It shouldn’t come as a surprise that on a show as long running and successful as Grey’s Anatomy, there are more than a few skeletons in the closet.
One of the most successful medical shows around, Grey’s Anatomy is set in the fictional Grey-Sloane Memorial Hospital, located in Seattle, and initially followed a bunch of fresh-faced interns who were taking their first steps of their careers as well as a host of more experienced medical pros. The show made its debut way back in 2005 and, at the time of writing, is still going strong today. In fact, it even features some of the original cast including, of course, Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey.
So what is it that made the show such a hit for ABC?
With great characters, strong writing and a force majeure of a show-runner, there are a lot of positives to be had. However, did you know there are a whole host of crazy secrets as well? We’ve got actors being lined up for different roles, a plethora of controversial decisions, some pretty nasty alleged political incorrectness, a smattering of Emmy drama, and a secret Scot hidden in the ranks.
So if you want to know all the secrets behind this wildly successful show, you are in the right place. Here are 20 Crazy Secrets About The Cast Of Grey’s Anatomy.
Sandra Oh originally auditioned for the part of Bailey
So what is it that made the show such a hit for ABC?
With great characters, strong writing and a force majeure of a show-runner, there are a lot of positives to be had. However, did you know there are a whole host of crazy secrets as well? We’ve got actors being lined up for different roles, a plethora of controversial decisions, some pretty nasty alleged political incorrectness, a smattering of Emmy drama, and a secret Scot hidden in the ranks.
So if you want to know all the secrets behind this wildly successful show, you are in the right place. Here are 20 Crazy Secrets About The Cast Of Grey’s Anatomy.
Sandra Oh originally auditioned for the part of Bailey
Sandra Oh has become synonymous with her role as Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy, but things could have turned very differently. Oh originally auditioned for the role of Bailey, but it turned out, that wasn’t quite what she had in mind.
Yang explained her go-getting approach to landing the role in the Beyond the Screen video series: “When I first auditioned, I actually auditioned for the part of Bailey. And I played Bailey nothing like how Bailey was supposed to really be, which is Chandra Wilson. And they said, ‘You know what, we’re gonna test a bunch of people. Why don’t you come in? We’d love for you to test for Bailey.’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t want to test for Bailey. There’s another part you haven’t cast yet, and that’s the part of Cristina.”
So, just as we are used to seeing Oh’s ambitious drive and in the show, it seems like the actor playing her might have something in common as well.
By the time Cristina Yang bowed out of life in Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital after the tenth season, Oh had been awarded a Golden Globe for Best Supporting actress in a Series, and a Screen Actor’s Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. She has also been nominated for a whole host of Emmys.
Ellen Pompeo wanted a part in a different ABC pilot
It is very hard to imagine life without the ever-present Meredith Grey on screens across the globe, but Ellen Pompeo very nearly wasn’t the star of Grey’s Anatomy.
Pompeo was originally going for a role in another ABC pilot, named Secret Service, but the show wasn’t chosen to continue. Show runners, impressed with her natural talent, asked her to audition for the role of Meredith instead. And thank goodness they did
Isaiah Washington auditioned for the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd
In a parallel universe somewhere, there are hosts of shows with different actors in different roles. One such universe may see Isaiah Washington in the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd. Yes, really.
Washington’s audition for the role was unsuccessful when one Patrick Dempsey and his ‘dreamy’ eyes came along.
However, when the actor initially cast as Dr. Preston Burke dropped out, Washington was called up. He has said of the process: “I knew I could never be wrong in my heart about something so good and genuine.”
Isaiah Washington auditioned for the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd
In a parallel universe somewhere, there are hosts of shows with different actors in different roles. One such universe may see Isaiah Washington in the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd. Yes, really.
Washington’s audition for the role was unsuccessful when one Patrick Dempsey and his ‘dreamy’ eyes came along.
However, when the actor initially cast as Dr. Preston Burke dropped out, Washington was called up. He has said of the process: “I knew I could never be wrong in my heart about something so good and genuine.”
Kate Walsh was a temporary hire
Kate Walsh, in the role of Dr. Addison Montgomery, was originally only added to the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as a temporary hire. Thanks to her sparkling personality and relationship with the rest of the cast, Walsh was made a permanent fixture and even went on to land her own spin-off from the show, in Private Practice.
Walsh has had a sterling career and has had roles in shows such as Homicide:Life on the Street, Law and Order, The Drew Carey Show and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She joined Grey’s in 2005 as the estranged wife of McDreamy himself, Dr. Derek Shepherd.
In 2007, Walsh was named as one of a number of characters to go on to star in Private Practice, where she remained for six seasons. Since her Grey’s glory days, Walsh has had roles in the notable success stories of the television series of Fargo and 13 Reasons Why. She has also had a significant role as a mother in the hit film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Walsh made her directorial debut on Private Practice’s twentieth episode and said of the experience: “It’s terrifying. I’m telling you in case I chicken out. It makes me accountable
Katherine Heigl removed herself from Emmy consideration
In one of the more bizarre and unexpected events linked to Hollywood, Katherine Heigl removed herself from Emmy consideration in 2008. Yes, you heard it right, removed herself… In an attempt to apparently ‘preserve the integrity’ of the academy organization, Heigl claimed she was not given enough of a role to warrant her inclusion in the prestigious awards ceremony. She said after her disappearance from the nominations list was discovered: “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention.”
