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Brian Lucci
This episode is brought to you by Fandango.
Jesse Schramm
People say fans are too distracted these
Brian Lucci
days, but the truth is, when a
Jesse Schramm
great movie hits the screen, you show up.
Brian Lucci
You stay glued, invested, part of the story.
Jesse Schramm
And without fans like you, there'd be
Brian Lucci
no cinema magic, no shared moments.
Jesse Schramm
So head to fandango.com to get tickets, stream or rent or buy top movies and series. Fandango loves fans. Your next chapter in healthcare starts at Carrington College's School of Nursing in Portland. Join us for our open house on Tuesday, January 13th from 4 to 7pm you'll tour our campus, see live demos, meet instructors, and learn about our associate degree in nursing program that prepares you to become a registered nurse. Take the first step toward your nursing career. Save your spot now at Carrington Edu Events. For information on program outcomes, visit carrington. Edu Sci.
Brian Lucci
Hey, I'm Brian Lucci and this is the official one Chicago podcast
Jesse Schramm
Action.
Brian Lucci
Things are changing in all kinds of ways for the folks over at Chicago Med. So beware of the spoilers if you're not all caught up. Well, first of all, Dr. Charles, entire world has been rocked. And don't even get me started about the rest of them doctors because the emotional. You know what has hit the fan for just about everyone in the hospital. But there is one character who's been transforming in a really beautiful way this season. I'm talking about Dr. Hannah Asher.
Jesse Schramm
There was something about her that I went, my God, she's not just a doctor, she's not just an addict. She was so special. I just, I needed to sat down
Brian Lucci
with the compassionate, wonderful Jesse Schramm. And boy did we have a good chat. Talking about how she tackled Hannah's past, everything about the pregnancy, and of course her changing relationship with that handsome S.O.B. Dr. Dean Archer. Or as I like to call that cool cat James Dean Archer. I just need to absolutely know that this is what you want to do.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah, I do. I want to be a mother.
Brian Lucci
Ok, I didn't know that.
Jesse Schramm
Neither did I.
Brian Lucci
First we gotta take a little break, but when we come back, we get into all of that and more with maybe the nicest person I have ever met in the whole wolf world, Jesse Schramm. So don't go anywhere.
Jesse Schramm
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Brian Lucci
Welcome to the official One Chicago Podcast. I'm Brian Luech, and today I have the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the beautiful, compassionate, super smart little lady who could save a baby and a baby's mama under any circumstances. We're talking at gunpoint in the back of an ambulance, on the street, underwater, probably out in space, for God's sakes. All right, you guessed it. Dr. Hannah Asher played some, say some, and a lot of people. The sweetest human in the Chicago universe, Jesse Schramm. Am I saying right, Shram?
Jesse Schramm
Yes.
Brian Lucci
All right, cool.
Jesse Schramm
Yes, yes, yes.
Brian Lucci
So welcome to being a Chicagoan. To start this out, you got hired season five. Correct. And then you stayed the whole season five. And then what happened?
Jesse Schramm
So I came in middle of season five as a guest star, a recurring guest star, possible series regular. So I came on for a few episodes as yous find me. I'm ODing.
Brian Lucci
Give me a Narcan inhaler. She OD'd. Hang in there.
Jesse Schramm
It's okay.
Brian Lucci
You're okay. You overdosed, but you're gonna be all right.
Jesse Schramm
Um, and that's how Will Halsted finds me. So I come in in Nick Galfis's storyline and throughout that, you know, I'm performing surgeries while being an active addict. And, you know, we're kind of threatening each other. I'm saying I can shut down his system that he's doing this safe injection site that I am utilizing while being a doctor. So we kind of have each other in blackmail through it. And then through that, a beautiful relationship develops. And so I came on as a romantic relationship for him. And as this doctor that was in the middle of getting clean, I guess you could say, I come on. There's promises for me to be back. And then Covid hits, so that storyline drops away. I come back, episode one in season six, and Hannah ODs, and she goes to California to get better.
Brian Lucci
Oh, my God. So it was just one episode in season six?
Jesse Schramm
Yes. So I was supposed to be on for a while, and then they're like, hey, Covid finances, storylines. We're changing everything. The world is in lockdown. So are we. I'm so sorry, but we're not continuing with this story. Oh, Lord.
Brian Lucci
But you came back like a shiny penny.
Jesse Schramm
One day, I get a phone call. You know, you're always hoping. I'm like, oh, well, they always said I could come back as a recurring. I'm just waiting for the moment. A year goes by, another half a season, and I remember seeing this billboard, and there were two new characters added to the cast, and I was like, you're dead to me. You're dead. Chicago, man, they lied. I've just been waiting to come back. You said you loved me. Okay, this relationship's done. And, like, literally a month later, I got a phone call saying, hey, we'd love to bring you back. Do you have any interest in that?
Brian Lucci
And here you are. I think you probably got 100 episodes under your belt.
Jesse Schramm
I think I'm close to 100. I think I'm at, like, 96 or something.
Brian Lucci
1011. Wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're gonna be the 100 episode lady
Jesse Schramm
pretty soon, which is crazy.
Brian Lucci
Yeah. You don't even realize. Okay, let's start at the very tippy top.
Jesse Schramm
Okay.
Brian Lucci
When did you know you wanted to be an actor? If you could tell all the kids that are big fans of yours.
Jesse Schramm
Yes, yes. Like myself, I was little. I had always wanted to be a singer. I had always wanted to be a performer. I was shy, but I also really loved to perform in front of people. Like, I'd start in the back of the line when it came to school, you know, performances, and then somehow I would bust through front and center to the middle. So I loved when I would perform. I loved, you know, the effect that it had on the people around me in terms of, like, my great grandpa couldn't have. My great great grandpa couldn't have been a bigger fan. So, you know, seeing the smiles and seeing people engaged, I really loved that. And then I think it also developed into 100% being an outlet for me. You know, that's the space that you're an imaginative person and you get to act out in these feelings or emotions or things that you get to say that are not normal in real life or kind of accepting. Yeah.
Brian Lucci
When I have the opportunity to sit down with somebody and tell a story and it all just comes out. It's therapy. You know, it's this great feeling. You get a little bit of a euphoria. Yeah. All right, so how old are you when you're up on that stage starting to sing?
Jesse Schramm
Oh, gosh. I was about 7 when I loved singing. And then when I was about 10 years old, I asked my mom if I could be on the real tv. And then there was this Harriet the Spy audition that came around in Chicago. And a girl at my school, my friend at the time, was doing this big casting call. You know, there's hundreds of girls, like, lined up around the block. It was a Nickelodeon casting call.
