Debbie Allen is no stranger to wearing a lot of hats. She’s an accomplished actress, dancer, choreographer, and producer. She’s also an advocate and her latest endeavor is a deeply personal one. Allen has teamed up with Abbott for their “Above the Bias” campaign that fights stigma against diabetes.
“I was really happy to partner with Abbott on this campaign, ‘Above the Bias,’ because it’s a different conversation. It’s a conversation about the stigma that is related to diabetes. It’s related to the misconceptions and the prejudice against people who are living with diabetes, a conversation that has not really been had,” Allen told Parade in a recent interview.
The medical company has put together a film that illuminates the harm of diabetes stigma and unconscious bias. It reveals alarming statistics about how diabetes shame prevents people with the disease from seeking the treatment they need to live healthier lives.
“I think it’s incredible. It puts you in perspective and in the shoes of someone who’s living with diabetes every day, and you get to feel the bias and the prejudice that they go through,” Allen continued. “One in six adult Americans has been diagnosed with diabetes. This is a real concern, and it certainly is disproportionate in the African American community. That became very evident during COVID. People that were living with diabetes didn’t do very well with COVID. So, this is a continuing conversation. This is something that’s not been going away, and we need to have the conversation because we need awareness and sensitivity.”
Allen has been so moved by the campaign that she’s planning to take it to work with her at her day job as an executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy.
“I am going to talk to Meg [Marinis, showrunner] about it,” Allen confirmed. “What makes Grey’s Anatomy so powerful and so popular and relevant is that we are dealing with things that people are dealing with in everyday life. We did a whole season all about COVID, and we’re dealing with medical situations that are real. A lot of people have commented to me and praised us because they have become aware of a medical condition because of Grey’s Anatomy. This certainly is in line for us to take on.”
In the meantime, Allen is enjoying her role behind and in front of the camera. Her character, Catherine Fox, has been the antagonist of the doctors at Grey Sloan and for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) for a while now. At the end of last season, she fired four attendings and went for the entire intern class. Allen doesn’t disagree that Catherine has made some enemies at the hospital, but she enjoys playing the role and all of its consequences. In fact, it was her idea for Bailey (Chandra Wilson) to slap Catherine in the Season 21 premiere.
“Well, the truth is, she became the villain at the end of last season [when she] fired everybody and was ready to toss everybody out. Which is why, in the first episode [of this season], which I directed, I told Megan, ‘She needs to be slapped.’ I asked for the slap. I said, ‘Yes, Catherine has been such a bitch. The audience didn’t want to hear anything that’s touching. They want to see her get slapped.’ And they loved it. It was good. She deserved it.”
The slap happened in a dream, but it was cathartic for Bailey and the audience at home to see Catherine be put in her place. As an actor, Allen isn’t afraid of playing a tough character, but there is some hope for Catherine to soften up as Season 21 carries along.
“I am an actor, and I will be willing to play what the role is. A lot of people watch their Instagram and wonder how the fans feel. I’m not so likable, but somebody’s got to be the bad guy,” the actress elaborated. “Catherine might be on the mend. Her son, [Jackson], came by to get her to calm down. But I think we’ll wait and see what happens between Catherine and Meredith Grey. Meredith has really been helping Catherine with her health, and for that, Catherine should be grateful. Catherine’s learning a lot of things right now, and it’s good for her. Sometimes, people in control have a mindset of how to run things. It needs to be like this and that. If they stop and talk to people a little bit or really take a step back and look, they might see something different. Catherine has the potential to do that.”
We’ll see if Catherine can get back the goodwill of the doctors at Grey Sloan. In the meantime, Allen is continuing to fight the good fight from in front of and behind the camera.
Grey’s Anatomy returns with the rest of Season 21 on Thursday, March 6 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.