Justin Chambers can take plenty of credit for Grey’s Anatomy challenging ER for the title of TV’s hottest medical show.
From the moment the show launched on Seven two years ago, Chambers’ arrogant, smart-talking intern, Alex Karev, became the character viewers either loved or loathed.
But Chambers, the Calvin Klein model-turned-actor, couldn’t be less like his woman-chasing character. He arguably has the most settled private life of all the Grey’s cast, having been married to Keisha for 14 years and is a father of five – Isabella, twins Maya and Kaila, Eva and Jackson.
The other surprising fact about the 37-year-old is that he travelled an unconventional path to a career in showbiz.
Chambers, himself one of five children, had an at times traumatic upbringing in Ohio. As a result of his parents having jobs as sheriff’s deputies, Chambers grew accustomed to tales of lawlessness.
“You know, weird things happen in small towns,” he says of Springfield. “The cities get the brunt of violence, but a lot of funky (twisted) things happen in small towns.
“There was, like, a year of murder after murder after murder. Three friends of mine were murdered. It’s really awful.
“It was kind of nasty, some of that stuff. I did a movie about the Zodiac serial killer (in which he played a 1960s detective) and it (his childhood experiences) played into that.”
No surprise Chambers chose not to follow his parents into law enforcement.
After being signed by a modelling agent while on holiday in Paris, he scored contracts to work across Europe, Japan and the US.
He had designs on an acting career, however, and moved to New York for four years of study at the renowned HB Studios.
It wasn’t all easy going when Chambers signed for the biggest break of his career – the role of insecure Alex in Grey’s.
He was based in Los Angeles during the first 12 months of Grey’s filming, while his wife and children stayed in New York. His family has since moved to LA.
It is still difficult, he adds, combining duties as a dad with a Grey’s schedule that can keep him on set for up to 16 hours a day.
“We’re here a lot of hours, so it’s either here or home. That’s my life,” he says. “But we’re happy people have embraced the show. We’ve all had our highs and lows as actors. This is the pinnacle of our careers, but you don’t take it too seriously because in a couple of years it might not exist. You just ride with it and try to relish it. It does feel nice though, that there’s a little more security in my life.”
Chambers has lost none of his passion for playing Alex, who in recent times has shown glimpses of humanity. The actor says he’s full of hope scripts will allow him to show more of what’s under Alex’s veneer of cockiness.
“Yes, the show is soapy and about the relationships,” he says.
“When you are forced to be with people a lot of hours, there’s a lot of sleeping around going on, stuff like that. But they (the characters) are human, they are fallible, they can be immature.
Sometimes we don’t see that doctors are human and flawed. This, I think, is a big aspect of the success of our show.
“I definitely would like to see Alex doing more surgeries. He’s doing a lot of dabbing and swabbing and stitching, but I would like for him to have a mature adult relationship with somebody. Just be a better doctor. Through the process of dealing with patients and fellow doctors and taking their crap … it’s humbling Alex. So he’s working on his bedside manner.
“What makes a show worth watching is the conflicts the characters have. You want to see them hit obstacles, see how they overcome them.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph
dr alex is my fav character in grey’s anatomy