T.K. Knight, who played George in Grey’s Anatomy, responds to Meredith star Ellen Pompeo’s comment about the humiliating sex scene between their characters that takes place in season 2. This moment came after Meredith and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) split in light of Addison’s (Kate Walsh) surprise visit to Seattle. Meredith found herself in emotional turmoil after a complicated encounter with her father and decided to jump into bed with George when he confessed his love. However, the scene ended with Meredith bursting into tears.
In an interview with People, Knight shared his side of the story. Speaking about the “humiliating” scene, the actor revealed he and Pompeo were “both just really scared” for their characters and what would happen, witnessing them “heading down the dark road” by making a mistake that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Knight confirmed they had to film it twice, which was very unpleasant. Check out what he said below:
You can’t really find a more humiliating experience for both characters. We were both just really scared for what was going to happen. It’s like, what are our characters doing here? What are they doing? You can’t help but feel like this is not going to go well. How are [George and Meredith] going to survive this?
I remember it being such a humiliating [scene], and then we had to go through it again to re-tape it. And then that was also like reliving it again. I think it’s just natural that you want to look out for the character that you’re playing. They actually have a name for it, character advocacy. You see them heading down the dark road on a rainy night with no brakes and in a car, and you’re worried for them … Things couldn’t help but change after that. They do change after that.
Let’s face it, we all make huge mistakes in life. I think that’s the core of it — it’s recreating in these characters these terrible mistakes that we make in life, and we have to go on and we have to figure it out. And we are not always at our best, and we’re not always at our ideal. And I think that is something that’s a real, beautiful skill of Shonda’s and the writers, to create that thing where, where even the actors playing it are like, “No, we can’t do this.” But they are. They’re going to have this terrible, terrible sex that is going to that’s going to haunt them for the rest of their — well, George’s short life, unfortunately.
What T.K. Knight’s Comment Means For Grey’s Anatomy
George And Meredith’s Most Embarrassing Scene Also Made Them Relatable
Previously, Pompeo opened up about her experience filming the sex scene. She called it the “worst nightmare,” which she and Knight had to relive it again because “there was too much thrusting.” The Grey’s Anatomy star recalled it being “so uncomfortable and awkward” with both crying in real tears. Knight echoed his co-star’s sentiment about it being a difficult and awkward scene but denied remembering himself crying, though he admitted that Pompeo’s memory was probably “better than” his.
The characters in Grey’s Anatomy give each other various nicknames, and George O’Malley was their “007” – but what does that really mean?
Knight’s comment also highlights how the scene serves as a pivotal moment in George and Meredith’s relationship and its core message about making mistakes, which speaks the truth about human experience and explains why the Shonda Rhimes-created series resonated with viewers on a global level. In the series, Meredith made many mistakes, but it was through them that she learned to be a better person and surgeon.
Our Take On George And Meredith’s Humiliating Scene
It Was Necessary
George and Meredith’s sex scene is very uncomfortable for viewers to watch. Seeing the two friends making the worst mistake in their lives isn’t exactly a thrilling experience. The infamous sex scene is regarded as one of the most cringeworthy moments in Grey’s Anatomy by many viewers. However, audiences are not the only ones who are haunted by it. It seems that even though years have passed, both Knight and Pompeo still recall it being a nightmare, which says a lot about the scene’s impact.
The golden era of Grey’s Anatomy took place when the main characters were in their 20s, who were fresh out of medical school and on their way to becoming doctors while dealing with all the turmoil of being young. From Izzie’s risky plan to save Denny to Cristina Yang’s ill-fated relationship with Burke, mistakes were part of their journey of growing up. George and Meredith’s sex scene ruined their friendship and set them on different paths, but in a way, it was inevitable.