Brian Lucci
Here we go.
Jesse Schramm
I didn't get called back. She did.
Brian Lucci
That bitch.
Jesse Schramm
That bitch. But I continued. So that was one, like, that was the first time I realized it's possible. Like, oh, my God, this is something that maybe I could actually do. So I had told my mom I wanted to be on the real tv. But then I basically just did radio and commercials here in Chicago. Cause that's really all that there was. And then went out for a pilot season, booked one of my gigs, came back, and then literally had auditioned for something the year I was graduating, booked that, and moved a day earlier to Los Angeles than I had planned. So I, I, I've been in the business, but also like a regular kid at the same time. And then it wasn't until I was 17 or 18 that I say I became an ATH because I learned how to do the business and I knew how to do product placement and really could hit my mark in commercials. But I didn't really know how to be a character yet, I guess you would say.
Brian Lucci
Yeah, yeah.
Jesse Schramm
So I remember going through a weird, weird time in the industry of just, like, kind of taking a break or maybe the industry was taking a break for me.
Brian Lucci
You were out in LA at that time?
Jesse Schramm
I was out in la. And I remember this role of Hannah coming around. And it was the first time I was finally. I booked that vacation I was finally gonna do. It was a surf camp. It wasn't gonna bring, you know, I'm not.
Brian Lucci
Wait a minute. You're a surfer, too?
Jesse Schramm
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Brian Lucci
You crunchy little hippie. I love this.
Jesse Schramm
So, you know, Chicago girl going in la, you gotta learn to surf. But so it was just one that came along. And I remember I was about. The flight was booked that evening, and I looked at it and I was like, there is something about Hannah. There is something about this character. There's something about the show. I remember it being my sister's favorite show. But Hannah, there was something so different about her that I have to try. I have to put. I have to try. For her, it was the. Like, I put it on tape real quick, sent it in, and about three days later, I was in Nicaragua. And I get a call from the director, Melena, who really was a major part of helping me book this role. And she's like, look, I'm asking you to do the impossible. Here's this one scene. These are the 15 things that I need to see within this scene. I'd love for you to give this a go if you can. And I remember, like, literally, it was the first time I didn't bring, quote, unquote, an audition shirt. Cause I'm so used to just, like, always putting things on take. You're a hustling actor and she's got
Brian Lucci
15 things for you or something.
Jesse Schramm
Yes. She was like, I'm needing you to show me this, this, this, this, this in this scene, even though it's maybe not apparent in it, but I need you to show this. And I remember, like, looking at these six girls that were on this surf retreat being like, does anybody have a shirt that looks professional? All I had, and I woke up at, like, 4am I'm in the middle of a jungle somewhere. I have an X on. My mom is on the phone reading sides with me, and I'm doing Hannah Asher, trying to give the elements that she needs. And I got a call maybe the next day, being like, hey, we need you. And so I left that trip early. They didn't know I was in Nicaragua.
Brian Lucci
They had to pay to fly you there, though. They didn't.
Jesse Schramm
I didn't want that to work against me. So I was like, no, no, no. I'm available at any time. So I found this ride out of Nicaragua, got to Chicago, and literally the next day came from, like, waves to the set. And, you know, we put little track marks between my toes. Cause that's what I decided Hannah used to do to hide her addiction. And that's. I knew Hannah was some. Someone that I needed to try for. And I knew that Chicago Med specifically was special. There was just. Sorry, that's such a long story.
Brian Lucci
No, no, dude. That's why we're here. We're here for long stories. Are you kidding me?
Jesse Schramm
Yeah. So it was just something that. When it came around, you know. Cause I had aud for other characters before, but there was something about her that I went, my God, she's not just a doctor. She's not just an addict. She's not just some. She's not just a love interest. There was something about Hannah and Hannah Ashray. I don't know if you know, this is ha for heroin addict.
Brian Lucci
No, I didn't know that, but we're writing that down. And I'm making a T shirt.
Jesse Schramm
Yes. So that's something. She was so special. I just. I needed to try.
Brian Lucci
I wonder if Melina. What was her name again?
Jesse Schramm
Melena Govich.
Brian Lucci
I wonder if she gives everyone directions. Like, she gave you directions. Like, breaking it all down. Like, we have Gwen Segan, and she'll tell you stuff, but she won't tell you everything. Did Melina really get into this?
Jesse Schramm
Melina got into it with me for sure. And I know that Michael Pressman was our producing director at the time, so she was definitely operating within that team. I do remember her telling me that there were some other people up for Hannah and that she just saw something with me and really wanted to. Wanted to show them that I can do it. Like, I feel like my extra tape was to prove to them, like, no, no, no. Jesse's capable. Like, she's snapping.
Brian Lucci
You think she snuck that call to you?
Jesse Schramm
I don't think she snuck it, but I don't know that she did it with everybody.
Brian Lucci
She could have.
Jesse Schramm
She could have. But all that, now it's even better.
Brian Lucci
Here you are surfing in Nicaragua, wherever the heck you were. Right.
Jesse Schramm
All that matters is that, you know, we all got direction and that they believed in me.
Brian Lucci
I love it. And she wanted you.
Jesse Schramm
Yes.
Brian Lucci
Molina Govich. Govic. All right, so I learned you are a huge fan favorite in Hallmark movies. All right. In that world, what was the biggest difference between playing a character in that world and in the wolf world?
Jesse Schramm
Oh, my gosh.
Brian Lucci
We're not talking Cinderella and Harvest Moon.
Jesse Schramm
No, no, no.
Brian Lucci
Huge difference.
Jesse Schramm
Massive difference. You know, the similarity is that they both have their formulas, they both have their structure, they both have their act in and act outs, and they both have their own tone, so that's similar to them. But, you know, Hallmark, I get to play in love and smiling, and in. In the wolf world, you know, it is life and death that we're dealing with. And there's different nuances that you're playing that I think that Hallmark doesn't have the space for a lot of the time. So, yeah, I would say that there's different subtleties and it's just a layer of. It's a layer of drama and it's a different groundedness that I get to play with in the wolf world.
Brian Lucci
And this is the longest you played a certain character in anything, right?
Jesse Schramm
Yes, correct.
Brian Lucci
Are you proud of that? So proud of that.
Jesse Schramm
I am.
