Monte Carlo Tv Film Festival 2019: meeting with Gonzalez Nicholas and Chang Christina

Gonzalez Nicholas and Chang Christina reveal unheard details about THE GOOD DOCTOR TV Series during an exclusive interview they granted with us at the Monte Carlo TV Festival in Monaco…

So my first question will be … the last episode, sorry but your character is like a couple like that. So I was very intrigued by the scene you kissing and the camera is going around where you surprise about this scene, how it get announced how did you prepare with it and…

Gonzalez Nicholas: lots of practice

and what did you think of your character relationship

Gonzalez Nicholas: I mean that’s kind of jumping ahead on the envelop it’s like a season you have to understand but ehhm, to answer your question for you ehmm it was a shock you know because the show is, you know number one is procedural you know we always have the two cases and then there is also of course chants, many stories in one and so for one that just has more for us to do is obviously an honour to be you know chosen to have more story and that’s very it’s was little unlike David Shawn who doesn’t necessary lean in into that kind of sentimentality you know, he is pretty direct and ehmm but the ultimo is he is really fun and I think it’s interesting to see those signs in a character you know, ehmm being able to work together and wanna take down the company

Chang Christina: ehmm it was uncharacteristic of Shawn to do that. You talking about impersonating yeah yeah we were surprised too when we got to set and he said ‘this is what we gonna do, we gonna those cameras’

Gonzalez Nicholas: And I don’t think Anthonia was acting when she was like …

Chang Christina: yeah yeah actually she plays Doctor Claire Brown I mean you see in her face she was like what (laughs) and she wasn’t acting. She was like what’s happening.  So all the joking aside ehmmm it’s I don’t know it’s fun. Nick and I have known each other for many many years so like our characters, we’ve known each other since we were younger. We have a history. We have a short hand. Ehmm we are similar, like minded in several ways. And so you know when we get to play which is what we get to do, when you get to play with somebody that you know and respect, its fun you know. Then I mean it’s still a job that we take seriously but it’s also something that, you know what I mean that you get to come to work and do that, you know.

Gonzalez Nicholas: we are relaxed enough around each other that we get to find moments that maybe isn’t on the page you know and there’s a lot that’s not written. I think what a lot of people, you know what I hear back and I hear it when I read things written about her whether it’s on tweeter or something is that people basically love the reactions, the faces the kind of. You know we don’t always hide it a lot you know whether it’s ….. or you know her leg but unfortunately you know we all have our things and I think that people really love to see that and it’s fun the way we kind of find those moments too.

I thought it was a dream at first but …

Gonzalez Nicholas: no it real life my dear not a dream

Chang Christina: the kissing … that was very … yeah, I know what you mean.it was a different moment. And it kind of is as a dream anyways. It’s a way of saying like that’s how it feels to the characters like they are alone.

Now we know like you have a super relationship with the character do you think of ehmm what place relationships to realise

Gonzalez Nicholas: let’s say when you are married like they are

Chang Christina: why?

Gonzalez Nicholas: I mean they could be very dangerous and you know I think it’s becoming increasingly difficult you know especially because ehmm there is always a constant changing dynamics between the sexist an unnecessary one. You know a lot of unnecessary things are happening but it does change ehmm how we interact and how people interact to work even for us you know as artists. You know we are still in an environment where we are surrounded by people as it is a job ehnmm and so I think it is ehmm it can be a very dangerous thing depending on you know ehmm people if it’s our build or not.

Nicholas-Gonzalez-chang-christina

What kind of research did you do for the medical part and do you try to understand everything? Do you google it?

Chang Christina: yes we do research, we google, we have a medical consultant on the show. She is fantastic. Her name is Susy, she’s been a law nurse for over thirty years and now she has done several shows, we are so lucky to have her on our set. She is touch stone for us you know she is very calm and knows exactly what she was doing and she was like ‘okay well Nick here you go this is what you gonna be using okay Christina go ahead and do this and this is what it looks like. You know she just kind of talks to us like an anti real. Okay you know… so we learn, do a lot of our learning on the flight but also yes research and then Nick of course has his personal

Gonzalez Nicholas: my brother. Yeah my brother and my father are both surgeons. My brother is currently practicing in Texas a ……. Laposcopic Surgery very much top of his game, my father retired just recently in many years and I grew up in hospitals you know and that was where I you know my day care was censored. Like I was saying earlier my baby sitters, I got to know a lot of the nurses and just running around there. So it’s something I grew up in and watching those two men and watching them react. I go to see my brother doing surgeries, and I went along with him to watch him talk to the patients beforehand, talk to them afterwards and watch his bed side manner, watch the way he talks to the people under him and colleagues. And It’s a very specific, very interesting way and it is very more pleasing. To me, I lived that life so when this audition came I was like hahaa.. I know these guys I grew up under this guy. And So I mixed those two together and ehmmm..

Have you ever wanted to be a doctor like your father and brother?

Gonzalez Nicholas: definitely, definitely and I think you know we as actors we get to do so many different things, we get to learn things for different roles that we get to indulge in the choices we didn’t make. I definitely considered medicine for a long time and ehmm thankfully I found acting in college and well in a very different route but I get to investigate it now, I get to play at it and ehmm its …

Chang Christina: I feel so lucky, we have multiple careers hahahhaha you know being an actor you get to say you’ve done a lot of things without really doing it you know.

Gonzalez Nicholas: yeah and you know you get people that really for all the tense purposes think you are a doctor. I mean we have a lot of friends who are oh are you really a doctor? I be like yeah I’m a doctor.

Do they watch your shows? Your brother and your father?

