Transplant is a special show for many of us, where losing ourselves in the characters is almost second nature. To portray such relatable characters requires a powerful ensemble. Laurence Leboeuf, who portrays Mags, delves into the mindset and heart of her characters, delivering a formidable performance and representing strong women everywhere. Fangirlish got the chance to talk to Leboeuf about her character’s journey this season and what we can expect in these final episodes. Curious? Read on.
Heart & Health
Mags has always been a fighter, and Leboeuf explains how much Mags’ heart transplant and subsequent recovery will impact her character’s journey. “I think that’s a pretty big adventure that she’s about to get on. It’s a really big deal. I think it comes at a very wrong timing for her—sort of the biggest joy, and then this really scary thing, but it’s also good news, you know. It’s a good thing she’s lucky to be on this list. She’s lucky to now be getting the heart.”
While this journey’s timing may not be perfect, Mags will do her best to manage, as the fighter she is, and it seems that her relationships may play a significant role in how she navigates this. We’ve always known Mags as a hyper-independent person, but Leboeuf talks to us about how this journey may change her character’s perspective.
“I think her will to stay alone with this is gonna fade a little bit, and I think she’s gonna realize she needs the people that love her around her to be there and to open up a little bit more, to give space to that a little bit—because she tends to want to do things her way and knows best and doesn’t want to bother anybody. But I think, yeah, I think that that’s gonna, you know, allow the people around her to get a bit closer.”
It seems that for Mags, heart and health have two meanings. Her relationships – heart and literally, her heart, aka her health. It appears that to help either one, she’ll have to rely on what’s best for the other.
Process
Speaking of Mags’ hyperindependence, her instinct is that she knows best, and now we see her soften and rely on others. We asked Leboeuf, who has played this character for four seasons, how she navigated the emotional headspace of changing her character’s second nature and the process involved.
“What was so interesting about the season for me, and this journey that she was on—not only going from being a doctor to being a patient— is exactly what you’re saying, this moment where, okay, I’m the best doctor, maybe? But I also feel very vulnerable and very fragile right now with all this, because it’s like, you can be the best at something, but being in this position of being vulnerable and your life is at risk, I think you can—things can get blurry in your decision making and stuff. So that was really fun to dig into that with Mags and dig into her vulnerability and what scares her and to be able to name it.”
Life Goes On
You’d think the core four might take the day off when one of their best friends is getting a heart transplant? You’d believe it might affect their decision-making as doctors worrying about one of their own? Nope. As Leboeuf says, “I think a lot of the world keeps going, you know?”
We spoke to her about the logistics of how everyone else is faring as she undergoes such an intense surgery, in the hospital where she and everyone she loves work. How Mags would feel and deal with something so public when her character’s nature is so independent.
“Mags, being who she is, also doesn’t fall for, you know, kind of making everybody worried or going out of their way or changing their life. I think that would be her worst nightmare, so I think she’s gonna try to feel that, which is great. Which is why at one point we’ll get confused with what’s going on, because it’s like, well, is this serious? Or is this—where is she at? Like, what’s going on? So there’s an undercurrent for sure in the rest of the episodes, but I don’t think other characters are aware that much that, like, how deep this is gonna go.”
We’re grateful to Laurence for speaking with us about such a formidable character and the work she’s put in to bring this character to life. As for what’s next? Let’s see how much chaos this episode ensues for our York Memorial team, and how they navigate the struggles of their own and one of their own.
Transplant airs Thursday at 8/7c on NBC.
