Being Tori

Entertainingly enough, one of the most common Google searches that bring people to my site is “Chicago Med Tori”. Until now, there were two reasons for which a misguided Googler might arrive here using those terms:

1. I posted a very short note about Chicago P.D. (Which is also created by Dick Wolf and exists in the same TV universe as Chicago Med, and of which I cannot get enough. The third season just ended and I need to know what happens to Hank. I NEED to.)
2. They’re spelling the actress’ name wrong. (Don’t worry. I would never spell “Tori” as “Torrey” either.)

But, hey, if this is how I’m going to expand my army of one to an army of, like, five or six (you’ll find out for what I plan to use my army at a later date), I’m more than happy to oblige. So, here you go, Googler. Here is all you might want to know about “Tori” from Chicago Med (and probably a bunch of things you don’t care to know about me).

Actress Torrey DeVitto plays Dr. Natalie Manning on Chicago Med. (I played Six, the sixth child born to redneck parents too lazy to come up with actual names for their children, in a community drama production of Hillbilly Weddin’ in the early 2000s—my performance was pretty much on par with hers, and there is no proof to suggest otherwise).

She was born June 8, 1984—so, I guess a happy early birthday greeting is appropriate here—on Long Island, NY. (I was born much later, and am therefore much younger, in a very small community hospital in Manitoba. We both turned out ok.)

Her nicknames are Tor (MINE, TOO), and Torrey Jo (clearly not mine, too—though you’re welcome to start calling me Tori Jo if you pledge allegiance to my army).

She’s taller than me, but I’m shorter than her, so there’s that.

After graduating high school in upstate New York, Torrey moved to Los Angeles, where her career as an actress began to take off. (I went to university and also entered the arts. I probably had to read more books than she had to read scripts.) Her work includes: playing Alexandra on the MTV pilot, “Alexandra the Great;” guest starring on the FBC pilot, “One Big Happy;” guest starring in “The Untitled Michael Jacobs Pilot” for FBC; as well as guest starring on episodes of “Scrubs,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Jack & Bobby,” “The King of Queens “Drake & Josh,” “CSI Miami,” and “Castle.” Torrey booked her first lead on the ABC Family series, “Beautiful People,” as aspiring model Karen Kerr. On the film front, her film debut was in “Starcrossed,” and she has appeared in the 2006 movie sequel, “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” “The Rite” with Anthony Hopkins, “Green Flash,” “Killer Movie,” and “Heber Holiday” and “Evidence,” starring Stephen Moyer. (I mean… that’s cool. I don’t have any TV or film credits, but my Facebook has more photos than her IMDB page does, so…. I’ll let you decide who wins this one).

Staying true to her love of music, in 2002, she played violin with the Tommy Davidson Band at the Sunset Room in Hollywood. Her solo performance earned her another standing ovation. She also played violin on Raphael Saadig’s CD, “Ray Ray,” in 2004, and in 2011 she played on Stevie Nicks’ album, “In Your Dreams.” (BUT, can she play the bassoon? I can did. And, not to blow my own double reed woodwind instrument, but I have been known to slay Bohemian Rhapsody at karaoke.)

She was married to Paul Wesley, the less attractive Salvatore brother on “The Vampire Diaries” for two years. (I’ve been imaginary married to Taylor Hanson, of MmmBop fame, for about 15 years now. We were married in a lovely ceremony in my mind at the ripe old age of 13.)

Her favourite store is Target (mine is any bookstore, anywhere) and her favourite TV show is Ellen (because everyone’s favourite TV show is Ellen, and rightly so).

She has two dogs named Beau and Homie (I mean, Bob Barker is a good dog name, too, but I guess Beau and Homie are decent) which she adopted from a pet agency—whatever that means—in LA. (I have been considering adopting a fish or two from the pet store—or just grabbing a few out of the pond down the street—but I don’t have any clever fish names at the moment, so I’m holding off.)

And finally, a quote from Torrey (whose name was obviously spelled incorrectly on her birth certificate):

I have realized sometimes I do better working under a crazy schedule. It gives me less time to overthink things and forces me to be present.

Which could have been uttered from my own two lips if it went something like this:

I have realized I work better under a crazy schedule because I procrastinate until there is nothing left but immediate deadlines, which makes for a crazy schedule.

So, there you go, Googler. I hope you learned something. If you learned too much, maybe next time try IMDB.