Season 5 of Grey’s Anatomy aired almost a month ago on May 14, 2009 so until Season 6 premieres, it is always nice to see what the actors are up to. I was able to talk to Candice Afia who plays Intern Laura on Grey’s Anatomy and was able to find out what it is like working on the show and what she thinks about the Season 5 finale!

What are some things that you have learned about acting and the business from the Grey’s Anatomy cast?
That’s a good question. Let’s see…professionalism definitely. Everybody has such a level of professionalism and is so courteous. Acting wise, I would say a lot of the technicalities. Watching them has helped me tremendously. Learning from them and watching what they do is a great help.

You work the most with Justin Chambers, so what is the best advice he has given you?
I guess it has been moreso about not stressing, not taking yourself to seriously. He is such a laid back kind of person. Everyone takes their success in stride.

What is an average day of filming like on set?
I will go in to get my hair and makeup done. Then I will wait for the scenes to be shot that are before mine. Then we rehearse our blocking, wait awhile longer for set up, and move from scene to scene with many angles. It can be an 8 hour day or it can take all day.

Did you do any research with real interns?
No, not really. When I had a doctor’s visit myself, I talked to the intern that was there about her experiences. When I first got the role, I asked my friend who is a first year resident a lot of questions. That was really helpful to me.

Did you know your role on Grey’s Anatomy would play out into so many episodes when you auditioned?
No I didn’t. I thought it was just a one time gig. The first episode I did was the last episode of season 3 when the new interns come in and I thought in the back of my head that they could be bring me back if they wanted to. I was hopeful. Then, later that summer, I was asked to audition for a recurring role. That was nice!

Tell me your thoughts on the season finale.
Wow it was amazing! The writing was really good! I didn’t know what was going happen since everything was under wraps. It was really well written. I was so excited that it was 2 hours. It was shocking! I knew something was going to happen with Katherine Heigl’s character but I didn’t know something was going to happen with TR Knight’s character…so that was really shocking!

What is it like working with the cast?
It’s amazing! It is like getting paid to take a class on a regular basis and you get paid for it. It has been such a wonderful opportunity. I feel really fortunate to have this opportunity to work with this cast. I worked with Chandra Wilson for a few episodes. Many of those scenes were cut but working with her was great. Just watching her work was great. It’s like being around lots of teachers that aren’t necessarily intentionally teaching you! (laughs) So I soak it up as much as I can.

What team are you on? McDreamy or McSteamy?
(laughs) I’m on both teams! They are both handsome guys on screen and in person.

Do you have a favorite episode?
When I booked the show, I wanted to know everything about it so I rented the first 3 seasons on DVD and watched it all weekend. It was pretty intense! I cried, I laughed, I became addicted to the show. One of the most memorable episodes was when George got syphilis. They did it with such humor. The writers are great.

Grey’s does have such a great balance with drama and comedy but do you prefer one over the other?
As an actress, I have done more drama but I love to do comedy. Comedy is much harder to be funny than it is to be dramatic. I like the challenge but drama is more that I have tended to lean to…so I really want to do more comedy.

What other shows do you enjoy watching?
I like Ugly Betty, I am addicted to The Tudors, I like The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, 90210, America’s Next Top Model is amazing, and of course Friends and Sex & the City when the reruns are on.

What are some of your favorite things to do in LA?
I love to hang out with my friends and I really love to go to the beach.