Catching Up With KaDee Strickland on Life After Private Practice

KaDee Strickland has long been one of our favorites at Glamour ever since she blew our minds as Charlotte King on Shonda Rhimes’ Private Practice. Now she’s starring opposite Ryan Phillippe and Juliette Lewis on ABC’s juicy 10-episode series Secrets and Lies. Earlier today, Strickland called me from New York City, where she’s shooting the new CBS pilot Doubt to chat motherhood, Secrets, and the role that has her working harder than she ever has before (and that’s saying a lot!).

Glamour: KaDee! I can’t believe it has been a year and a half since we last spoke. So much has happened!

KaDee Strickland: Hi, lady! I know! Now I’m in New York shooting Doubt, which I’m telling you, is a character in itself. The cast is fantastic. I want to grow old with these people.

Glamour: I have a good feeling about this one. It’s on CBS, which certainly knows how to do dramas, and from Grey’s Anatomy‘s Tony Phelan and Joan Rater. You play Sadie, a successful defense lawyer who gets romantically involved with one of your clients, who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime. It stars you, Teddy Sears, Laverne Cox, Dule Hill…

KaDee: Elliott Gould too. It’s just amazing. I’ve never worked harder in my life, but it’s worth it. It’s just so fantastic.

Glamour: Secrets and Lies is now halfway through its first season. Had you met Ryan before?

KaDee: No. In fact, I met him when we shot the pilot. I had always heard how dedicated he was as an actor, and it’s all true. What’s funny though is that before we shot the pilot, we were on the same flight, but I didn’t meet him then. I saw this guy as we were leaving the plane and [my husband] Jason was like, “I think that’s him.” And it was him. He apparently commented that we had such a good kid on the plane because so far [our son] Atticus is an easy travel.

Glamour: That is so funny!

KaDee: Nothing matters more to Ryan than his children, and I was so grateful because I feel the same way. When you’re playing parents, it allows you to have a different shorthand and dialogue with your characters.

Glamour: Speaking of family, you and Jason’s son, Atticus, is 17 months old now, which I can’t believe!

KaDee: I know. He said his first word at seven months old, which was “good.” [Laughs] He’s been walking since a little before nine months old. I’ve been getting good use of my running shoes! He’s at the park today with his daddy.

Glamour: Speaking of kids, how long did you know your TV kids (Indiana Evans and Belle Shouse) before you had to create this insta-family?

KaDee: Not long at all. I marvel at how much these kids look like they could be ours. It was very easy [to be a family]. Watching Ryan with Belle, it was so easy for him because she falls right between the ages of his kids. It was very easy for him to embrace and understand and support a young gal. I really enjoyed it because I was in the throes of being a new mother, and he was so understanding and supportive of that.

Glamour: Christy and Ben [Phillippe] have been married for a long time, but of course, everything has been turned upside down. Do you see them being able to salvage their marriage?

KaDee: [Laughs] You’ll have to wait and see on that. But you do learn about some of our neighbors this week, and Ben goes digging. What you’re starting to see is Ben unravel, and you’ll see that someone is focusing on Ben. You’ll also learn where I stand with our marriage. I can tell you by the end of the series, you’ll see them go through many different versions as a couple, which I really found interesting to see. This Sunday is a big episode for the entire family.

Glamour: What’s it been like to work with Juliette Lewis? She’s so great in real life and yet so tough as Detective Cornell!

KaDee: I adore her. She’s such a good lady. She’s such a hoot to work with. When she goes into Cornell mode, there’s no denying it. In between scenes, she’s wearing that pantsuit with that tight bun, and we’re talking fashion and clothes. It’s hilarious.

Glamour: In our last conversation, you told me about your actor crush on Bryan Cranston, but you hadn’t met him yet. Please tell me that’s changed.

KaDee: No, I still haven’t met him! But with the caliber of actors we have on [Doubt], I’m going to beg him to come on. The director who is shooting our pilot directed eight episodes of Breaking Bad, so I’m [keeping my fingers crossed] it’s gonna happen!

Glamour: I can’t let you go without talking about Private Practice. I see Paul [Adelstein] all the time, but I miss you all as a cast so much.

KaDee: I love them all, and I see Paul in the park sometimes, but we’re so busy, it’s crazy. We’ll text for like an hour. Caterina [Scorsone] and I text. We all keep in touch via email and texts. I was hoping that some of them would be in New York right now, but so far they aren’t. I miss them though!

Catch KaDee in an all-new episode of Secrets and Lies this Sunday on ABC at 9 P.M. ET.