything, then that’s, you know, something that I think we need to do over everything else.

What are you excited to see for Helm in Grey’s Anatomy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 returns tonight at its new time of 9/8c, but tune in at 8/7c for Station 19 as it is a two-hour crossover event.