Grey Damon on Jack’s Resilience Through Devastation, Station 19’s Devoted Fandom & Its Lasting Legacy

Station 19 knows how to bring the laughs and the tears.

It’s why this series continues to resonate with its vast audience, and Staton 19 Season 7 Episode 2 was no exception, as it delivered an action-packed, heartwarming, and heartrending episode all at once.

At the forefront of that hour was learning that Jack Gibson would no longer be fighting fires, his CTE preventing him from continuing with a job he deems his true purpose with the people he considers his family.

The devastating news led to some genuinely emotional scenes, with viewers reaching for the Kleenex.

TV Fanatic had the privilege of speaking to the incredibly humble, talented, and kind Grey Damon about Jack’s prognosis, the impact the character and series have had on their devoted fans, and the legacy he hopes the series will leave behind.

Check out the discussion below!

The episode featured two wakes, and yet Jack’s storyline somehow ends up being the most devastating one of all.

Oh, what a surprise.

I know! I mentioned last time that you’re like the kicked puppy of the series.

I’m walking Murphy’s Law!

What can you share about how Jack is processing the news of his career essentially ending? What was your reaction to this storyline?

My reaction is because he is walking Murphy’s Law, I’m not surprised by anything anymore.

But for Jack, besides Pru and the clinic, this was his last sense of having a calling.

It’s devastating. Being a firefighter was the most important, consistent thing in his life, you know?

Will Jack be at Station 19 in any capacity anymore? Does that mean no clinic duty, running the front desk, or Crisis One?

He can’t do anything like Crisis One. I don’t see him as much of a desk guy, but I hope he’s allowed to at least keep working with the clinic because it’s all he has left of Dean, as he says.

But I can’t say. This was so much of his identity and purpose.

But that’s kind of the point, showing that you don’t do a job like this unless you’re a particular type of person and because you love it. But what’s next is up to the writers. We’ll see.

Piggybacking on that, you gave such a nuanced portrayal of Jack as this man who feels like he lost his purpose. You captured that well.

Thank you.

Related: Station 19 Season 7 Episode 2 Review: Good Grief

How difficult was it for you to capture his vulnerability and resilience? That came across really well. It’s such a challenging situation.

With acting, sometimes you don’t feel like you’re, you’re getting there. And then it may still come across as you said it did, which is a very lovely thing to say. Thank you.

I try to put myself in a mental place of, of, you know, how would, how would, how would anyone be able to handle that? How does one handle at least one of the most important things in their life getting taken away from them in a very definitive way?

Yeah. It feels like a familiar sort of place for Jack to be. I’m a Jack fan, so I was devastated by this. I understand the storyline and what they could explore, but it hurt my heart.

Yeah. That was important for them to explore. It did make sense to have it happen to Jack in some strange way. This a reality for some firefighters because of the job. It’s sad, but it’s a big part of it. The show is adamant about showing the hardships of this noble job.

I appreciated the callback in this episode; I call it the puppy pile-up, the cuddle huddle with the group whenever something happens to one of them.

Will we see Jack pulling away from his Station 19 family or leaning into him a bit more?

It’s probably a bit of both. Of course, he doesn’t want to leave; that is his family, and they will always be his family. But I can’t say; I haven’t seen that from the writers yet. But I suspect it will eventually amount to him needing to find another purpose that isn’t a part of this.

He’s resilient, as you said.

Related: Station 19 Round Table: Marina’s Adoption & Jack’s Prognosis and More

He’s one of the most resilient on this show, which is saying a lot.

I don’t know; there are some toughies on there.

Andy’s reaction was one of the most emotional. She mentioned how she always envisioned Jack right beside her. I’m interested to see how she navigates this without Jack there.

I think she took it for him as well. Those two lean on each other more than they realize, and she was feeling what he must be going through, too.

Can we talk about a wonderful talent that Jaina is? Because she always brings it. She always shows all of the nuances in a profound and elegant way.

You guys have a profoundly talented cast. It’s part of what makes the cancellation so heartbreaking. I’m sorry to see the series go.

Yeah. It kind of makes it precious, too, though, knowing that something has to end, and, in a way, that’s beautiful.

I also covered Good Trouble, so I felt awful for Peter Page getting a double whammy on the same day.

Right? He’s a strong one. You want to talk about resilience and toughness? That’s Peter Paige, for sure.

You guys have a passionate, devoted fan base, and they’re determined to save this series. Have you been following their efforts? What message do you have for them?