Brian Lucci
Yeah. You should be. The way it's going right now, like with that knucklehead doctor I don't even wanna say the Crunchberry. Our Crunchberry man, Mr. Steven Weber, when we talked to him, he brought up. He says, I just don't understand how she does it. She's bouncing around like a crazy coffee bean. And then, boom, she's serious. He goes, he can't do it. You know what I mean? Yeah, but the storyline is so badass that, like, you broke up with the goody guy. You know what I mean? And now you slept with him for just a moment.
Jesse Schramm
Truth.
Brian Lucci
And you made a baby.
Jesse Schramm
We made a baby.
Brian Lucci
But it's beautiful, you know?
Jesse Schramm
Yeah, it's a. I feel like this relationship. I mean, who genuinely. Who would have known? There was an episode that aired last night that we say, and it like, who would have known?
Brian Lucci
Right, right, right.
Jesse Schramm
But this is where it went. And honestly, Steven and I did not know that this is where it would go. And we are both very protective of the characters. And I would say that while Archer and Asher, which gets very confusing for everybody who has to say our names and mention us in any kind of way, while we are so interesting on our own, we really. I think the reason we work on our own as well is because we have this really fascinating relationship.
Brian Lucci
Oh, I love the relationship.
Jesse Schramm
And like, both of us, you know, we've had many conversations with Alan MacDonald, which. What a blessing of a man he is and a boss and showrunner in so many ways. He has really taken to heart all of the different fears that we have and all of the maybe different requests. And even if it may not go the way that we would hope for it to go, the most important part is how we get there. Like, we will always say whether they're together or not, whether they're having a baby or not. To us, it's been most important how we get there. However you want us. Somewhere.
Brian Lucci
Like him having the ice cream at the house, him. You guys, like when you had a
Jesse Schramm
bad day, making sure that, you know, okay, so you guys need this, this, and this to happen. But can we make sure that it's Archer and Asher, the ways that they would go about. And I know that that sounds so simple, but it's easy on 22 episodes of such long running shows to move the points around and like, we've really had a beautiful space to kind of talk through things. We've been given a lot of room and a lot of respect and a lot of grace in how we've gotten to go about Archer and Asher. And it's very special. It's a turbulent relationship, but it's very special.
Brian Lucci
Ipatha said the same thing. She said, know she's been doing this 700 episodes or something. She goes and she two times in her career that she really felt profoundly that somebody wrote for her. It was all about her. And she said, that was Alan McDonald, the showrunner.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
And his team. So that's wonderful.
Jesse Schramm
You know, and for better or worse, that was always something where I would talk to Alan and I'd be like, are you sure this is where he's. Where they're going? And he's like, I don't know if you guys are playing this on purpose, but the chemistry is there.
Brian Lucci
Yeah, it's there. It's wonderful.
Jesse Schramm
So they write. They write for what and what they feel. And I think that that's a very special thing to have happen.
Brian Lucci
So you didn't see all this beautiful chemistry that Archer and Asher had, but the writers clearly did.
Jesse Schramm
Yes.
Brian Lucci
Is there any moment, looking back where you felt it recently?
Jesse Schramm
I went back and was watching episodes from the past, which is a very harrowing thing if you ever do on your own. Can't do it, you know, as you grow as a member of the team. But I remember it was, it was kind of early on where all of a sudden Archer had accepted Hannah. He didn't make her do drug tests anymore. You know, he wasn't upper bum about like, hey, you're not good enough for this, or I don't trust you. He gave her some trust.
Brian Lucci
It's nice work today, Dr. Asher.
Jesse Schramm
Thank you.
Brian Lucci
Yeah, Your patient got lucky. She had a good diagnosis.
Jesse Schramm
Which one of us is that?
Brian Lucci
Well, we both know. Listen, your weekly drug test, we can dispense with that. Great.
Jesse Schramm
And I realized that the next episode, Hannah came with this very playful attitude towards him. And I feel like that now, watching back as a viewer was the shift. This is where the shift happened, where I think some of that was allowed to grow. Cause it was no more too. It was not two People butting heads over trustability and all of that.
Brian Lucci
He penetrated his armor.
Jesse Schramm
There was an episode, I think it was last season, where he had accidentally taken lsd, and there was this really beautiful moment.
Brian Lucci
It's like a ribbon coming out of my mouth.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, my God. I was obsessed with this scene. Steven was so brilliant in this episode, but in this scene, he was telling Hannah how he saw her. And there was this really. Again, what I viewed as platonic while we were going through all of this. But it's like all of these really beautiful love moments were happening. And it's not until this season that I'm kind of recognizing how it can. How it can go past that, to be completely honest. Wow. So it's not until recently where I'm like, oh, I get this now. Where before, I was just trusting our writers and I was trusting our audience and going, okay, you guys, you know, we always have had chemistry, but I've just never. I've never seen them as romantic partners, even though that's, like, what we're playing now. And it's. It's really. It's really interesting to watch develop. But I think it ha. I'm seeing where it happened early on that Archer said that you don't need to do the drug test anymore, and that changed something in their dynamic.
Brian Lucci
They switched it.
Jesse Schramm
And then all of a sudden, she was comfortable with him and kind of poking him and bringing him out of his shell. And, like, it only happened with the two of them. They were only doing that with each other. And I feel like that's the beginning of the journey now that I look back. But it wasn't until recently that I've. I still even see their chemistry as being more than just like, this really deep appreciation and respect and love. Full disclosure, it's been a decade since I've reduced a jaw, but I just watched one on YouTube, so I see one doing right.
Brian Lucci
So funny.
Jesse Schramm
It's a little funny.
Brian Lucci
Asher. Hi.
Jesse Schramm
Okay, here we go. Open up. Let's do this. Ready? One, two.
Brian Lucci
Holy.
Jesse Schramm
You're welcome.
Brian Lucci
All right. How did you feel when Hannah Asher left Chicago? Met in season six? And how the hell did you feel when you found out she was coming back in season seven?
Jesse Schramm
I was. I was so sad. I was. You know, I'm a very sentimental person, and I have a really hard time saying goodbye to things. And the most. I was most upset to be. To be walking away from the crew. And honestly, I remember I was leaving in the back breezeway, and Nick Elphis and I were walking Out. And he's like, hey. You know, everybody just kept saying, even our camera guys, hey, you didn't die. You didn't die.
Brian Lucci
Yeah, that we do it.
