If there’s a motto for the romantic relationship between Dr. Shaun Murphy and Lea Dilallo on THE GOOD DOCTOR, it’s this: “Love conquers all.”
“I love that!” said Paige Spara, who plays Lea, in a virtual interview. “I love to hear that!”
But because THE GOOD DOCTOR is an ambitious show, there are many subcategories under the “love conquers all” theme. Yes, love may conquer all, but it doesn’t necessarily conquer every little thing on a day-to-day basis, especially with the added responsibilities of Lea and Shaun, who has autism, having a baby together.
Season 4 of THE GOOD DOCTOR, which continues with a new episode, Monday, May 10 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV, has benefited greatly from Spara’s deft acting touch. Lea has enough to worry about with the pregnancy, and she’s very tender when coaching Shaun through things he doesn’t quite understand. But she has been angry and frustrated with Shaun at times, too. She has called him out when he’s being selfish, not only for his own good, or for her own good, but also for the good of the baby to come.
“Yeah, I think it was very important for (executive producer) David Shore, Freddie (Highmore, who plays Shaun), and I collectively to agree that we see Shaun as a person first and foremost, and then autistic,” Spara said. “We never wanted to approach it where it was a delicate, precious thing. We wanted to show a true authentic relationship, and what that would look like, specifically for Lea and Shaun. As far as research, I’ve watched a few documentaries, and we have just never stopped talking about it, before we even get into a scene, we make sure we brief it with every new director. So it’s just very important for us to be true in that way.”
Very few TV series can match the emotional range of THE GOOD DOCTOR, which was a hit right out of the box, and has already been renewed for Season 5. The show covers serious medical situations, the ups and downs of interpersonal relationships, and even has moments that are played for comedy and are quite hilarious. And more and more through the seasons, Spara’s Lea has become the audience’s window into this world, and into Shaun’s personality specifically.
“I haven’t actually viewed it in that way, and I really appreciate you saying that,” Spara said. “I am very grateful to be a part of the conversation that kind of confronts skepticism and prejudice towards autism. I feel very proud to be part of a storyline that shows these two people making the relationship work. And I feel like it’s extremely relatable to everyone who watches. So yes, I agree, Lea provides a huge window into Sean’s life and emotions, and I feel very lucky, because it didn’t start out that way. I didn’t know if I was coming back, or where Lea would be, so I’m very happy to be here.”
Spara’s portrayal of Lea certainly has come a long way from where it started: literally, in a bathroom at her parents’ house in Pittsburgh!
“Going back to my original self-tape audition for this role, I was at home in Pittsburgh, visiting with my mom and dad,” Spara recalled. “I had to film this audition with my mom in my bathroom, because there was no other lighting in the house, and it was very last-minute, they needed to find someone for two episodes. My mom was very nervous for me, and nervous reading the lines with me, because she’d never had to do that on tape before. So many things were going wrong.”
But there must have been something about Spara’s demeanour under pressure that impressed the makers of THE GOOD DOCTOR.
“I definitely found something, I swear, in that bathroom with my mom – I was extremely grounded,” Spara recalled. “I mean, it’s very realistic, I had to make it work. I guess I found a lot of patience that day, and I just carried that with me. And then when I met Freddie, with his kindness and his friendship, he always made me feel so capable. I have learned so much about this industry, and acting, from him, and that has completely helped shape a lot of my choices and my growth spurt on this show.”
So years from now, when Paige Spara starts her own acting school, “bathroom auditions” will be a huge part of the curriculum.
“Absolutely!” Spara said. “Use what you have, commit, be proud to be there, be grateful always, just try.”
