I have added another interview to our gallery. This time it’s an interview from Portuguese magazine LuxWOMAN. Click on the thumbnails for the album with the scans and/or read below for a translation of the interview that covers a wide range of topics.

LuxWOMAN – August 2014

We’re at The Coronthia hotel, right next to the busy Charing Cross train station in London. Today, the ABC Studios European Press Tour is taking place, and on the first floor the agitation is considerable. Journalists from around the world are divided in groups and seated in rooms. In our room is Italy, New Zealand, England and Belgium. In the group interviews, the journalists alternate their questions during 20 minutes to actors from various shows that, in Portugal, mostly air on the channels Fox and Fox Life.

But the highlight of the trip is the individual interview: 10 minutes, without the presence of a publcist, with some faces that we have only seen until now on TV and in magazines. LuxWOMAN, after several mishaps, cancellations and confirmations, managed to have its one-on-one time, as they say here, with Justin Chambers, the Alex Karev of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.

In person, Justin is exactly like Alex. Same eyes, same smile, same dimples on his face. But in real life he has very little to do with the Don Juan. He and his five adolescent children with Keisha Chambers, a modeling agency booker, with whom he married in 1993, all currently live in Los Angeles.

Before becoming an actor, Justin had a successful career as a model in which he worked for renowned brands all over the world and was the face of Calvin Klein. Born in Ohio on July 11, 1970, he is one of five children of John and Pam Chambers and he has a twin brother. His career as an actor started in the 90s, when, living in New York, he started attending acting classes at the HB Studios in Greenwich Village and working in off-Broadway plays. In 1998, Harpers Bazaar described him as “part James Dean, part Marlon Brando” and after several movies, he landed the role that has kept him busy since 2005: already 220 episodes as the intern-now-surgeon-with-an-interest-in-pediatrics Alex Karev.

When we enter the room, Justin politely stands, shakes our hand and says: “Hi, very nice to meet you.”

Alex must be one of the most interesting characters on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, with large fluctuations of personality. His evolution from a player to Izzie Stevens’s husband, to a sensitive pediatric surgeon, after everything he went through with his father… What’s in store for us next season?
I’m still not sure because in reality we’re only told once we return, and I go back to work in a month. He’s at a crossroads where he’ll either become a private practice doctor or he stays at the hospital on the board because Cristina [Yang] left him her seat – a seat the Chief [Richard Webber] had promised to [Miranda] Bailey, so we can expect some conflict there. It’s going to be a lot about that situation and also his relationship with Jo [Wilson]. They started living together and that’s going to make the relationship more serious and important to him. I think we can expect some drama…

The surgeries and all the blood… I’ve always been curious to know how you deal with that, does it impress you?
We use all these fake body parts, the blood is actually a red syrup, so it doesn’t bother me at all. If there’s anything that isn’t all that nice it’s having to wear a scrub cap and mask and be under the hot lights in the OR for hours… In fact, nowadays, I feel very comfortable in hospitals.

Besides your role, which is your favorite character on the show?
I like them all. What makes the show so special is that there are so many characters, and so much diversity, and they’re so representative of the different types of people… My favorite, off the top of my head… I really like Arizona [Robbins], Callie [Torres] is wonderful, Meredith [Grey]… They’re all good, fantastic really, and they all bring something to the show to make it this successful.

Do you watch the episodes after they are edited?
Not as much anymore…

You used to watch more in the beginning?
Yes, in the beginning I watched it all, it was exciting.

In real life, do you have any of Karev’s characteristics?
I don’t think so, not really.

Start with the fact that you have five kids… How do you begin your day?
It’s a bit chaotic. They all go to different schools. We have to get them in the car and drive them to each school, but they’re growing up and becoming more self-sufficient [Isabella, 19, the twins Maya and Kaila, 17, Eva, 15 and Jackson, 12] and they end up figuring themselves out. But there’s always something, I think any parent knows that, something that always keeps you busy, games on the weekends, etc. But I feel very grateful to have kids, it’s very rewarding.

You also come from a large family, so…
Yes, yes, we were also five. I’m used to it.