Jesse Schramm
Which means you can always come back. And I'm like, okay, guys, okay. But it was the most welcoming set with like, really the best humans. And I remember looking at Nick and getting a little teary eyed, and he's like, I don't know this girl well enough for this. But he's so nice and just being like, you don't understand how much I've learned and how much I've appreciated being here and this gift that this consistency has been. And so I was really sad to leave the family that Chicago Med was to me, even though it was just a short period of time. And I remember getting that call, being very confused. Cause it was. It was a time period after. It was about a year and a half after. And I think I had been on hold for FBI International, and that fell through. And I feel like it was that thing where they're like, I remember them saying, and this, this could be relayed different, but it was relayed to me like, hey, a lot of people after we say bye to them may not keep auditioning for us. And you did. And like, hey, we, we want to bring you back. And it was just that testament to the loyalty of the wolf team.
Brian Lucci
You hit it on that.
Jesse Schramm
The loyalty of the wolf team, the support, the desire to bring me back. I remember having a zoom with Diane and Andy and also Michael Pressman at the time being like, what does this look like for Hannah? And honestly, I feel like they didn't know completely, only that they wanted me to tackle the stereotypes and, you know, get rid of the stigmas. And I thought that that was a great angle too, to keep her growing, because it would be very easy to keep Hannah in a very tight box, you know, and just kind of going with the same themes. And I loved that they wanted her out of survival and into thriving. And I don't think that you get to see that a lot of the times with a character like mine who's dealt with addiction, I think usually you kind of stay stuck in that cycle. So I was very. I was a little confused when they asked me back, and also very excited and, you know, didn't. Didn't want to fuck it. I was very scared to come back to a certain degree of, you know, just not wanting to mess it up.
Brian Lucci
All right, as an actor, how did you approach Hannah's journey? Getting sober from heroin? And did you did you do your own research?
Jesse Schramm
I did do my own research. I have some people in my life that have experienced things of this sort, so. But I've also talked to different therapists. I talked to a psychiatrist that has dealt with addiction and kind of asked them about the chemical makeup or the things that they kind of see. I've watched a ton of different documentaries. And then I did go to an open meeting, you know, making sure that it was open so that I was respectful in that regard. Ooh.
Brian Lucci
How was it in Chicago?
Jesse Schramm
Yeah, so. But that at the time was. Was a zoom one, but that was one where, you know, I felt. I don't know. I think everybody has their own personal experiences to some degree, whether it be alcohol, whether it's themselves or somebody else, and you can understand certain levels of it. And so it was kind of pulling from the things that I was learning, and then at the end of the day, kind of sitting down, taking what I knew from Hannah, taking what I know from Jesse, and bringing in those elements because I needed to remember to make it my own, you know, what
Brian Lucci
that meant for me.
Jesse Schramm
So it really was through my own personal journeys of my understanding and personal experiences, as well as what I was taking in on, you know, an academic level, I guess you could say.
Brian Lucci
Yeah. I always tease and say the greatest version of you is you.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
You know what I mean? And I kind of stole it from Jason Begay. They picked you. This actor comes in, they try to be somebody else, or, you know, they're trying to be a hard guy. And I'm like, dude, you don't have to, like, look at you.
Jesse Schramm
Well. And then you take away this feeling of, like, being a fraud as well, and you're like, use that. This is also how she feels.
Brian Lucci
Just be jizzy.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
What's the easiest part and the most challenging part of playing Dr. Asher for you?
Jesse Schramm
The hardest part was Hannah's confidence. For me, really, I think Hannah was way more confident and way more of a ball buster than I maybe knew how to project. I'm sure I have that in me, but I am more of the people pleaser and softer spoken. And, I mean, I'm very loud, but, you know, I'm just very different in a good way. Yeah.
Brian Lucci
Yeah.
Jesse Schramm
I'm very different from Hannah in that way. So I feel like the medical was very hard, getting over imposter syndrome when it came to the addiction elements in terms of just trying so hard to make it right and then realizing I needed to make my version with and do it justice and do learn as much as I possibly could.
Brian Lucci
Yeah.
Jesse Schramm
Because I feel like there's a responsibility to the people out in the world that have had experiences with this. So huge responsibility. Responsibility still weighs on me. To be completely honest, the pregnancy arc
Brian Lucci
has pushed so many new stuff to the surface for Dr. Asher this season. What's been the most interesting new thing to deal with?
Jesse Schramm
Ooh. Yeah. I mean, I was telling Rebecca McGill the other day, actually, I'm like, you know, I kind of feel, as Jesse maybe what a pregnant lady may feel in the work field through playing Hannah in this, in the sense of, like, you're. You're scared.
Brian Lucci
Oh, my God. You have that responsibility too.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah. Oh, no, it's been. This has been a.
Brian Lucci
Have you ever had any babies?
Jesse Schramm
No, I haven't.
Brian Lucci
So now you gotta. You gotta.
Jesse Schramm
So now I have to bring in, like, what does that look like? Am I waddling the right way? Am I playing Morning Sa. Wait. And also, oh, this is so good. Are we playing the pregnancy in this episode? Because a lot of it, we're not playing that element, you know, and then really talking to Alan and them being like, hey, so when are we bringing in this single independent addict who is also the top of her game, working woman? Like, there's so many. And, like, how does that affect her?
Brian Lucci
The up and down with Weber? Yeah. Y.
Jesse Schramm
All of this kind of stuff. So that's where I say it's been a really challenging season of picking out when you're playing certain elements. Cause it's also an ensemble cast, and, you know, you're playing different storylines and things need their spots. But I told Rebecca McGill, I'm like, you know, I think I was starting to feel, you know, life almost imitating art to this degree of I'm the pregnant woman in the corner. All of a sudden, you know, it's like you kind of have these certain feelings that you're taking on through things. So I would say the most interesting part for Hannah recently that we will get to explore even more of is you're gonna see how much this is affecting her. Not just in, you know, what's happening with baby daddy, but how am I gonna be seen in the work world? Where does my career go now that I've worked my entire life for this and a baby's coming into the future.
Brian Lucci
How can you be a great mom?
Jesse Schramm
How can I be a great mom? Also, my past, you know, my Hannah's mom died in childbirth, so there's.
Brian Lucci
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jesse Schramm
But, like, it really is. We're going to get to see her finally bring to the surface these things as opposed to just managing it so well. We will see how this affects her. And that's the biggest discovery is she's been managing it really well for the most part. And now it's not about anybody else other than who is she now that she has this baby? Where does her life go now that this baby's here? And while she's always wanted it. What the fuck is happening? You see me almost like getting emotional and anxious right now. I'm like, it's been.
Brian Lucci
It's like you're wearing seven of your favorite winter coats.
