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I was informing the writers that, actually, ADHD and autism are on the same spectrum now.
All of the research is done together, she explains.
Theres an incredibly high percentage of ADHD in emergency departments, in firefighters, in all emergency workers.
Through this lens, Dearden realized she could bring an entirely different facet of herself to the character.
I was like, well, Im going to play everything I mask, says the actress.
Im just going to let that show instead.
Mel steps in to correct him but remains calm and demonstrates real leadership.
Were able to recall things we learned years ago that are buried and somehow come up.
I feel like thatd be cool to show.
And he went, Ah, that works.
And Patrick says, Because we all have ADHD.
I was like, Yeah, thats pretty accurate.
I was like, Its okay, I have ADHD.
We can actually move forward.
I was able to make the decision, which was really cool.
All of the research is done together.
Theres not much difference.
Mel is very emotionally attuned to her patients and has a good bedside manner.
One of the stereotypes about people who are neurodivergent is that they have a hard time making emotional connections.
That does not seem to be an issue for her.Its definitely a misnomer, yeah.
This is the reason to become a doctor.
Another Mel moment that really delighted fans was after thebaby got deliveredin episode 11.
Thelook of joy on your facewhen you hold that baby is just so special.That was decided in the room.
She was like, What if I offer it for Mel to do?
I was like, Well, that works for me.
It made a lot of sense.
It was just a really sweet little moment.
And the baby was an animatronic doll, wasnt it?It was a robot baby.
you’ve got the option to feel the mechanisms move.
Even though it looks really smooth, if youre holding it, its a very jerky feeling.
My hand placement was where it was because of an external battery I had to hide.
Its like, Wow, she has a firm grip on the babys ass.
Yep, because thats the battery!
We had puppeteers who were there.
Its a very small world because one of the puppeteers played Chucky inChilds Play.
Fiona Dourif has long been inthat world of the franchise.
So she showed up and was like, Did I just see my friend Peter the puppeteer?
And we were like, Yeah, hes doing Robot Baby and Bottom Half of Woman.
At this point in the series, weve heard Mel talk a lot about her sister.
But Scott Gemmill and John Wells sat us all down and went into detail about our backstories.
We all had that at bootcamp, and it was so, so actor-y.
We were so happy about it.
It was like, Oh, no one does this for us.
This is the best.
I didnt know how lonely Mel was until I got that info.
I feel like that informed Mels desperation to meet a friend.
Dr. Langdon is really kind and encouraging to her in ways he isnt with anybody else at the hospital.
Then comes Mel, who is so wanting a mentor to latch on to.
It kind of clicks that Mel is pretty much egoless.
They clicked because both needs were met.
I know there has been some speculation among fans about whether there might be something romantic between them.
You were asked about this in another interview and you said something aboutMel being asexual.
Can you expand on that?That was never a thought in my mind, playing Mel.
I dont think she has time for romance or ever has had time.
I dont think thats really in her brain at all.
Hes like, I have no idea.
He made a really good point.
I went, Yes, youre right.
I think having Mel around really softens him and makes him listen more and slow down.
Thats all Mels ever wanted.