Oh, of course! I couldn’t miss it. They literally actually got a plane dragging a banner that said, “Save Station 19.” I don’t think I can miss it!

It’s really cool. I’d never been a part of anything that had such a fan base like this. I am sure it’s out there, but I haven’t seen that elsewhere. I feel honored to be a part of something like this that has had such an impact and has so much pedigree to have that impact. It’s pretty incredible.

What has been the most rewarding part of portraying a character like Jack Gibson for so long?

Mainly just speaking to the fans. It’s hearing about the show connecting with certain people, hearing the similarities between them and Jack, or seeing something on screen that they also have gone through or are going through.

Sometimes, foster kids will hit me up on the socials or the Deaf community. Hats off to the showrunners because they have been very open to my ideas being a part of the show.

Related: Station 19’s Grey Damon on Jack’s Shocking Cliffhanger and Beauty of Working with Castmates

Once they found out I had a deaf mother and I suggested that maybe in some way we could incorporate that, they did so in a huge way. It was really beautiful.

And they’re always adamant about casting people who have gone through these things or understand it from a real perspective, not just an actor’s perspective. People who are autistic, people who are deaf. It’s so commendable.

I agree. I believe actors leave a little of themselves in their characters and vice versa. What lessons have you learned from playing Jack that you’ll probably carry with you?

I’ve said this before, but a lot of actors feel that they might have something taken away from them or they’ll be negatively affected when playing a heavy role. But I’ve found that through many of my characters, I’ve found a bit of myself. I’ve found qualities that are substantial to being a whole person.

I’ll definitely, if I haven’t exhibited them already, lean into the qualities that I love about Jack: his support and being there for his friends and family, his integrity, and his ability to understand what’s most important. I’ll always appreciate Jack for displaying that in a very effortless way.

I wanted to ask you about what type of legacy you hope Station 19 leaves behind. But you’ve touched on that a lot already.

I hope these characters, and it already has based on the fans’ responses, but I hope it reminds people of what matters most. I’ve already seen how people have responded to the show and how it has changed them.

It’s just beautiful when any show can do that, you know? I’ve gotten messages from people saying, “I know what I want to do. I want to be a firefighter. I want to be an EMT. I want to be Jack Gibson.”

That last one was a joke, by the way. I mean, I hope. ,

Hey, now. There are some great Jack Gibson attributes to aspire to. Sure, he’s a bit of a hot mess sometimes, but that makes him relatable. Aren’t we all?

Yeah, exactly. [Laughs] That’s a good example too.

We’ve seen how much of a slob he is or how much of a clumsy goose he is — his clumsiness has gotten him here, you know?

But from the first couple of seasons, we saw he was a formidable firefighter with these almost supernatural instincts. And that’s cool to show that as well. We have a little of all of that in us.

Is there anything else you can tease about the remainder of the season or any specific things you’re excited for the viewers to see? I don’t know how far ahead you guys are with filming.

We’re at least halfway through.

As for teasing, prepare to be surprised for sure. Shows can sometimes get stale or predictable. But Station 19 has been really good at not falling into that pattern.

I was surprised a few times, and I’m not one to get surprised often with my endless knowledge of the television universe. Just be prepared to be surprised.

Other than that, I probably can’t say without getting in trouble. I mean, but what are they going to do, fire me? [Laughs] Kidding!

Gosh! [Laughs] I missed your jokes! I appreciate you being able to make me laugh.

Well, Jasmine, that’s why I’m here. I would hope I would be a formidable entertainer.

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Yeah, you’ve only been at this for a little while.

Yeah. Just a little, 15 years. I need five more to be really good.

Oh, I can assure you that you’re great. You do amazing with anything you’re given. I love watching your work. If it isn’t saved, I will miss seeing it on the show, but I’ll always look forward to seeing you in new things.

Thank you. Yeah, me too.

But I also look forward to seeing what the other cast members go on and do because I adore every single one of them. They’re just so great and do a really good job. It’s not always common on a show…

We’re all basically chemicals trying not to combust at each other, you know? And we’re actors, which is even more insane because we’re even more insane. It’s been amazing that we can all get on so well and show each other such appreciation. I mean, obviously, I’m everyone’s favorite, but beyond that.

I can believe that.

No, I am not. I’m liked, at least.

I described you once as human sunshine, and it still holds true — very good and warm energy.

Thank you, Jasmine. I appreciate that. I hope I can maintain that.

— This interview has been edited for length and clarity

You can find Grey Damon on Station 19, which airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC. You can stream the entire series on Hulu.

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