Jesse Schramm
Oh my God.
Brian Lucci
I don't know which one I should wear now. Which. Yeah, I got the pregnant lady go, oh my God. But the relationship between you guys, like co parenting and all of that, that's a whole nother. What's on going. Fans had a big reaction to the baby daddy cliffhanger.
Jesse Schramm
Yes, they did.
Brian Lucci
On the last season, I'd say you got my ass too. Even Talking to Alan McDonald, they. He was surprised that people didn't understand who it was.
Jesse Schramm
It was an unintended cliffhanger that was never meant to be a cliffhanger.
Brian Lucci
Could you tell us a little bit about that? Cuz I don't think a lot of people realize what happened. Was it a surprise to you or did it make perfect sense?
Jesse Schramm
It made perfect sense to me because I saw the script and we filmed it, you know, and that being said, him being the dad was a surprise to me. That was not. That was not on my bingo card. That was not something that I thought saw was happening. And, you know, they, they kept that a secret for a while. And then finally, during the Crunchberry episode, I texted Alan, just being like, in quotes, it says, will they or won't they? So I'm asking you, will they or won't they? And he's like, they will. So then I got the idea that it would be Archer's baby. Hey, I brought dinner and dessert.
Brian Lucci
Oh, I. I don't do berries.
Jesse Schramm
You don't do berries?
Brian Lucci
Yeah. I've always found them indulgent.
Jesse Schramm
Maybe it's time for a change.
Brian Lucci
Maybe it is.
Jesse Schramm
So I knew very, you know, not early on, but before that episode happened. And I think the way that it was written and the way that we filmed it, we all thought it was obvious. So then I remember getting a call from Alan the week before it aired being like, hey, it's this weird thing. I'm talking to reporters and all of them are asking who the baby daddy is. And I'm like, well, isn't it obvious? And so he had told me that. And I remember just being like, oh my God, we have a cliffhanger.
Brian Lucci
They hung you good.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah, and it was really fun, the journey of the cliffhanger, because we didn't intend for it to be. And it was very, you know, it is a very divided nature on rasher or dasher. It is very divided and both sides are very.
Brian Lucci
Please don't tell me you read any. You read a lot of that stuff, right?
Jesse Schramm
You know, I got to see some of it. But this season I've stayed far away and I kind of just let, let the writers and different people tell me what's going on.
Brian Lucci
We gotta step away for a quick moment, but, but stick around. Jesse Schramm's coming back to get all up into it right after this break.
Jesse Schramm
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Brian Lucci
Emplas Lebricizumab LBKZ a 250mg per 2ml injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. EBGLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebglis before starting Eglis. Tell Call your doctor if you have a parasitic infection.
Jesse Schramm
Ask your doctor about ebgliss and visit ebgliss.lily.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-800-545-5979. So good, so good, so good. New spring arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Get ready to save big with up to 60% off rag and bone, Marc Jacobs, Free people and more. How did I not know Rack has Adidas? Cause there's always something new. Join the New Join Norty Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack from the parents behind Law and Order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11 year old with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling enigmas and solves clever cases. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grownups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Brian Lucci
Hello, hello, hello. We're back giggling and chatting with Jesse Schramm, aka Dr. Hannah Asher on Chicago Med. What's your favorite scene or story you acted in earlier this season and why? What's your favorite scene or story Ooh,
Jesse Schramm
that's aired so far? I would say, okay, the one that we're talking right now, it was the cost of living and we have the recurring guest stars that come on Titana and Zach and it's an H. Pylori case where he's passing away, he has stomach cancer and she's about to give birth. And we see them throughout the season and we have this connection to them and it stirs some things in Archer and we get close to them and there's this beautiful journey that they're on and it's really. And he video, he videotaped his oh God, whose ideal daughter. I mean a lot of these things are inspired from real life scenarios. So, you know, it was like these and I mean I watched it the other day and started crying again and cried in the script the second that they bring up the wedding dance song. But so there's this storyline, but there's this scene and Andi Baring directed this and there's this scene that Archer and Asher have towards the end of the episode where she kind of comes into the room and he's like, hey, how's Jeremy, our guest star character? And she's like, she finally gave him the medication, you know, meaning he's passed away. And just the effect that it got to have on us. And Andy had had blocked it where we're both sitting next to each other and I Didn't imagine it to be that way. You know, I imagine them standing in the ed, just kind of talking to each other and taking that in. And it was this very still moment. And she allowed Steven and I to have the space to just be as honest as possible within those moments. And that scene, to me, just when we were doing it, felt so different. How it was kind of written on the page or how I imagined we would be doing it. And I think that's what I also love working with Steven Weber so much, is we trust each other. But there's this way of doing this little dance, and it comes to life in a different way. So that scene, I remember really took me for surprise when we did it. It was one of those, as an actor that you did and you felt this, like, quietness in your gut and like you had just done something. And I remember watching it, and it's always hard to watch.
Brian Lucci
You were proud, though.
Jesse Schramm
I was proud. I was proud because it had an air to it and a breath to it and this like. Like this heaviness that I think wasn't the typical. And I really credit Andy Baring with giving us that space.
Brian Lucci
How's Jeremy?
Jesse Schramm
Jeremy is sleeping. Dr. Kingston finally upped his meds. That was, um. That was a really lovely idea, the father daughter dance.
Brian Lucci
Oh, yeah. Well, after you told me you were pregnant, I started doing the math. I'm gonna be 65 when she's born, gonna be 83 when she graduates high school. And I can't imagine gonna be walking our daughter down the aisle either.
Jesse Schramm
You don't know that. Dean.
Brian Lucci
It's okay. It's okay. I was upset. But today I realized it's not about what I'm going to miss, because I'm going to get to raise a daughter with you.
Jesse Schramm
The way that they wrote it, the way that Andy directed it, the way that Steven played that, and the way that we got to sit in that
Brian Lucci
moment and the way you played it,
Jesse Schramm
too, and the way that. Thank you. But that's what I love about Archer and Asher is there's this amazing dance that Steven and I get to play with each other. And there's such a trust that we get excited to play these scenes. And sometimes it just. It felt different. You know, sometimes you go to set and it's not always that thing. And sometimes as you feel as an actor, you know, coaches are different. People will, like, say, fuck your feelings. It doesn't matter. And usually the one you feel the best on is usually not the take. But we just got to sit in it. And this episode was very personal for our director as well. Her brother had passed away from the same cancer, so there was just this beautiful, like, halo that we had on set that day when we were playing this storyline. And it just. It meant so much. And I feel like the way it came out was held with this really beautiful message, and I'm really proud of that.
