Chandra wilson on 20 seasons of grey's anatomy

Actress Chandra Wilson, 54, has played hard-nosed surgeon Dr. Miranda Bailey on the long-running ABC medical drama _Grey’s Anatomy_ since the show debuted in 2005. The series returns March

14 for its 20th season, and Wilson shares which guest star brought her to tears, the actors who inspired her and whether she plans to stick with _Grey’s Anatomy_ until the final scene. _This

interview has been edited for length and clarity._ How are you similar or different from your _Grey’s Anatomy_ character? Miranda Bailey is very much not me. She only shows up between the

“action” and “cut.” But that doesn’t mean that people’s perception of me isn’t that. I learned that early on when I would just be at Target or be at the grocery store. People were hesitant

in their approach because they thought they were going to encounter Miranda. What do people say to you when they do approach you? “I watch you” or “I watch with my friends.” Or in the

beginning it was, “We watch at the dorms.” It was just to say, “We really love this show,” and now it’s, “We love it. Can I have a selfie?” The people just really want to say hi and that

they like what you do. And that’s really cool. What other reason are we doing what we’re doing if people don’t like and enjoy it? So it’s a huge compliment after all these years that people

just want to stop for a second and say, “I still watch.” So many celebrities have guest starred on the show over the years. Do you have a favorite? The guest star that I probably made the

biggest fool of myself in front of was Natalie Cole. I didn’t realize that she had been cast in a role, [and when I saw her] I just turned into a hydrant of tears. I was like, “What a

terrible first impression to make, but you just don’t understand that you are Natalie Cole.” Who were your acting role models or inspirations? I looked at people like Debbie Allen and

Phylicia Rashad because of their Broadway experience, because that was my initial desire — to work on Broadway. I came from musical theater. So, having the opportunity to work with both of

those women over the years ... it feels really full circle.