Station 19’s Jaina Lee Ortiz on Andy’s Promotion and the ‘Beautiful’ Series Finale
Jaina Lee Ortiz is about to put out her final fire on Station 19. Since debuting as the firefighting counterpart of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) in a Season 14 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Ortiz has seen her headstrong protagonist, Andy Herrera, rise the ranks of the firehouse her late father Pruitt (Miguel Sandoval) once ran — all while weathering all kinds of family drama and romantic entanglements over the years.
Now, in the seventh and final season of the ABC firefighter drama, which aired its 100th episode on Thursday, Andy has finally claimed the coveted position that she has worked her entire life to hold: the captaincy of the Seattle Fire Department’s Station 19. It’s a professional milestone that also carries a special significance for Ortiz, who is just days away from wrapping production on the most well-developed character she has ever played.
“Obviously, none of our characters are perfect, but I feel like Andy struggled with balancing her career with her personal relationships and, ultimately, being the captain of her dreams. I think she made a lot of mistakes along the way,” Ortiz told TV Guide on a recent Zoom call. “So to finally be in this leadership position, it really makes everything full circle, I guess. So I just wanted people to really be proud of her.”
Below, Ortiz explains how Andy has adjusted to her new title and position, how she personally reacted to the show’s shocking cancellation and how she has been preparing to say goodbye to her character, and what fans can expect from the bittersweet series finale.
(Come back to TV Guide closer to the series finale for a Station 19 retrospective with Ortiz and some other members of the cast.)
So much of this show has been building up to Andy filling the seat her late father once held as captain of Station 19. What kinds of conversations did you have with showrunners Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige about what this professional milestone would mean for Andy as a character this season?
Jaina Lee Ortiz: Looking back, it brings up so many different emotions, because obviously, we wanted to see Andy step into this role eventually. And with the ending of the series, we didn’t realize how much we needed to wrap up her life in 10 episodes, so that in itself was incredibly challenging. However, I ultimately expressed to Zoanne and Peter that I wanted people to be proud of Andy. I wanted her to fill out her dad’s legacy in a way that people could celebrate and honor her because for six seasons, I think she has been one of the most flawed characters. Obviously, none of our characters are perfect, but I feel like Andy struggled with balancing her career with her personal relationships and, ultimately, being the captain of her dreams. I think she made a lot of mistakes along the way. So to finally be in this leadership position, it really makes everything full circle, I guess. So I just wanted people to really be proud of her, and [I wanted her to] be able to stand up as a woman, as a Latina, and show people, “Hey, I made it outside. I made it out the other end.”
How has Andy’s perspective of being captain changed now that she finds herself in that position and sitting in that office?
Ortiz: Maybe in the beginning, Andy almost assumed she deserved it because of nepotism. Andy, I guess, expected to be captain because her dad was for so many years, and I feel like she realized that she had to earn it herself, and she almost had to separate herself from her dad’s identity and be her own person and listen to her own gut while following his advice and guidance along the way. Ultimately, she had to stand on her own and be her own version of the captain that her dad was. Coming from a place where I’ve personally lost a parent, it’s easier said than done, right? Because when your parent is alive, it’s very convenient. You have their support; they’re a phone call away. And once they’re gone, you’re like, “Oh s—, what do I do now?” And I think that challenge alone, that obstacle alone, really allowed her to truly step in and be the leader that everyone knew she could be.
How do you think Andy has been handling that position this season? Has she managed to strike a balance between being someone’s friend and someone’s boss?
Ortiz: I think Andy had a rough start. It’s hard to root for someone who gets it right all the time and succeeds instantly. And I think for Andy, she had to fail a few times before getting up and realizing, “Oh, it really isn’t this easy. I now have to separate myself as a person in charge and turn the ‘friend Andy’ on and off from ‘boss Andy.'” And that isn’t very fun when you’re working with your family.
