In addition to the emotional stories on screen, Grey’s Anatomy is also famous for its behind-the-scenes drama, conflicts between actors and sudden decisions that surprise fans. Let’s explore the most interesting behind-the-scenes secrets of this movie!
1. Controversial Departures of Actors
Despite being one of the longest-running TV series, many main actors have left Grey’s Anatomy in surprising ways.
Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke) – Fired for Insulting Colleagues
Isaiah Washington was fired after making racist comments towards co-star T.R. Knight (George O’Malley) behind the scenes.
This drama shocked Hollywood, forcing Shonda Rhimes to quickly remove the character Burke from the script.
Isaiah later had the opportunity to return in season 10 but only appeared briefly.
Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens) – Self-Destroying Her Career?
Heigl won an Emmy for her role as Izzie but later turned down the nomination because she thought the script wasn’t good enough. This made Shonda Rhimes extremely angry.
The actress also repeatedly complained about the long filming schedule and publicly criticized the production team.
The result? Shonda Rhimes wrote a script to kill off the character of Izzie without a satisfying ending.
Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd) – “McDreamy” Is Not Perfect
Dempsey was one of the most beloved characters, but had conflicts with Shonda Rhimes and some of his co-stars.
Rumors said he was unprofessional and was brutally kicked off the show by Shonda.
Derek Shepherd’s death remains one of the most shocking moments on Grey’s Anatomy.
2. Conflicts Between Cast Members
Behind the scenes of Grey’s Anatomy is not as peaceful as what the audience sees on screen.
Shonda Rhimes – “Iron Fist” of Grey’s Anatomy
Shonda Rhimes is the creator of the show, but she is also famous for not forgiving anyone who opposes her.
She once declared: “No one is irreplaceable.”
Actors who had conflicts with Shonda such as Isaiah Washington, Katherine Heigl or Patrick Dempsey were all eliminated without mercy.
Ellen Pompeo & Patrick Dempsey – The Cold Relationship
Although they played the legendary couple, in real life, Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey were not close.
Ellen once revealed that she was not sad when Dempsey left because he created a lot of tension in the crew.
3. The Most Difficult Scenes & Behind-the-scenes Secrets
Is the Surgery Scene Real?
The production team used real animal organs in the surgical scenes to add authenticity.
The actors were also trained to perform some basic medical procedures.
Challenging Sex Scenes
Ellen Pompeo once revealed that she had to reshoot a sex scene because of “too much thrusting” from her co-star.
Intimate scenes are always coordinated by experts to ensure the comfort of the actors.
Emotional Scenes That Make Actors Break Down
Sarah Drew (April Kepner) said that the scene of losing her child in season 11 was the most difficult scene she had ever done.
Ellen Pompeo had to take a break from filming after Derek’s death because she couldn’t contain her emotions.
4. Drama & Surprises Behind the Scenes
Shonda Rhimes once considered ending Grey’s Anatomy after season 8, but because of its huge success, ABC didn’t want to stop.
Ellen Pompeo negotiated a salary of $ 20 million / year, becoming the highest paid TV actress in Hollywood.
The film was originally going to be titled Surgeons, but was eventually inspired by the book Gray’s Anatomy.
A Dramatic Behind the Scenes:
Although on screen it is an emotional film about love, friendship and sacrifice, behind the scenes Grey’s Anatomy is a series of tense dramas, controversial breakups and secrets that not everyone knows. Perhaps these are the things that have contributed to the film’s strong appeal over the past 20 years.
