BB Exclusive: Jasmin Savoy Brown Talks her Hit New Show, For the People

Last Tuesday, March 13, ABC premiered their new series, For the People. From the creative mind of Shonda Rhimes, the show follows new lawyers as they take on some high stake cases as their personal lives intersect.

BeautifulBallad had the amazing chance to chat with one of the women of the show, Jasmin Savoy Brown. Jasmin plays Allison in the new court room drama. In our interview with Jasmin, we talked her character, how she became attached to the project, her costar Britt Robertson, what’s to come in the first season and so much more.

Tell us about your new show, For the People and the character you are playing?
“For The People follows a group of brand new lawyers, three public defenders and three prosecutors, in the southern district of New York as they begin their professional careers and their work lives intersect with their personal lives. I play Allison Adams, a public defender who is dating a prosecutor, Seth (played by Ben Rappaport), and lives with her best friend Sandra (Britt Robertson), in her parent’s upper east side apartment. When we meet Allison, she is content in her daily life and excited to begin her new career, but as the episode and the season unfold, she is forced to change and grow to adapt to her fast-paced, challenging career.”

How did you become attached to the project?
“I auditioned, had a callback, tested, and booked it!”

What was the audition process like?
“Easy and fun. I knew from the moment the auditioned landed in my inbox it was something I wanted to pursue – the writing was witty and clever, Paul William Davies and Tom Verica at the helm of the project… My first audition was just with the casting directors, who I adore. They put me in Grey’s and Will, so I had no fear walking into their room to put down an excellent tape. Paul and Tom attended the callback, and I met Ben and Britt at the chemistry read. Everything flowed naturally.”

Your character, Allison is a public defender, was it easy to step into the role of public defender or did you have to do a lot of research before you began filming?
“Well, I joined the cast last, with two weeks from “You got the job!” to “action!”, so I did not have much time to prepare. I felt very behind when we first began. But over the course of the season, I watched documentaries, read books, listened to podcasts, read articles, and skyped with a federal public defender in the southern district of New York. My research is nowhere near complete, it never will be as long as we are on the air! But I’m feeling more confident every day.”

You can read the rest of our interview below. A brand new episode of For the People will air tonight, March 20. Make sure to tune in!

Photo source: James DePietro

You play best friends with Britt Robertson’s character Sandra on the show. Can you describe your relationship with Britt, and Allison’s relationship with Sandra?
“Britt and I have become close friends. Our relationship off screen doesn’t look that different from our relationship on screen. We support each other, laugh together, help each other with work… it’s a typical female friendship!”

Will we see any drama unfolding between the two as the season progresses?
“No. You will not see any ‘drama’ unfolding between Sandra and Allison. They will experience rough patches and have to learn to communicate in different ways as work becomes more stressful and bleeds into their personal lives… but I would not use the word drama in relation to their relationship at all.”

What can you tease about the show’s first season?
“This season on For The People, you can expect to see everything a typical Shondaland show has to offer! Passionate human characters, romance, conflicts in the workplace, character’s crossing paths in unexpected ways… and incredibly interesting cases with amazing guest stars.”

What is it like working with Shonda?
“Being a part of Shondaland is a dream. I feel embraced, supported, and inspired to be my best, on and off the screen.”

Did you watch any of Shonda Rhimes’ shows before joining the show?
“I’ve seen episodes here and there of GREYS, SCANDAL and MURDER, but it wasn’t until joining the cast of PEOPLE that I decided to commit to fully watching one of the shows. I chose Greys. It’s so good! And very similar to our show in the beginning – a group of young professionals, wide eyed and optimistic, at the start of their careers.”

Can you tell us more about your debut album?
“No. Haha!”

Who are your musical inspirations?
}Too many to name and so random… Sara Bareilles, Hayley Williams, Audra McDonald, The Katinas.”

What other projects do you have coming up?
“I am in season 3 of LOVE, which just came out on Netflix. And I am writing a short film, which I plan to direct and produce later this year.”