An Interview with Ashleigh LaThrop & Aury Krebs from ‘Brilliant Minds’

BRILLIANT MINDS -- "The Haunted Marine" Episode 105 -- Pictured: (l-r) Ashleigh LaThrop as Ericka Kinney, Spence Moore II as Dr. Jacob Nash, Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang, Alex Ozerov-Meyer as John Doe -- (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)

Ashleigh LaThrop and Aury Krebs are a pair of talented actors that have appeared in some big-time franchises, such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Leverage: Redemption, respectively. Currently they star as Dr. Ericka Kenny and Dr. Dana Dang on the hit new NBC series, Brilliant Minds, and we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss their work on this brilliant new show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted both of you to this project.
 
Aury Krebs: I have proclaimed this a couple times today. I was a lifelong Grey’s Anatomy fan, so it's kind of always been a dream to be a part of a medical drama. It was like a very influential piece of, like, my formative years growing up, and I really, like, dove into their storylines and their characters. But alongside that, I think I was really excited about Dana as a character, because I am an actor that doesn't, you know, I require a little bit of stretch of imagination, I have found, which is fine, because I don't, you know, I want to be able to play characters that people can really like, invest in what I have to bring to the table, but it means that jobs are, like, a little bit fewer and further between, for me. But it really is, like people say in this industry, that like, what is meant for you will come and it totally did. 
 
Because Dana is just like this such a precious character that I do think defies archetype in a way that you know, maybe it takes, I think, you know, she could be archetyped in the very beginning, but you learn so much more about her, and she has so many different dimensions. And like, I don't think I've gotten to see a character like her on TV, and I could have really used one growing up. And there are so many pieces that like, were so aligned for me. And like, Michael (Grassi) talking to me about, like, he asked me if I was comfortable playing gay. And that was so funny, because I was like, Michael, like, I am a real-life human lesbian. And he was like, “Well, I didn't know that,” (Laughter) and then, you know, just learning how so much of Dana's character intersects with my own. But in the very beginning, it just felt like such a fit, and it felt so right, and it was my first screen test, and it was probably my first producer session, so it really just felt very Kismet for me. 
 
Ashleigh LaThrop: The thing that attracted me was I really liked the pilot when I read it, and then I really liked talking to Michael about making sure that we were telling the truth of these illnesses. Because I think that's not something that we necessarily see on TV a lot of the times. If we're dealing with mental illness or mental health, it's all hyperbole, right? It's like the most extreme version of like the thing that is, whatever the disorder is. And I think that he really wanted to show these illnesses in a way that is truthful to like people who might be struggling with them, or whatever neurological conditions. So, we're doing it in the most grounded and truthful and respectful way that, like, allows people to be seen. And I was like, “Oh, I definitely that's so important,” and it's something that is personally very important to me. So, I was like, please.Yes, yes. And thank you very much.
 
John Betancourt: I definitely want to talk as well today about your characters too. Because you mentioned the care of goes into the cases, some of the real-life parallels. And I'm just curious, because the characters are so realistic and feels so dynamic, how do each of you as actors create such rich characters?
 
Ashleigh LaThrop: I think we all have different processes, which I think is also really fun when you get to see how people, one, create their characters, and two, how they approach the work on set, because like, sometimes you'll gel, and sometimes you have to find a way to maneuver, because their process will be so different than your own. But I think that's what builds the camaraderie, and it builds the realistic relationships. Is because like, you know, we're all very different, and we all bring something different to the table. So, I would say that that's something that that is helpful in creating these characters. It's just like we are different as humans. We are different in the way that we approach them, in the way that we create the work. And luckily, it all sort of comes together really well in this show.
 
Aury Krebs: That was perfect. That was a perfect which Ashleigh does. I mean, I did a lot of learning as I go, because this is my first, really like foray into like television. And you know, the pilot was my second ever episode of TV. And then thereafter, you know, many, many more. And it was really fast paced, and I got to learn from like, these incredibly gifted pros in terms of like, learn by watching, and then learn by doing. And you know, talking to Ashleigh about, like, how she was building her character, because we talked a lot in between shooting the pilot and the second episode, there was a year in between, and she and I would talk on the phone all the time, just like, kind of to connect or whatever. But, you know, every once in a while, she would bring up, because she's an avid reader and she's a really intense researcher and one of the most hardworking actors I've ever met in my life. So, I got to become friends with this incredible person who just like, creates so much life underneath. 
 
Like, the few words that we do get to say, especially in the very beginning of the season, it's why she is such a captivating artist, and it's why you get to, like, you watch her and you're like, “God”, like, “Why” you said maybe, like, three or four lines. And, like, I am so invested and interested in understanding, like, what is going on with this character too, because I think her character could be less dimensional than she makes it. And I mean, it is a testament to like, how Michael pushes against archetype with all of our characters, but then they have just like, they've brought people in who bring so much of themselves. And, you know, I learned from people who are like, “I just bring who I am to the character.” And then I learned from people like Ashleigh, who are like, “Yeah, I read like 20 books, and, you know, did all of this research in terms of, like, the circumstances of what my character goes through.” So, I got to read a couple of the books that she recommended to me and that, you know, inspired me to venture out and learn. But I'm still learning about how I shape my characters, and I hope that my whole life is learning about, you know, what the process is.
 
John Betancourt: This is just such an inspiring and wonderful show, so many beautiful layers and meanings. And I'm curious, as we start approaching towards the back half of the season here, what each of you kind of hope the audience takes away from season one of the show. 
 
Ashleigh LaThrop: I hope that the audience takes away. I mean, first and foremost, we're creating entertainment, right? So, I hope that the audience is entertained by what we're doing. But I also hope that they take away -- none of our storylines end neatly, right? Like, none of them end, like, up, and that's the end, and everything is fine, and everyone lived happily ever after. So, I guess the big lesson is like that it's okay to not be okay. It's okay to not have everything wrapped in a bow. It's okay to still struggle. It's okay to, like, find a way forward that's unconventional, find a way forward while still dealing with things under the surface. Everything doesn't have to be resolved. Everything doesn't have to be perfect, because life is not like that.
 
Aury Krebs: Yeah, I think for me, one of my favorite things about this show is that and it speaks to what Ashleigh discussed in terms of what attracted her to the show in the first place, it is how we, everyone, every mind that goes into this show is taking such great care in terms of how we humanize and represent as authentically and honestly as possible, any, every corner of mental illness that we get to touch upon so far in the show is like, I really hope that people take away like, you know, maybe a little bit more humanity in your point of view. Because, you know, we have characters that could be put into really dangerous situations if they don't receive the help, and that happens every day in the world that we live in. And I hope that that just encourages people to like, humanize the people that they see on the street, or people in their lives who might end up having a mental health struggle that they didn't have when you first met them. And like, hopefully be inspired by the legacy of Oliver Sacks and you know, what this show is trying to achieve. And like, to take somebody's hand and move forward with those circumstances in mind, rather than casting them off or, you know, judging them. Just try to give a helping hand in those situations. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 
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