Brian Lucci
Ah, good for you. You. You did it right for everybody.
Jesse Schramm
I will say there's a scene coming up that's, you know, we can't talk about yet, but I have a scene with Dr. Charles coming up that it was once again one of those where you sit there and you're like, whoa,
Brian Lucci
okay, you surprised yourself.
Jesse Schramm
Hannah and Charles just came alive. You know, it's. They. You. It's really fun when it gets to go that way. Cause so much of what we do is, you know, you're a doctor, you play these different things. And when you get to see where it goes or you work with somebody that's provoking something in you to react a different way. It's just really fun. Yeah, it's really fun.
Brian Lucci
Energy through you. What's harder, Nayland? The physicality of being an attending OBGYN or saying all the medical jargon?
Jesse Schramm
Saying the medical jargon when I do not have surgery because I don't know what to do with my hands, really.
Brian Lucci
I wouldn't know what to do with the words I read. I was reading the thing and I
Jesse Schramm
was like, I do not mind the medical jar. I mean, we had one the other day that almost took me out because their schedule changed. And I just. Again, a lot of it's confidence, a lot of it's is remembering. Don't speed up, just slow down. But for me, the thing that I hate the most is when I need to walk in a room and I need to stare at a patient and list everything. Cause one, I don't know what to do with my hands. And two, you're like, am I being weird? Am I being weird right now? But, like, I love surgery scenes. I love that my adrenaline goes. When you have a surgery, you have a. You have a routine, you have choreography, or you have an intake and someone comes on. But as a doctor, you don't get to do a lot of the hands on. So you're mainly just spitting up diagnoses and stuff like that. And to me, that is the hardest part is how do you sit on a chair next to Subway and act normal?
Brian Lucci
Yeah, right.
Jesse Schramm
I don't know.
Brian Lucci
To be a doctor, a pregnant Doctor who's a heroin addict. Okay. This happens to me sometimes, so I wonder if it happens to you.
Jesse Schramm
Okay.
Brian Lucci
Was there ever a storyline that hit you so close to home that it, like, kind of broke your heart or touched your heart?
Jesse Schramm
I'm surprised by the things that will touch you. We had, like, a date rape storyline or, you know, we had the person that had to have a DNC or,
Brian Lucci
you know, what's a dnc?
Jesse Schramm
That's a medical abortion. So when you need to do a medical surgery to relieve, like, an ectopic pregnancy or by choice. But I feel like those storylines come up because it just. It hits the. Hits the women's right element of things, or it's like you'll be going along and. And this storyline with our guest stars recently, it's like, I have a dad that got to walk me down the aisle, you know, or I have a mom that is very involved in my life, you know, so you have different elements that you're able to relate to. But I feel like we had had a date rape scenario, and that was just one where we had to do a rape kit. And that I didn't think was gonna affect me. And that torn. That took me out.
Brian Lucci
Oh, gotcha, huh?
Jesse Schramm
It took me out, and I thought I was prepared for it, but I wasn't. You know, it's like, you'll be going along or you'll be reading something or something will happen or a woman. You know, for me, it's a lot of babies or pregnancy or STD storylines and things of that sort. But it's like every now and then, you'll be going along, you'll read something, and then you get to set, or, you know, a woman will literally bleed out on the table, and that won't affect you. But then something. The next moment of, like, the baby just looked her in the eye, and you're just like, you can't breathe for two days. Like, so I feel like it's more the unexpected things, you know, or, like the scenes that are unexpected. It's not the gory stuff that gets to me. It's the humanity. Moments and stuff touch you. But there will be. You know, you'll just be going along, and then all of a sudden you're like, I can't breathe. Or, wait a second. Why do I need a therapy session right now? And this thing stimulated.
Brian Lucci
There was a story where the girl cut the baby. The baby passed away in her.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, my gosh. Where she buried her baby.
Brian Lucci
Yeah. And they called in Officer Kim Burgess. That was A tough one, that.
Jesse Schramm
And that actress did such a beautiful job and that I could tell, affected her a lot. And so I think it's always interesting too. You know, we get to see so many people on a weekly basis. I think one of the coolest things of this job and being on a procedural is we have guest stars every week, and you're almost acting with them more than your regular co stars. And so it's like, you know, you're put on your toes a lot. You're reminded that you need to do a good job because these people come in and they slay, but it, it is really. It is really jarring the different things that affect people and that they don't. And I'm. I have a very personal job. Like, it's. I've learned very quickly, you know, to take in the techniques that they do in real spaces. Like, you'll have an actor come in and they're doing a birthing scene and do you have your sweatpants on? Do you have these different things? Hey, this is where my hand's going. It's very. It's a very intimate position to be in.
Brian Lucci
Right.
Jesse Schramm
While people think that, you know, this is just easy or okay or I have something coming up that I did that I was like, whoa, this really took me out. Because your nervous system doesn't know what's real and what's not. So.
Brian Lucci
Yeah, yeah, there was a storyline and I, I said it in one podcast, but I don't care that the little had a heart. There was a boy who had a heart transplant.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah. Oh.
Brian Lucci
Oh, my God. See, it hit you too.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, that got me so hard.
Brian Lucci
There was no words that, that Stephen Weber said. Said or our Platt, Oliver Platt. Listen to me. You know what I'm talking about.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
They're sitting in the room and they get. They figure out because the mom sits down and says her daughter died drowning. I'm crying, I'm embarrassed. I'm sitting on my couch going, what you don't want to get? Like, I don't know, I'm getting older, so I leak a lot. You know what I mean? And I'm sitting there going, wow, this, this was a good storyline scene with
Jesse Schramm
the woman talking to the boy cuz she didn't want anything to do with it. Oh, I can cry right now where she's. Where she's. Like, she, she would want you to be, you know, like, she wouldn't want that. Milo, I'm so glad a little piece of my MacKenzie lives on in you, but I promise You. She's not angry. I know she wants to share her heart. I just. I can feel it. Can you? I can now. And by the way, I so believe in stuff like that.
Brian Lucci
Like, I'm freaked out by that shit.
Jesse Schramm
I so believe in it, too. But it was. That storyline killed me again. It's like some of the things are obvious and some of them aren't, and I. I love what they do on the show. It's not just my storylines that I'm a fan of. Yeah.
Brian Lucci
All right. What's a behind the scenes nugget you could share that fans would love to know? Do you have one?
