A quick word: Sarah Drew

Doctor April Kepner is the latest fresh face on Grey's Anatomy. Photo / Supplied

Sarah Drew, who plays ambitious doctor April Kepner, the newest permanent character on Grey's Anatomy, who unlike the other philandering characters, is clinging to her virginity

Was Grey's a dream for you?

Oh, yes. It's been on our [family] TiVo since day one. So I actually kept calling Ellen [Pompeo] Meredith for the first, like, six episodes. I was like, "Dammit, that's not your name". So yeah, I've always been a huge fan of the show, so it was a total dream. And I came just to do two episodes, and then I got fired, and I went on to do other stuff. And then they called me the morning after that firing episode aired and started talking about a contract.

You had just joined the group when the massacre in the hospital happened.

Right.

How long did you have to sweat before you knew you were safe?

They don't tell us anything. So we show up to our table read and read it cold.

Episode by episode?

Episode by episode.

So you have no arc?

No idea. What's an arc? I don't know [laughs]. I think we have really trustworthy writers so that with each episode that comes along, we're taken on a new journey. And it fits with our character. So it's not as scary as it maybe could be. But sometimes it's totally infuriating because I'm like, "wait a second. You just hinted at something, and you haven't talked about it in a while. And then what are you doing with that guy? Why is this happening? Where is this going?" I mean, my big question all season has been who is going to pop my cherry? But they won't tell me. I don't know. And it may not even happen until next season.

Would hooking up with Alex Karev [played by Justin Chambers] be treading dangerous territory?

Well, you know, he treated April pretty poorly recently. But you are also seeing this beautiful heart while he's working in paediatrics and you see him softening. He just doesn't like people to see that side of him, he puts on this really rough exterior. I think what's really interesting about the virgin storyline is that nobody else in the hospital is a virgin. I mean, not even anywhere near a virgin.

Alex, someone who has slept with half the hospital, and a virgin - how is that going to work? But I think it makes for a really interesting thing to explore, a really interesting storyline.

What about the much-talked-about musical episode coming up later this season. Is that your character's kind of thing?

Firstly, it's not us dancing down the hallways. We're not doing that. It's not a "Grey's does Glee", thing, you know. But I am so excited about it. When they announced it, I was like, "ahhh, I love" and everyone else was like, "what?". But I am the biggest musical theatre geek you've ever met in your life, so any opportunity to sing, especially on TV, what? Sign me up.

LOWDOWN

Who: Sarah Drew, plays April Kepner on Grey's Anatomy

When and where: Tuesdays, 8.30pm on TV2