Before 'Scandal,' I was actually cast in two other pilots. Both went to series, but I was fired and recast. For both, it was because they wanted me to sound more 'girlfriend,' more like 'hood,' more 'urban.'
Normally, you cast a pilot, and you have to make compromises about being political about who you cast.
I used to be a calligrapher for weddings and events - that was my side job while I was auditioning. I think handwritten notes are a lost art form. When I booked my first pilot, my dad wrote me a letter that I still have. The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special.
I've done, like, eight pilots, and every time, everyone thinks it's going to go for 10 years.
Pilot season isn't perfect, and it certainly is a very difficult time. But pilot season does work for us.
Writing pilots is such a specific thing. It's not even really writing TV shows. A pilot is its own beast.
I've heard that George Clooney did something like nine pilots before 'ER' was picked up, way back when he was doing TV. It's just the way the business works. There are a lot of pilots that we've never seen. It's protocol.
One year, I did 10 or 11 pilots of TV shows that never went anywhere.
When you're making a pilot, what you're mostly thinking is, 'Please let this be a real job, please.'
