Kim Raver — The Bare Magazine

Actor, director, mother, creator Kim Raver has played Dr. Teddy Altman on Grey’s Anatomy since 2009. Catch her in the mid season finale Thursday, November 21st on ABC. We were lucky to get a little Kim time given her busy schedule in front of the camera and soon stepping into director mode for an upcoming Grey’s episode. In the wake of the election we discuss what it means to have women in positions of power and really supporting other female creators. “I would say more directing, producing, and the ability for each one of us to be able to expand and learn and grow. So I guess space. Space for everyone to be in their bare selves.” — Kim Raver

Bare: how do you balance your own wellness while playing a doctor on TV?

Kim Raver: I think the most important thing is scheduling. The only way to take care of myself is if I can schedule things. For example I bring my meals to work. I even try to schedule lunchtime. I try to eat it at twelve or one so that I just find my own little routines really help me take care of myself. I think sleep is really important so I really I try to get as much as I can if possible. And I'm a big believer in hydrating. I just think for me also food through good nutrition is such an incredible way of maintaining my health and my kids health. I think that you can really care for your well-being through really good food it doesn't have to be expensive food, you know like a complete protein of rice and beans with salad. I definitely take the time to cook for my kids and then spending time with my family is also sort of how I take care of myself. I like my yummy things. I love a good coffee yum. I think a really great butter is an incredible must-have yum.

Bare: as a native New Yorker now living in California, what do you miss about NYC and what are you happy to “fuggetabout?”

KR: I really miss the walking and being sort of inspired by walking out your door and from the architecture and the people and you know you can walk into a coffee shop and you really have your community there. And I know that there's community in LA but for me being a native New Yorker I am so used to just sort of walking out and being with sort of my people um so I miss the walking aspect of it I do jump on the subway I love the subway I love getting around with the subway. The driving in Los Angeles is really hard for me I mean look I'm not complaining about it in January and February when it's you know a blizzard in New York and I'm you know getting to drive uh to sunny places I'm fully aware how lucky I am on that aspect but I definitely I am a true true New Yorker. I love the people, I love the culture, I love the architecture, I love the craziness of the city. I love the communities. I don't, it's funny, I don't have any forget about it. I mean, maybe the rats on the street and the cockroaches, I don't miss! I'll leave it at that.

Bare: what was it like jumping on the other side of the camera to direct Grey's Anatomy?

KR: I absolutely loved it. I feel so lucky to have such an incredible crew at Grey's Anatomy and such an amazing and amazingly talented cast. For me, because I've been doing, I've been acting since I was so young that for me to be able to go behind the camera was such an exciting experience to sort of, I feel like use my years of experience acting and to be able to have a vision and be able to execute it from a visual perspective and from a directorial perspective, I just absolutely loved it. And I feel so fortunate that, there's such incredible women at Shonda Land and Grey's Anatomy that we get to have as mentors and pass along their experience. And I got to shadow Debbie Allen and there just really was no better person to pass along her knowledge and her generosity in allowing other people to be able to do that. And for people to learn while you're there. I mean, Shonda Land and Grey's Anatomy is really, I think just one of the most unique places. In everywhere you look, there's women in incredible roles. One of our director of photography, there's a woman who just had a baby yesterday. And so the being able to multitask of being motherhood and being a badass in the profession that you wanna do. We have incredible editors and directors and producers and show runners and writers and then also wonderful men as well. But for me coming up in this business and being able to see and have modeled for me the ability. And because I saw these women doing these things, I was able to gain experience and then actually have the opportunity. So it was an amazing, incredible experience. And I'm doing another one starting in a couple of weeks.

Bare: was there something that surprised you when you were directing that you discovered that was a little bit of a surprise?

KR: It wasn't a surprise, but I loved the multitasking of it. You really have to be thinking about a million things simultaneously and have them all going at the same time. My brain really was drawn to that. I just loved that. I loved working with the actors. I was so fortunate to be able to work with our actors. Kate Walsh came in and she was there. I don't think anything surprised me. I mean, I did love having... having the vision in my head and then being behind the monitor and actually getting to watch that vision unfold was really special.

Bare: as someone who's been acting since the age of six, how has your relationship with acting and entertainment evolved?

KR: How has my relationship with acting and entertainment, I think exactly that, that I feel like I'd like to expand on the knowledge that I have as an actor and because I've been doing it since I was six, let that expand into different fields, so with producing and directing and I'm working on just creating other avenues for the creativity and bouncing off of all of the experience that I've had over the years as an actor and kind of expanding that into other avenues.

Bare: as a woman who has been in the entertainment business for so long, do you see and feel change? obviously in Shondaland, you have. she has opened up such wide gates. but when you look into other windows, do you see a reflection of your environment in others?

KR: Yeah, that's a good question. And after the election, it's interesting, right? Yeah. Look, I think that Shonda Land leads by... example, and putting women in powerful positions and a multitude of positions, which then allows the next generation to see what's out there and what's possible, right? And I think we have a long way to go. And I think as women, I think a lot of us feel the weight of the last election and that we can keep supporting one another and keep voicing our importance in the world, right? And so, yeah, it's really deep, right?

