'Grey's Anatomy's Kelly McCreary: There's a Lot Maggie Doesn't Know

Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) may have arrived at Grey Sloan to find out more about her biological mother, but she's going to get more than she could ever bargain for this season on ABC's Grey's Anatomy.

After arriving as a new cardio doc to fill the void created by Cristina's (Sandra Oh) departure, the new doc has clashed with half-sister Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and hit it off with Richard (James Pickens Jr.), whom she has no idea is her biological father.

The Hollywood Reporter caught up with McCreary to discuss friction with Mer, how Richard could respond and just how much she knows about her biological mother.

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Maggie hasn't had an easy road joining the ranks at Grey Sloan. How has your personal experience been by comparison?

It's been so much better than Maggie's! One of the great things about Grey's is that it is a well-oiled machine. People have their routine; things run smoothly and questions get answered easily. It's a really chill working environment. And because it has been around for 10 years, everybody is curious and excited about who Maggie is and how she's going to affect each of the other characters.

Were you a big Grey's fan before you were cast? Did you know you'd be playing Mer's sister?

When I got the job, I didn't know who I was playing. I found out an hour before the season 10 finale table read. When the reveal happened during the table read, the room erupted. Everybody was freaking out about the existence of this character. That's when I first started to get really excited about the possibilities of this character. I had watched Grey's devotedly the first couple of years and picked it up again this summer after I got the job. After I finished watching the most recent seasons, I started from beginning. It's really fun to watch and realize what a great legacy I get to be a part of.

How will Meredith and Maggie's relationship evolve? Will their story be different than Mer and Lexie?

It's different then Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Meredith because Maggie is actually the head of the department; she outranks Meredith in a way, professionally speaking. Meredith has seniority and she's on the board of the hospital, but it's a different power dynamic in terms of status in the hospital, than Maggie and Lexie. Maggie also won't really back down from a fight; she's very decisive and so is Meredith. They are both strong willed, and that is a dynamic that will be very interesting to watch play out.

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'Grey's Anatomy's Kelly McCreary: There's a Lot Maggie Doesn't Know