Gonzalez Nicholas: yes they do, they do

Chang Christina: they are very proud

Gonzalez Nicholas: my dad loves it. My brother loves it but my brother loves to give me like a brief about it because he is like ahh this wouldn’t happen you wouldn’t do the surgery. You are a cardio therestic surgeon why are you doing esthetics? You know why are you doing brain surgery? You know she is a trauma surgeon, she is a brain surgeon. But you know there are certain little leaps that we have to take because we have to follow a certain order of doctors and I have to follow 95 of them … so there are certain leaps that are taken which he finds fine but for the most part they are very supportive, they are people I don’t do against them like get answers and know how to handle.

So the story is about doctors. Does this topic touch you in particular?

So again we know that the doctor is about someone who is actually suffering from altruism and so we just want to know, is it some sort of a topic that ehmm is close to your heart or it’s something that is special to you. You know

Chang Christina: probably we are just proud about it but yea, it is. It is something that is ehmm. Yes so I’m gonna say for Nick and I. we both personally know have friends, have children that have altruism or family members so we’ve personally experienced it. Been on the show, we’ve learned a bit more about it obviously and then also there have been people with altruism that have come to act on the show. They are playing roles of the people with altruism on the show. Ehmm and I think it’s close to us because of course we are seeing it through the lens of somebody who has altruism but also Nick has a particular story but there are people who watch the show that I think feel quiet, my friends included that have children that have altruism. They are very grateful that this topic is been addressed and that this show is can address it for everybody. This is just one individual that has it but I think the fans are, there are some that reach out and are very thankful that this is something out there in the world in many many living rooms.

Gonzalez Nicholas: I think what’s important to note you know ehmm at the end of what she just said is that ehmm just like the diversity that we show on the show racially ehmm gender wise ehmm it represents the world around us. It’s not ehmm a concoction for TV it’s like finally TV is showing you what the world around us really look like. Look round the world right now you know you think women are represented this much you know, and yet here you are. You know but if they had a thing with generals it’s gonna be predominantly men right. You know how it’s represented on TV. So there is we saying more that with the reason with altruism. The reason we bringing up with that it’s so much more turbulent now, we are all touched by it. I guarantee you every single one of you, may be you don’t know it but is touched by it. And has friends that has either a child, or a spouse or. And it manifests in so many different ways because it’s a spectrum right? Not just … But it’s a very different example than many others you might find. But it’s that thing that the diagnosis of people is more … and it’s kind of been there too and it’s something you are not acknowledging and it touches the soul.

So Freddy … has to play the character with altruism, is it at first for you as an actor ehmm disturb you a bit like to get around him and have him to not look at you or.

Gonzalez Nicholas: that’s the biggest one.

Chang Christina: that’s the biggest thing. Where you looking?

Gonzalez Nicholas: but it gets me back into the character. I’m like hello are you hearing me right now?

Because you know he doesn’t have altruism but he has to pretend to have it and you have to play with him. How is it for you as actors?

Chang Christina: well I came on a little bit after, I wasn’t part of the first film. So it was very interesting for me, my very first episode working on the show because (laughs) they completely ignored me. And I didn’t know him yet you know so I felt a little alienated at first but then you know the character has to be his boss so I had to act like one that was not bothering me. Yeah I was a little bit like ‘what’s happening right now’ ehmm but no I mean in life he is so affable and easy going and very joyful so that didn’t last long for me.

Or is it to switch because I know you are also like

Gonzalez Nicholas: the only thing I can say to that is that ehmm you have to understand that what Freddy Harm was doing is not a polar trick, it’s not a gimmick, it’s not oh let me get into Shawn and he just walks in, no I mean. He has created this character that is living really during …. But living, breathing, character that is constantly changing so honestly as actors, we get to show up and just be present. You know we prepare our work obviously and stuff but I don’t need to like imagine anything because he is there in such a representation and so glaring that for some people it’s very close to what they know of their own family members and relatives …. And they were like oh when he did this it’s so. And Freddy is somebody that is intuitive and somebody that is just also you know is like okay if I were thinking this way, well it must mean that it will manifest. You know he is discovering new ways, he does amazing surgery but it is not a game, it’s not something he plays with offset or we mimic. It is something that he is living and breathing. And so we wanted to see and honestly I would say it again, I think he deserves all the prices for it you know. He really does…

I know you are also different from your character, but how is it to switch to see Freddy a moment and the next one to see Shawn. Is it different from other characters? You know what I mean? Is it different to switch from the set and the real person that is your character for example?

Gonzalez Nicholas: Let me be on a spectrum a little bit, Freddy is in many ways like his character too because he is a very he is extremely bright and working on another level when it comes to you know his writing, his directing is well you know and that’s just like the tenth cool thing about him you know.

Chang Christina: I know why you are asking but it is hard to describe. Yes of course he is very different from that but it is not …

Gonzalez Nicholas: although his girlfriend will answer (laughs) sometimes she is like he brings it home, he is like I know I do not want …. (Laughs)

Last question, so ehmm both of you of course are very known for the series you’ve done, long list. And just ehmm wanted to ask you between the way you act as an actor between a series and for the big screen. Any differences between the one you are doing (series & movies?)

Chang Christina: nothing. It just takes longer to do a movie. (Laughs)

Gonzalez Nicholas: I don’t know, it’s an interesting question ehmm it is different in the sense that I love to really have this time to really investigate. I’m learning about reading constantly you know not only what is written …but you know learning about this character. Having that time to spend on that is a really ehmm is a rare opportunity I mean every actor will love to you know have a series and a movie is kind of like is a hard fast getting to know this character with whom you are bond and you are kind of left in … and are stepped in ….. and its consequently my life now (Laughs).

thank you so much.

Chang Christina & Gonzalez Nicholas : thank you.