Jessy Schram Talks ‘Chicago Med’ and Her Upcoming Film ‘Country at Heart’ [Interview]

Fans of Chicago Med will note a familiar face this weekend on the Hallmark Channel. 

Jessy Schram stars in Country at Heart, which will premiere tomorrow (Saturday, October 3rd).

This summer I spoke with Schram about the upcoming Hallmark Channel film as well as her role as Dr. Hannah Asher on Chicago Med. 

Schram began by sharing the unique circumstances of how she came to be a part of the popular NBC series.

“So I never take vacations, and I had booked this all-women surf trip. I was so excited, and this role came along and I was like, wow, there are so many elements. A surgeon is really interesting, but somebody that’s also battling with addiction and it was such a multilayered role. And I was going to fly to Nicaragua that night,” she recalled.

“I put myself on tape, got on a plane, didn’t hear anything over the weekend. And then on Monday, while in Nicaragua in the middle of the jungle, I got a call from the director saying, ‘Hey, Jessy, we love you, [but] it’s such a complex role and we only gave you two scenes. We really just want to make sure that we could see these other elements from you.'”

That meant she needed to find a way to put herself on tape while on her trip. “I didn’t bring a blow dryer. I didn’t bring makeup. One of the girls gave me her sleep shirt because it was the most professional thing that I had with us,” Schram said. “I am very lucky that from my past work and from that audition that they had enough faith in me to give it a go. So I flew back from Nicaragua early to Chicago and just jumped right in with the role of Dr. Hannah Asher.”

The role on Chicago Med also meant a chance for the actress to return to a city she’d lived in for years.

“I lived in Chicago up until I was 18. So I’m born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago,” she said. “I started in the industry when I was about ten years old, working in commercials and everything. So to get to go back and work in my hometown and be with the crews from Chicago — it’s so rewarding to get to go back to Chicago and work, because that’s where I started. And then also too, my whole family lives there. So just having the support of them, and One Chicago being such a big deal in Chicago, it’s just so much fun to be part of where I grew up and never really thinking that I’d have that opportunity in this way.”

Schram also shared what it was like joining the cast of such a popular show, and one that had already been on for several seasons. 

“It was scary. I mean, anytime you go on to a set, especially one that’s been established. Going to set in general is terrifying, going to the one that’s been on for five years, everybody, it’s difficult. You’re doing a surgery scene, and I’m still flubbing the words and don’t know how to put on my gloves. And they’d gotten to do that for five years already. So, but that being said, this cast and crew were so welcoming, and just so gracious and patient, that never for a second did I feel uncomfortable, or like there wasn’t space to learn anything.”

Schram put in quite a bit of work preparing for the role, particularly because of Dr. Asher’s struggle with addiction.

“It’s been rewarding and it’s tricky. I think personally I had to do so much learning, whether it comes to documentaries, or talking to therapists about addiction, or just really fully — not fully because you keep learning — but really trying to understand that part and what that means when somebody is addicted to something, as well as this other aspect of since she’s one of the best surgeons when it comes to gynecology,” she explained.

“When the scripts come in, it’s also really tricky. I’ve had conversations with our executive producer and with the writers and the director when they come on, because a lot of the time we get these scripts, and because there’s so many faces to my character and what she’s dealing with at the time and the journey that she’s on — there’s so many different ways that we can play it,” Schram said.

“So it’s always a conversation on set of where are we at in this moment? And what face of Hannah are we portraying right now? And also when you have addiction, it’s a different human being. So what elements are we pulling here? Where is the struggle, is she struggling right now? And what is it that she’s struggling with?”

All of those elements also come into play in terms of how much the audience can trust Hannah — and how her actions could affect those around her.

“I think that one of the things that I was really interested in when it came to this character is because of addiction, so many people are upset with Hannah when it comes to fans. And they’re just talking about, maybe what she’s doing, maybe she’s not that great of a person. And then you’re like, but wait a second. That’s not who she is. This is the addiction. And who she is at the core is, I think, who we’re starting to see a little bit of. She does have a great heart and her intention is only good.”

“I think I love this character because it’s voicing a lot of different types of issues and I’m really curious to see how that all plays out,” Schram added. 

Of course, we also had to talk specifically about Hannah’s growing relationship with Will Halstead, who has wanted to help Hannah from the start. Schram shared her thoughts on why the two were so drawn to one another. 

“I make fun of Nick [Gehlfuss] on set because in every episode I’m like, who are you going to save this episode? And he’s like, yeah, that’s Will, that’s my character. I need to be saving people and helping people. So it’s like, we joke around on set, but really it’s two characters that are ultimately needing help from each other.”

“They very much are intertwined and figuring it out together. And it could be a dangerous combination,” she noted. “But at the same time, I feel like they feel very genuine towards each other and they have respect outside of what the drama could actually be.”

Schram was also excited to discuss her upcoming film, which premieres this weekend on Hallmark Channel. 

She has starred in several Hallmark movies, including A Royal New Year’s Eve, The Birthday Wish, Road to Christmas, and Harvest Moon. In this next film, Country at Heart, Shram plays Shayna, a struggling singer-songwriter who is on the verge of giving up on her career.

“When we first meet her in the movie, she’s kind of needing to reignite her passion for what she does. She’s spent her whole life trying to make a name, make a voice for herself in the industry, and just all the doors have been closed. So she’s re-evaluating if following her dream is actually worth it. And so she goes to take a break, help out with her father’s music festival that’s happening,” Schram explained.

“While she’s taking a step back, she’s introduced to a songwriter, played by Niall Matter, and a new country superstar played by Lucas Bryant. And the introduction of them gives her opportunities to go deeper in her songwriting, but also deeper inside of herself. So the movie really deals with love for music, love for friendship, and of course, romance.”

Schram is also a musician, and she gets to show off that skill in the film as well. “You will be hearing music that I get to perform in the movie. That’s what I love too, is that I got to perform and play with this, and using the music kind of helped me connect to this character and the storyline. And it’s not just about finding romance. It really is just getting closer to the heart, and the music isn’t the backbone, it’s the driving force, which I love.”

She also noted that while this film has plenty of the classic elements you’d expect from Hallmark Channel, it’s also unique. “It still has the hopeful feel and it gives you everything you want in the end, but it’s a little bit different in the sense of it has a little bit more dynamic going than just that love relationship.”

We could all use a little levity right now, and being able to offer that is just one reason Schram enjoys working on these films. “I love these projects, I would say because of the fans,” she shared.

“It really touches them, and it provides a space to kind of stay hopeful or maybe heal a little something through things being light. I just love these movies, because I know how much the fans love it. So it makes me feel good to be putting something out there that I know will make them really happy.”

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Country at Heart premieres Saturday, October 3rd at 9/8c on Hallmark Channel.

Chicago Med is set to return Wednesday, November 11th on NBC.

*Featured image credit: Emily Sandifer

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