Ever wondered which Scandal star loves Pineapple? Darby Stanchfield revealed that secret and much more about her costars from the popular ABC drama during her HuffPost Live interview on Nov. 11 with host Alyona Minkovski.
The redhead, who plays current White House Press Secretary Abby (not Gabby!) Whelan, compared her castmates to ”14 year olds at summer camp” who love to get rowdy on set. She said their unruly behavior intimidated actor Scott Foley when he first joined the cast in season two.
“We’re all pounding on the tables and high-fiving each other, and hugging each other, and laughing and crying through the table reads and such,” said Stanchfield, 43.
Foley, 42, seemed initially reserved compared to his new colleagues, so Stanchfield went for a handshake on her first interaction with the hunky star.
“I just shook his hand the first time I met him,” she laughed. “…And it just became this joke of ‘Dude, I don’t hug you, here’s the handshake.’”
Stanchfield also disclosed some secrets from the set of Shonda Rhimes’ addictive show. Kerry Washington is the pineapple lover – it’s her favorite snack. Scandal’s First Lady Bellamy Young is a talented singer, and Katie Lowes, who stars as slightly unstable gladiator Quinn, is a “steel trap” when it comes to secrets.
“She’s like the person you wanna tell all your secrets to,” Stanchfield dished. “She knows everything, she knows everyone, but she’s this person that’s the best secret keeper.”
Stanchfield said she’s entrusted Lowes with many of her own secrets – and they’ve never gotten out!
She also revealed that Foley has become quite the jokester since becoming comfortable on set.
“Scott makes a little sound with his mouth right before we roll – it’s like a farting sound with his mouth and he does it almost every take, and I think he does it during the love scenes with Kerry [Washington],” she said.
Stanchfield, who previously had small parts in shows like NCIS and Castle before starring on Scandal, has enjoyed her later-in-life success.
“For me, being successful meant not having to do my laundry at a laundromat, and not having a second job,” she explained. “Although it’s huge and it’s an incredible roller-coaster ride of joy and success.”
The actress has particularly enjoyed watching her character grow during the current fourth season. Abby’s past includes an abusive ex-husband – a storyline ripped from the headlines recently surrounding domestic abuse and how it’s handled.
Abby confronted her abuser on the Nov. 6 episode of the series, and Stanchfield appreciated the approach her character took in a scary situation.
“What I also love about the scene, she goes to Olivia for advice, but Abby takes a different road… she says no, we’ve done that but that’s not gonna work for me,” she said. “Abby saves herself.”
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