Jesse Schramm
Let's see. Well, we all sit in the doctor's lounge between takes. So we don't sit in our chairs. We're all just lounge in the doctor's lounge.
Brian Lucci
Really?
Jesse Schramm
Yes. So that's a place that we all hang out. Yeah. Stephen Weber calls me Peter Pan all the time. That's something I.
Brian Lucci
A Mexican jumping bean.
Jesse Schramm
Yes, a Mexican jumping bean. And, you know. Yeah, I would say we have a lot of. We have a lot of fun, but that's not a secret to anybody.
Brian Lucci
When you first got there. I'll just go back. Just real quick, who was the kindest?
Jesse Schramm
Oh, well, I mainly worked with Nick. Nick Galfis and Nick Galfuss. To this day, I owe so much to him.
Brian Lucci
I loved it.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, my God. I learned, you know, as an actor that's been around for 26 years or more than that, you learn what you want to do and what works, and more often than not, you learn what you don't want to do or how you don't want to be or how things work. And. And Nick was the epitome of remembering professionalism with kindness.
Brian Lucci
Yeah.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah, he was. He's a lead that had been on this season for five years already that as a guest star, coming in gave me equality and the space to be a part of everything. Like, I learned so much from him in the way of just remembering. We're so lucky. We're so lucky. Thank you.
Brian Lucci
If you had to pick, is there any special scene or a favorite scene that you and Nick did that you could remember that, like, really hit you?
Jesse Schramm
We have a few, but the one that hit me was the episode. Episode one in season six where Hannah ODs and has to go away. There's a scene that we have with each other where I'm kind of like, hey, you know, I love you. I've. I've come to California with me. And he's like, hey, I can't And I'm like. But here's the thing is I'm scared. I'm scared that if I don't have you, I can't be clean. And he has this really beautiful moment where he's like, I can't be that for you. See, the thing is, Will, without you, I'm worried that. I'm worried that I'll start using again.
Brian Lucci
I love. I love you, but I can't be the reason you stay sober. It's not good for you, and it's not good for me.
Jesse Schramm
That one was really.
Brian Lucci
That one hit you.
Jesse Schramm
That one hit me. That one hit me because it was them in their relationship, and you got to see the love. But also, yeah, it was not just the end of Hannah's journey for that time period. It was just this. And I think we had been in these characters now for a decent amount of time, so you actually got to feel it.
Brian Lucci
Oh, that's beautiful.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
What's on your bucket list as an actor? Something you always wanted to do, even though it makes no sense for the character on Med. It could be a stunt to fight.
Jesse Schramm
Ooh. I've wanted to do a couple different things. I definitely love to discover the mental health.
Brian Lucci
Remember, Alan's listening.
Jesse Schramm
Yes, I know, I know.
Brian Lucci
Nail this shit right out of it.
Jesse Schramm
But here's the thing. I'm like, I think that we could go on a mental health journey with Hannah. So if we're gonna go. I've always wanted to play a spy, you know, like the American's Keri Russell or alias Jennifer Garner. Like, I want to be a spy, and I want to do action. I want to be on the boys, you know, Marvel character. Like, give me Wonder Woman.
Brian Lucci
All right, Jesse, it's time for a round of rapid fire questions. But since this is Chicago Med, we're calling this segment answers stat.
Jesse Schramm
All right?
Brian Lucci
Okay.
Jesse Schramm
Answer stat.
Brian Lucci
All right, I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and you need to answer them quick, as fast as you can. I'm looking for spontaneous. Jesse, if you could bring any character from any Wolf Entertainment show. I'm talking Law and Order, svu, FBI, all the other shows on the Chicago Med. Who would you choose and why?
Jesse Schramm
Mariska.
Brian Lucci
Bam. She's winning all the awards.
Jesse Schramm
Especially with Hannah being, you know, in the women's world and reproductive rights and all of that, I feel like that is a story that just goes hand in hand, and she can. She can help represent, and she can help bring justice in the way she needs to.
Brian Lucci
You know, she was on A Chicago PD crossover.
Jesse Schramm
I know.
Brian Lucci
And I didn't even realize how lucky I was at that time being standing next to this lady.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
And. But you learn to know how amazing this woman is. Holy cow.
Jesse Schramm
I've only heard she's such a legend. And I only get more excited the more I learn about her.
Brian Lucci
Everybody got true.
Jesse Schramm
That's always the case. Yeah.
Brian Lucci
All right, Jesse, if, God forbid, you were rushed into Chicago, met unconscious, just pick your Chicago Med dream team to save your life. And it could include yourself if you like.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, can it. Okay. I mean, we're going to have. This is horrible. I'm just going to say all the characters. I would have Archer. I would have Archer and Lennox because those are our two top trauma surgeons. So I want the two top.
Brian Lucci
She took the easy way.
Jesse Schramm
I want the two top. And then I want Goodwin because she's going to advocate for Hannah because she loves her. But I mean, I would take the two top trauma surgeons hands down, and then I would grab do. Cause Doris would also make sure that nobody messes with what's happening. Like, Doris would be protective and she would get all up in that. So I would want Doris, I would want Archer, and I would want Lennox.
Brian Lucci
All right.
Jesse Schramm
Yeah.
Brian Lucci
Jesse, which Chicago Med character would you most want to go on vacation with and why?
Jesse Schramm
Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. Let's say. Ooh, this is a hard question. I know that this isn't stat what I'm giving you. I was like, let's pick Frost, because Frost would have a lot of margaritas and he would dance.
Brian Lucci
Frost is. Yeah, we haven't said that name. Frost in a minute. Yeah, he. Yeah, that's one pretty bastard right there. Yeah, he would be. Is he fun? You think he'd be a party guy?
Jesse Schramm
I think he would be really fun, but I just feel like, who would dance? And it would be Frost. Frost would take dance.
Brian Lucci
You. You. When was the last time you sang? Because I, I, I, I listened to you on something. I'm not. I did a little sneak and peek. Yeah. And I was. I can't believe how talented these people are. There's other. This one's dancer, this one's a singer. When was the last time you sang something?
Jesse Schramm
You know what I got to say on. On film or in general?
Brian Lucci
Anything.
Jesse Schramm
So I was just at a Christmas convention down in Kansas for Hallmark, and last minute, the weather screwed everything over. And so like, four hours before, they're like, jesse, would you like to sing some of your Christmas music? And I'm like, of course I Hadn't sang in, like, two years. I had to find the tracks, but it was. The audience was very forgiving. But I got to sing during that, which was great.
