'Grey's Anatomy's Giacomo Gianniotti says Season 17 'feels so different'

Grey's Anatomy fans rejoice because Season 17 is finally here on November 12 (9 p.m. ET on CTV). The first episode will be a crossover event with Station 19 and the Grey's crew, showing everyone decked out in their pandemic uniform including masks and gloves. Star Giacomo Gianniotti, who plays Dr. Andrew DeLuca on the show, revealed to etalk that this season "feels so different" because for the first time ever, when the directors yell cut, the cast and crew are still living the storyline in their everyday lives."This is going to be my seventh season on the show and I've seen all kinds of different actors, directors and writers come through. I've had the privilege and the honour of telling really important stories along the way but this season just feels so different," Giacomo explained. "I think everybody on the cast and crew feels it because normally when we're telling stories there's the sense of 'this is artificial, this is make-believe, these are scenarios we've created to shine a light on bigger issues.'"

 

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You can't miss the #GreysAnatomy season premiere TOMORROW at 9|8c on ABC!

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The Canadian-Italian actor said he's never played something he's currently living in and experiencing. "There's no real detachment. It's not like we're pretending to have masks or pretending to be in a pandemic. We call cut and we're still in a pandemic. We're living the scenario we're actually acting in," he added.Giacomo said that the whole cast and crew of Grey's Anatomy feel a "tremendous responsibility to do honour to the stories" of the hardworking healthcare workers and first responders. "And to all the families who have been affected and lost loved ones during this time." He added that the Grey's crew feels a great amount of privilege and respect for Season 17 and they really want to "do it justice."In the Season 16 finale, DeLuca struggles with his mental health before correctly diagnosing Richard Webber with cobalt poisoning from a hip replacement (instead of Alzheimer's, as doctors originally thought). After he bursts through the OR with his revelation, DeLuca scrubbed in for Richard's surgery. Following the successful surgery, Meredith is seen picking him up off the floor in the midst of a breakdown during the final scene of the episode. Giacomo said it was an important moment because Meredith and DeLuca share "a history of love and intimacy" and "nobody knows you like the person that you lay your head next to at night.""She was able to cut through a lot of the assumptions that people were making about DeLuca and had his back. Meredith Grey is known for going rogue, known for doing things that are controversial, known for doing things that are unconventional to save lives so I feel like she had a different perspective than most," Giacomo added. "For the 16 seasons that we've been doing this, Meredith Grey has always saved people's lives in the most unconventional, amazing ways."[video_embed id='1937383']RELATED: 'Grey's Anatomy' star Giacomo Gianniotti guarantees fans will be satisfied by early finale[/video_embed]Giacomo said that DeLuca was "going out of his way doing a similar thing" to what Meredith would do so she couldn't really knock him for going out on a whim and trying to save somebody's life. And Richard was saved so YESSS DeLuca.Staying on the topic of DeLuca and Meredith, (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) Giacomo said he's happy that the fans have been responding well to the storyline. "I love what the writers have done with our characters and they have a good balance of moments of great intense, passionate love and moments of distance," he said. "More than age, we're just at different places in our lives and there's going to be moments where it just doesn't work.""Meredith is past problems in her life that DeLuca is just encountering. In one way it's great because she can coach him through it but in another way, there's that lack of relatable where she's ahead in her life and she's surpassed those challenges, " Giacomo said, before adding that he's rooting for DeLuca and Meredith (just like the fans).Offscreen, Giacomo has been publicly advocating for the importance of talking about mental health and he shared that Canadian support is one of the main reasons he's not afraid to have these tough conversations. "Being Canadian, I think Bell Let's Talk has been a great champion every year to help continue that conversation and making contributions to organizations that help people. I have a lot of pride in being Canadian," Giacomo said. "I play a character who has mental health issues on the show and beyond that, this pandemic has been a huge red flag for mental health because if you're already suffering going through this pandemic is isolating and can heighten anybody's mental health struggles."The 31-year-old touched on the fact that human interaction is very important and a lot of people don't have the luxury of being around their loved ones during the pandemic. "We're social creatures and we're just not meant to be in isolation like this and so detached from each other," he said. "Human touch is so important and not being able to hug and squeeze and hold our loved ones for this long... I don't have any family in Los Angeles. My family is in Italy and Canada and I haven't been able to hold, hug or kiss any of my loved ones this whole time."Giacomo shared that he misses his family dearly and not being able to see them has "definitely affected my mental health." His saving grace is his adopted dog, Jazz. Giacomo said that Jazz has brought an "insane amount of joy and happiness" into his life during the pandemic. Jazz gives Giacomo a reason to wake up early in the morning and go for a walk which helps his mental health.Jazz has three legs and Giacomo mentioned that he thinks there are a lot of "misconceptions around tripod" dogs. "People think 'Oh god, how can you take that on it's so difficult, they're so comprised' and really they're not. They're just like having a regular dog," he explained. "I can't take him hiking up the mountain with me but I take him around the block a couple of times a day."

 

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Me and my Jazzy Boy ?. #labpitmix #tripawdsofinstagram #tripawd ?: @nichole_gianniotti

A post shared by Giacomo Gianniotti (@giacomo_gianniotti) on Sep 26, 2020 at 9:41am PDT

Giacomo also shared some details about the #NoColdShoulder coat drive in Toronto for the entire month of November in partnership with Nobis, an outerwear brand. "It's a virtual online coat drive to get coats to people who need them." He explained that with every purchase from Nobis, buyers will get a reusable bag to place their gently-used coat in along with a prepaid label to send it back as a donation to the coat drive.

 

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I love Toronto, but the winters are tough, to say the least! I’m grateful @Nobis is stepping in to help with their #NoColdShoulder coat drive. Wherever you are in the world, you can participate by donating your lightly used jackets. I’m sure if Jazz could donate his coat he would too ☺ Click the link in my bio or go to nocoldshoulder.com to get involved and give back this winter season. Proud Canadian. Proud Nobis Partner. Love to all. I mean, don’t you want to be like Jazz and I and get your hat too? ?: @justinwu Grooming: @nichole_gianniotti #nobis #nocoldshoulder #coatdrive #payitforward #givingseason #tripawd #tripawdsofinstagram

A post shared by Giacomo Gianniotti (@giacomo_gianniotti) on Nov 9, 2020 at 8:52am PST

Watch the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy on CTV and the CTV app November 12 at 9 p.m. ET.[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Sweet baby attempts to sing 'You Are My Sunshine' with his mom [/video_embed]