Getting back to work amid the coronavirus pandemic is one thing. Going back to work on a medical drama is completely different. Torrey DeVitto, who plays Natalie Manning on NBC’s Chicago Med, opened up about what filming has been like since the cast returned to the set earlier this month.
“It’s been really interesting. For everyone in the world right now, it’s a whole new world, but working under these conditions is really interesting because there are so many protocols in place,” DeVitto, 36, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting her partnership with The Tote Project and SaveBAE to educate foster youth. “It was really mind-blowing for me, how well NBC kind of took control of the situation and how much they’re spending just on keeping us safe alone.”
The One Tree Hill alum went on to explain that the cast comes to set early to be tested five days a week and they can only take their masks off when filming — and even then, there are limitations.
“We’re only allowed to have our masks off for 10 minutes at a time, so once we take our masks off during shooting, a timer goes off, and we have to do 10 minutes on the dot,” she shared. “It’s just very intense. I kind of have to take a moment to remember — and I have to ask [questions] as well because my mind gets so caught up in all these protocols!”
DeVitto also explained that she was “nervous” to return to set but has been taking “huge measures” to stay safe over the summer while visiting her “severely immunocompromised” mother.
“I have been so mindful and so careful, and I feel it’s been mostly because I’m worried about catching it for other people,” the former Pretty Little Liars actress said. “Obviously, I don’t want to get sick myself, but there’s this element where you think more about protecting the people around you. So, that grew exponentially when I started working because jobs are so few and far between right now. We’re all so grateful to be back at work and to be working and to have a job again. So, for me, I was like, I don’t want to be that person that messes it up for everybody. I can’t be.”
The New York native later noted that due to having multiple military members in her family, she has watched people put their lives on the line for years — and doesn’t understand why it’s so difficult for others to help out by following the rules.
“Here we are being asked first, to just sit on our couch, and then second, to wear a mask in public. It’s like, are you serious? We’re complaining about that?” she stated. “You’re being asked to put a piece of cloth over your mouth. It’s mind-blowing for me that some people have an issue with it.”
Chicago Med returns to NBC Wednesday, November 11, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Kayley Stumpe