Brian Lucci
Do you ever sneak up on karaoke night or anything?
Jesse Schramm
I love karaoke.
Brian Lucci
I can't carry a note across the street.
Jesse Schramm
Do you have a karaoke song?
Brian Lucci
I have one, yeah. Yeah.
Jesse Schramm
What's yours?
Brian Lucci
The Devil Went down to Georgia.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, wow.
Brian Lucci
I kind of murder it too. And I'm not good at anything. Like, I cannot sing anything, really. Yeah, I'm not good at anything.
Jesse Schramm
It's about personality with karaoke.
Brian Lucci
I love that Devil Went down the Door. I kill it. If you could trade places with any Chicago Med character for a day, who would you. What character would you pick?
Jesse Schramm
I would pick Burgess.
Brian Lucci
That's not a Chicago Med character.
Jesse Schramm
Oh, sorry, sorry. Okay. Chicago.
Brian Lucci
But I like that. If you could pick any Chicago show. Good. That's Burgess. Which character for Chicago Med would be best and worst in a hallmark Movie? Movie.
Jesse Schramm
Dr. Archer. For sure.
Brian Lucci
For sure. We're gonna give that one right to Archer. So, first of all, I thank you. You're a huge part of this wolf world. Over 100 episodes. I think you got more than 100. Even though you think you got 97. Everyone thinks you're the sweetest human being going. So you're winning that award. That's an awesome thing. Only one guy calls you a jumping bean, but he doesn't know anything. So thank you so, so much for being part of this. I hope you had fun, and I hope you tell your doctor friends to come on by.
Jesse Schramm
I loved this. So thank you so much.
Brian Lucci
Is there anything you wanna say to the fans?
Jesse Schramm
Oh, my gosh. Thank you. Thank you for bringing Hannah. Well, thank you for bringing all of the shows into your homes, but thank you for bringing Hannah into your heart and for really being her security system throughout the year and for trusting her, because I know that she wasn't a very trustworthy character in the beginning, and I feel like she's penetrated your heart. So thank you for being so protective of her and for loving us just as much as we love you guys.
Brian Lucci
Oh, God. She's doing this podcast next year. She's gonna run the damn thing. So thank you very much. That's our show, folks. Thanks to the lovely Jesse Schramm for sitting down with me and chatting on the pod. And you could bet your sweet bippy that there's more to come this season from Dr. Hannah Asher. We're entering that final trimester in more ways than one. How's it gonna all go down. Keep your eyeballs on Med every Wednesday night and check out all our One Chicago shows Wednesday nights on NBC and anytime on Peacock because you don't want to miss a thing. Once Chicago airs on Wednesday night at 87 Central on NBC and you can stream it on Peacock. The One Chicago Podcast is a production of Wolf Entertainment and USG. The series is hosted by me, Brian Lucci. It's executive produced by Dick Wolf, Elliot Wolf and Steven Michael at Wolf Entertainment, Josh Block at USG Audio and John Yell Kastner at Spoke Media. Our showrunner is Derek John, our producer is Maggie Debrizzi and our audio producers are Jason Mark and Kelly Kauf. Video production by Bo Delmore coordinating production by Tess Ryan. Our production assistant is Montserrat Rodriguez with engineering and mix by Evan Arnett and original music by John o'. Hara. This series is produced by Spoke Media and distributed by Realm. Production support for USG Audio by Josh Lalonghi. I'm Brian Luch. Thanks for listening and we'll see you all soon. Cut it's tax season and at Lifelock, we know you're tired of numbers, but here's a big one you need to hear. Billions. That's the amount of money and refunds the IRS has flagged for possible identity fraud. Now here's another big number. 100 million. That's how many data points LifeLock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it. Guaranteed. One last big number. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for the threats you can't control. Terms apply.
Jesse Schramm
Oh please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood.
Brian Lucci
Could we get something a little bit lighter? Some lighter music here?
Jesse Schramm
Are you a fan of true crime TV shows?
Brian Lucci
And what about Unsolved Mysteries, the show that jump started all of our love of true crime?
Jesse Schramm
I'm Ellen Marsh.
Brian Lucci
And I'm Joey Taranto and we host
Jesse Schramm
I Think Not, a true crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories from your favorite true crime campy TV shows all the way to Unsolved Mysteries.
Brian Lucci
Baby. You will laugh, you will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way. And you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics?
Jesse Schramm
New episodes of I Think not are released every Wednesday with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon. And every Monday you can listen to
Brian Lucci
our True Crime run down where we go over the top true crime headlines of the week.
Jesse Schramm
So come and join us wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Date: April 2, 2026
Host: Brian Luce
Guest: Jessy Schram (Dr. Hannah Asher, Chicago Med)
This episode of the One Chicago Podcast features an in-depth, candid conversation between host Brian Luce and actor Jessy Schram, who plays Dr. Hannah Asher on Chicago Med. The main theme centers on Jessy's journey with the character—from first audition through her complex story arcs, especially Hannah's battles with addiction and her recent pregnancy storyline. Jessy reflects on the challenges and rewards of playing Hannah, the chemistry with her castmates, her approach to deeply emotional scenes, and what it means to be embraced by a passionate fanbase.
“There’s something about Hannah. There’s something about this character. There’s something about the show… she’s not just a doctor. She’s not just an addict. She’s not just a love interest.” (13:01–13:27) — Jessy Schram
“It was an unintended cliffhanger that was never meant to be a cliffhanger.” (30:46) — Jessy Schram
“The hardest part was Hannah’s confidence… Hannah was way more confident and way more of a ball buster than I maybe knew how to project.” (26:46) — Jessy Schram
“It had an air to it and a breath to it and this, like, this heaviness that I think wasn’t the typical... I’m really proud of that.” (37:51–39:24) — Jessy Schram
“Thank you for bringing Hannah into your heart and for really being her security system throughout the year and for trusting her, because I know she wasn’t a very trustworthy character in the beginning… Thank you for being so protective of her and for loving us just as much as we love you guys.” (55:22) — Jessy Schram
The conversation is candid, warm, and full of mutual admiration between Brian and Jessy. Both balance humor and depth, moving seamlessly from touching memories to fun banter. Jessy's immense gratitude for the role, her colleagues, and the fans comes through, as does her meticulous, heartfelt approach to her work—both as an actor and as a steward for complicated subjects like addiction and recovery.
Whether you’re a longtime Chicago Med fan or just curious about the process of bringing multidimensional TV characters to life, this episode offers emotional resonance, industry insight, and plenty of entertaining moments.