Bare: Yes for sure

KR: I know. I feel it too. And it's really deep. It's really deep. And I'm trying to be careful to not get political, but I think your question is a really great question and I hear what you're asking. And I have moments of real joy that we're... It's so emotional. And that real joy that we are finding a place and a voice. And I think moving forward, I'm just trying to support all the women in my life to have their place. And the place meaning where they can be strong and talented and succeed and be and feel heard and seen. And so I'm going to keep at that because I have incredible examples of Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers and Debbie Allen and...And you have a voice, you're writing for a magazine and that we are supporting women. And I make sure that the women that come into my life and the female directors that we’re allies for one another because it's still hard. You can see that it's like, if you look at the percentages, it's like, I feel like we're moving forward. And then I look at the percentages and it's like 17% or something like really low of like women directors. And, you know, so we, we still have a long way to go, but thanks to people like who I work for, they're setting incredible examples. And I, I'm trying for the next generation to, to say whatever I can do to be an ally, I'm here.

Bare: beautiful. thank you for opening up about that.

KR: Thank you for asking the question. Because it has changed. And from when I started out, there were not a lot of women in leadership roles because they weren't allowed to have those roles, right? So then being able to direct in a very female supported environment, that was the answer. That was like a main thing that I felt when I was directing my first episode of Grey's. The relief that I could actually just be directing and not have to be defending that I was a woman. Which I think a lot of people aren't aware of. That we spend so much time defending in all these areas being a woman that is completely subconscious to a lot of other people, right? So to be able to be creative on a creative level, whether I'm a man or a woman, I didn't have to worry about that. I could just be creative. And so that, if that could be a goal, and that is a huge difference, I think, between, let's just say, my mother's generation, who is one of the first women in advertising. I'm not first women, but there weren't a lot of other women in advertising when she was a producer. And now there's many women advertisers, right? So yes, so things have changed from when I was six. And I think we still have a ways to go. And thanks to Shonda Land and Shonda Rimes and all those women that I suggested, it's getting better.

Bare: for our photoshoot in LA you came with a variety of cool pieces from your wardrobe. can you describe your range of style that expresses your moods best?

KR: I chose those pieces and it was kind of interesting styling it myself because I think it's a great mix of who we are as women. love that there are these like cut off jean shorts with like a body lacy bodysuit that we can be you know I don't know if short boy like jean shorts are boyish but kind of that tomboyish but yet also super sensual and sexy and I loved the very body conscious conflict conforming like leopard sort of power dress that I wore with these amazing YSL heels. And then I think we did pajamas on the bed. And maybe that's also it. There's many facets to us as women. And I love that lace is kind of coming back in. So I would say that I'm kind of a very New York, a New York style, a mix between soft and hard, you know, I like mixing things. I like having like a basic thing and then mix it with a different texture or feel or vibe. And so it was fun choosing those things because I think we all are a mix of many different things.

Bare: you've explored many different mediums with your career and fashion. what do you want more of? like more leather, more producing, more smart women characters, more kitten heels?

KR: More women, more women where we feel that we have the space to be who we are and not having to sort of battle, to find, to be seen, to be heard. That there is just that space to exist in our best, strongest selves of who we are. And so I think that is really for each person, whatever that means for them. For me, I love a combination of lace stockings with Levi jeans, leather jacket, and a space to be as creative as every other person around. So I would say more directing, producing, and the ability for each one of us to be able to expand and learn and grow. So I guess space. Space for everyone to be in their bare selves.

And it's funny because you would think in the time that we're in that we don't have to do that anymore, but it is still there. It's, like, it's still, it's still there. And I think, so, yeah, more of that space where we can be creative and have a voice and less having to be, like you're saying, deflecting whatever that energy is. The male gaze, I guess, essentially. More female gaze! I don't mean that in a sexual way. I mean that in the, in the sort of, like you're saying, in the creative space to like, the way I felt when I was directing the first episode, I was rather than having to deflect certain energies of just having the space and support to create a vision.

Bare: you've played Dr. Teddy Altman on Grey's Anatomy for years now. do people ask you for medical advice in real life?

KR: Yes, and the sad thing is I'm always so disappointed when I can't give it. Like, Teddy is such a badass and she's so good at what she does. And then, you know, hey, I have to take my son to, like, whatever, you know, when you go for a checkup and I'm like, yeah, what is that? Can you explain? So yeah, there's always that disappointment that actually I have no medical training. I mean, I do retain some information, you know, Kevin and I were going over a few words. He's like, how do you know what that means? And how do you know what that means? And I was like, because we've been saying it on the show, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I can, I definitely cannot give out medical advice and it's, it's always kind of a bummer. I'm definitely like every other person where I need to get like the actual medical help.

Bare: do you trust your doctors.

KR: I do, I do advocate for myself. I think more, uh, now knowing. I mean, I definitely have a lot of knowledge in terms of, like, all the stuff. I mean, probably, you know, there's so much stuff that happens on grades. You're like, hmm, could it be that? So sometimes that's too much knowledge. Right. But it's like, but it definitely helps me advocate. I think it's really good. Like, I don't think women are taught to ask questions and maybe that's just like with age. But I definitely try to tell my girlfriends you're allowed to ask questions. And, you know, I think we're taught to kind of accept what medical professionals say, which is really important. But it's also really important to self-advocate and ask questions to understand sort of what they're saying and that, you know, to have permission to do that. I definitely try to pass on to my girlfriends.

Shot in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang at The Line Hotel

What are your top five bare essentials?

KR:

My family is number one
I have to have an espresso that I make in the morning
Dark chocolate
Sleep
And the ocean. It's a great place to just kind of wash away life’s intensity and start over