For you, life is perfect when…
Life is perfect when… My soul feels calm, I had a good dinner, maybe two glasses of wine and I feel spiritually in touch with God, and the people around me and my kids are healthy and happy… When it’s perfect, it’s like that.

Are you a spiritual person?
Yes, definitely.

Do you meditate or do yoga?
Yes, yes. I’ve done Bikram and now I do Hot Yoga, and you know, I talk to God and go to church and, yes, I think like many people – and artists – I’m spiritual.

Besides ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ do you have any other project for this year?
No, this is my breadwinner. I mean, we work for 10 months a year, I have two months off. Sometimes I get offers, but after 10 months of filming I want to live a little, be with my family, so my choice has been that.

And what are your interests, besides your family and acting?
In humanitarian terms, I’m connected to an association called ‘Dream Center’ that supports the homeless.

Why did you choose that cause?
I chose the homeless because I think any one of us is this close [makes a gesture with his index finger and thumb of about one centimeter] to being in this situation…

It’s a thin line?
Yes, very. There are many people who are broke and it’s important not to judge why they’re on the streets, but instead lend them a hand and help. What I like about the work at the ‘Dream Center’ is that it’s spiritual but at the same time it’s about helping people to achieve an education and ways to get out of the situation. It’s not just about giving them money and paying for food. It’s all about helping them understand how they can help themselves…

To get out of the situation they’re in?
Yes, and many of them have addictions or are recovering from one… You have to work the different angles.

And sports? What do you like?
Tennis, I like swimming. I like my house. I’m kind of a homebody. I like staying home fixing and taking care of things.

Do you usually read? Women and/or men’s magazines?
I don’t have a subscription, but if I come across one, I’ll read it. I like Harper’s [Bazaar]. It’s a good magazine with good articles about writers, social issues… I like reading the newspaper and I read it, but nowadays we also have everything online and I check The Huffington Post and other related ones as well. I watch many documentaries, they’re an integral part of my training. And scripts, I read scripts. That I read a lot.

In terms of social media, do you have a blog or Instagram?
Not really, not even Twitter. I had Instagram for a while, but there were some bizarre situations and I ended up not paying much attention to it…

As a father, are you worried with how social networking is affecting this current generation? Because in our generation things were very different…
Yes, of course. I think about it, but I also know that this is really their world and I have to let them live it and hope they are responsible with how they use it. [As parents] we have to be attentive and maintain some surveillance over what they do and what they see, but we can’t fight it or be against it. All my kids use networking to study and to be in contact with friends. In our time, when we wanted to be with a friend we would have to go meet them or, at most, talk on the phone, but today they don’t have to do any of that. Young people are very social, but at the same time are very alone – well, they always save on gas… [laughs]

They’re together but alone. It’s not the same…
Exactly. Sometimes I wonder if, at some point, aren’t we all just alone, sitting in front of a computer, with glasses on and gaining more weight…

We can even be drinking a glass of wine, but we’re not sharing it…
That’s right. It’s completely different being social face-to-face. I would hate to lose this wonderful thing of people sitting down together and eating and drinking and talking for hours… Does the younger generation do this less? How is it in Europe?

No, I don’t think so, but in a country in Europe we’re all also closer to each other in terms of distance…
Yes, that’s true, in the US we can be very far.

You were a model, now you’re an actor. Do you get annoyed when people refer to your looks, your appearance?
Not at all. I’m grateful to have had that experience. I didn’t go to college, so for me that was the college of life, I’ve traveled a lot, and if anything, it contributed to my acting abilities.

And Portugal, have you ever been?
[Someone enters the room and says ‘last question’, the recorder mark is at 9:01 minutes. Here it’s the ‘American way’, there cannot be delays]
No, but I really want to!

Yes? You’ve heard of it?
Yes, of course. I’ve heard the surfing is fantastic and the bread is great.

Do you surf?
Well, I wouldn’t call myself a surfer, but I’ve tried it and of course I’d love to do it in Portugal. I’ve heard your country is beautiful and I’d really like to go there.

Tourism of Portugal, hear that? Justin, we’ll be waiting!

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