‘How To Get Away With Murder’ Cast Talks About Joining ‘TGIT’ in Shondaland

Jordyn Holman

Sun, September 21, 2014 at 10:28 PM UTC

In Shondaland, the population keeps growing.

The “How To Get Away With Murder” cast joined the actors from executive producer Shonda Rhimes’ two other ABC shows — medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” and political-twisting “Scandal” — Saturday night at the Palihouse in West Hollywood to talk about the expanding #TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday), interacting with fans on social media and working with the groundbreaking Rhimes.

Viola Davis, who will play high-power criminal law professor Annalise Keating, anchored the cast on the red carpet and shared her experiences learning about the law to prepare for her role.

“I think people will learn with each episode about the law in a way that will be accessible,” Davis told Variety. “It’s absolutely like the Book of Law for Dummies. I think that we will introduce them to the law in a way that’s exciting.”

The drama, which was created by Peter Nowalk, will follow Davis and her group of on-screen law students that get entangled in a murder plot.

Jack Falahee, who plays one of Davis’ law students, said some of the show’s writers are lawyers who experienced law school firsthand and are able to keep the script authentic. Falahee joked that the show might create a strong interest in the law among auds.

“We might see a huge influx in law school applicants,” the actor said. “Just kidding, don’t do that. It’s already oversaturated.”

Katie Findlay, who also plays one of Davis’ law students, said she and her fellow cast members have developed strong relationships with one another. Davis, particularly, has been a welcoming leader.

“Viola is the friendliest force of nature that I think I’ve ever met,” Findlay said while walking the carpet with cast member Alfred Enoch. “She makes me laugh more than anyone else.”

Shonda Rhimes, though not in attendance on the carpet, was also praised by the “HTGAWM” cast members. Karla Souza gave kudos to Rhimes and her production company. The actress said: “Do you know who my mom is? My mom is Shonda. I feel so protected as an actor. She makes it like a family.”

Following the example of other Shondaland shows, the “HTGAWM” cast shared their excitement about being able to interact with viewers live-time over Twitter. “Grey’s” and “Scandal” already have large followings on their social media accounts. Currently the @HowToGetAwayABC Twitter account has approximately 58,5000 followers.

Alfred Enoch said unlike others in the cast he does not have an account.

“I won’t be tweeting,” Enoch said in his native British accent, “but I will be thinking about the watching public and sending them vibes.”

Cast member Billy Brown, who also appears on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” said joining a show from Shondaland has been both an enjoyable yet daunting experience because of the high expectations from viewers when it comes to Rhimes’ shows.

“When you’re in it you’re doing the work and you’re not thinking of all the season,” Brown said. “It’s not like we’re in the audience watching. We’re in the middle of it. But sometimes you really take notice of how big the machinery is.”

Tom Verica, who plays Davis’ on-screen husband, is a long-time resident of Shondaland. He started working with Rhimes’ production company as a director on “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Most recently, he is an exec producer on “Scandal” and has directed some episodes.

Verica said that “HTGAWM” will differentiate itself from the other Shondaland dramas because “it’s a new take on a law show. It’s not calm or tame in any way. It’s not like ‘Scandal’ because it has its own energy.”

However, cast members were clear that the newest show on the Alphabet would stay true to the spirit of Shondaland by giving viewers a high-drama, plot-twisting show to return to each Thursday.

“Having been that I watched ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Scandal’ I already knew I was in for a crazy world ride of high-quality television,” said Aja Naomi King. “The show has met all of my expectations and exceeded some.”

King added one tidbit of advice for viewers tuning in, “Don’t blink. That’s all I’ll say.”

The legal drama will premiere Sept. 25 on ABC at 10 p.m. following “Scandal.”

(Pictured: Viola Davis and Liza Weil at the #TGIT Shondaland premiere event)

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‘How To Get Away With Murder’ Cast Talks About Joining ‘TGIT’ in Shondaland

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