KaDee Strickland, who plays Dr. Charlotte King on Private Practice, recently talked about the upcoming season, saying:
“It just goes to show that life is unpredictable, I think. The truth is that people end up in unlikely situations. I’m really thrilled!”
She had a short stint as a wedding planner on the Fox sitcom Wedding Bells. Now KaDee Strickland is trading stilettos for scrubs as Dr. Charlotte King, the chief of staff at St. Ambrose Hospital on Private Practice.
KaDee Strickland, 31, may clash with her Private Practice co-stars on screen, but unlike her uptight alter ego, she's laid-back as her warm Southern drawl.
The Patterson, Ga., native recently talked to TV Guide about Grey's Anatomy marathons and what she loves most about her latest role.
TV Guide: What attracted you to Private Practice?
KaDee Strickland: Well, the obvious talent of Shonda Rhimes and what she's been able to do with television in terms of developing rich and interesting characters. Frankly, when you sit down with her and she says she's going to write something for you, there's nothing more flattering in the world. To do it and have it be so much fun is just remarkable. It's a dream job!
TV Guide: Did Shonda write Charlotte King with you in mind?
KaDee Strickland: To a degree, one never knows. This stuff is so mysterious the way it all comes to pass when you get a job. I took a meeting with Shonda and I didn't know what show it was for or what the character was. I just knew it was a female doctor. We sat down and just really hit it off. A few weeks later, I got a phone call saying Shonda Rhimes would like to offer you the role of Charlotte King. I was absolutely thrilled. It was the first time I've ever taken a job in my life without seeing the script first. But I knew it would be great. Then she told me she liked me having a Southern accent and I thought, "God, we're going to have so much fun!"
TV Guide: So nobody actually auditioned for this show?
KaDee Strickland: From what I understand, that's kind of the way it went down for everybody. This stuff is very chemical. It either makes sense or it doesn't. I think that's a gift she has with Grey's Anatomy, as a case in point. That ensemble is extraordinarily talented. I've had the good fortune of working with her and being surprised when scripts come in. You never know what to expect. You just know she's excited about it and, when we sit down and do the table readings, we're all excited about it. It's a wonderful process.
TV Guide reports that Private Practice has added a new star in KaDee Strickland (below). She will play the administrator of the Oceanside Wellness Center and will be a series regular. Her character on Private Practice has not yet been named.
This news comes a little more than a week after the Practice producers somewhat controversially replaced Merrin Dungey with Audra McDonald.
Despite giving Private Practice the green light, ABC was clearly not pleased with it entirely and has been fine-tuning the final product it for the fall. Follow this link for a full biography of KaDee Strickland.
Along similar lines, Grey's Anatomy has promoted Chyler Leigh (Meredith's half-sister, Lexie Grey) to a series regular, signing her for at least 13 episodes.
Quite the busy day in the Grey's / Practice universe! Follow this link to learn more about Chyler Leigh over at our sister site.
Weds., October 1
NEW, Episode 2.1
"A Family Thing"
At last, Private Practice returns for its first episode of Season 2!
Addison: ...I was humiliated.
Violet: Were you completely naked? Did you stand in front of him like a pealed banana while he looked over your best parts? Because I have good parts and Cooper passed on them. I have good parts!
