Leven Rambin: 'Scoundrels' Is a Little Bit 'Three Musketeers' and a Little Bit 'Three Stooges'

By Denise Warner Posted Jun 19th 2010 09:00AM

Leven Rambin -- the actress who played Eric Dane's long-lost child Sloan on 'Grey's Anatomy' -- stars on ABC's new show 'Scoundrels' as the oldest daughter in a family of criminals.

Rambin talked to PopEater about her new series. "It's comedy, but it's dark. It is about crime and what happens to the family when they are falling apart, basically, when their patriarch is sent to jail. It's heartbreaking, but it's funny to see how they all band together, in sort of a 'Three Musketeers' kind of way or in a 'Three Stooges' kind of way. We just get into bizarre scenarios trying to make it by without dad," she tells PopEater.

The young starlet also reminisced about her time on 'Grey's' and wondered whether or not Little Sloan would be back.

Tell me a little about your new show.
'Scoundrels' is a dark comedy based on a New Zealand show that's really popular and has been going for six years there. It's about a family of petty criminals. We have a family business revolving around stolen goods, money laundering and stuff like that – no murder or anything. Our family has been living like this for our whole lives. We're always on the run from the police and getting away from it. That's what the word 'Scoundrels' comes from – we always slide by since there is no evidence. In the opening episode of the season, the father gets sent to prison for robbery for five years, so the mom, Cheryl, played by Virginia Madsen, decides that we all need to get real jobs and we're out of the crime business. And we don't really know how to do that, and we don't really have any skills. It's funny.

You play Heather West, the oldest daughter. What drew you to this role?
I read the script and I just thought it was so funny. It was subtle but so strong. It's comedy, but it's dark. It is about crime and what happens to the family when they are falling apart, basically, when their patriarch is sent to jail. It's heartbreaking, but it's funny to see how they all band together, in sort of a 'Three Musketeers' kind of way or in a 'Three Stooges' kind of way. We just get into bizarre scenarios trying to make it by without dad. Heather wants to be a model; she wants to be a celebrity. She thinks that's the only way she's going to get out of her family's business and drama – if she gets famous. In Palm Springs, there's not much modeling. She goes on casting calls for car shows and to be the Channel 7 lotto girl. That, to her, was the highest she could ever get – her ultimate dream. She's funny in that she's so vapid but at the same time she's very intelligent when it comes to manipulating people – men especially – to get what she wants. I like the double-sidedness of it.

What is it like on set?
We're really close. We're filming in Albuquerque. We have banded together and Virginia just loves it. She made us all feel so comfortable. She takes us to dinner and makes us dinner. She has a son in real life, so she's away from him, but we're her stand-in kids. She loves us and we love her. David [James Elliott, who plays the father] is awesome, too. He's very strong. He's a very masculine force on the set, which I think we needed. It's a lot of testosterone, in a good way.

A lot of people will know you from your role on 'Grey's Anatomy' as Mark Sloan's daughter, Sloan. What was that experience like?
It was so awesome. I loved this show before I went on it. It's such a bona-fide hit and all those people on there are such movie stars. I was really star struck when I got there and Eric Dane was my dad. It was just so surreal because I had just seen him in 'Valentine's Day' and Patrick [Dempsey] in 'Valentine's Day.' It was such an awesome opportunity. And working with the writers there, who are so talented, I realized what a quality show it is – not that I didn't know that before. It's one of the very few programs that I think is very smart and really well-written and very character driven. And that's the kind of thing that I like to watch. It was such an amazing experience. I wish I could go back soon or one day.

Will Sloan be back?
I wouldn't rule it out.

I hope so. I liked that storyline.
I thought it was a cool direction for [Eric Dane's] character and the show.

Your Sloan left before the shocking finale. You said you were a fan before, so did you watch?
Yeah, of course. It was insane. I was so impressed and so blown away. I wish I would have been there.

I like to think that she would have survived.
Oh definitely. She would have hid behind someone. She would have thrown herself at the guy.

What other shows do you like to watch?
I love 'Glee' – it's my favorite show. I love 'The Office' and 'Parks and Recreation' ... I watch a lot of TV. 'Modern Family' is amazing, I love it. I don't watch too many dramas, I guess. Life's dramatic enough.