| Miranda Bailey | |
|---|---|
| Grey's Anatomy character | |
The Season 6 Promotional Photo of Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey |
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| First appearance | "A Hard Day's Night" 1x01, March 27, 2005 |
| Created by | Shonda Rhimes |
| Portrayed by | Chandra Wilson |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Nazi Dr. B |
| Occupation | Attending General Surgeon |
| Title | M.D. |
| Family | William Bailey (father) |
| Spouse(s) | Tucker Jones (divorced) |
| Significant other(s) | Ben Warren (ex-boyfriend) Eli Lloyd (ex-boyfriend) |
| Children | William George "Tuck" Bailey (son, with Tucker) |
Dr. Miranda Bailey is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy.[1] The character is portrayed by actress Chandra Wilson, who won a 2007 Screen Actor's Guild Award for the role. Chandra Wilson was also nominated for a supporting actress in a drama series at the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 Emmy Awards for this role.
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Miranda Bailey, a graduate of Wellesley College, is currently an attending general surgeon at Seattle Grace - Mercy West Hospital. Previous positions include Chief Resident and also the resident in charge of the five new surgical interns (three of whom are now fifth-year surgical residents). Her colleagues refer to her as "The Nazi" because of her tough personality and blunt attitude. Although often harsh with her interns, she has been shown to provide both support and advice when they need it; some might say she practices "tough love." She married Tucker Jones circa 1995, but their marriage encountered difficulties in 2007, due to her commitments as both a parent to son "Tuck" and to her career as a surgeon.
In many episodes Miranda Bailey is referred to as "The Nazi" by most of the interns, because of the way she treats them. She has "Rules" which must be followed at all times. For instance, one of the rules is that you do not wake Dr. Bailey unless a patient is dying. If she gets there and the patient isn't dying, be prepared for some serious scut work. But underneath she is a compassionate person. Bailey stayed by Cristina during her pregnancy scare and her initial recovery. She cares about her patients and is a committed surgeon.
Her son, William George Bailey, was born during a bomb scare at Seattle Grace while her husband was in surgery with Dr. Derek Shepherd, having crashed his car on the way to the hospital (It's The End Of The World/As We Know It, a two-part episode). George O'Malley helped her through labor, and she thanked him by naming her son William George Bailey (although he is nicknamed "Tuck" for his father).
Through the rest of season 2 into season 3, Bailey was seen adjusting to becoming a parent and reconciling this with her desire to continue her career as a surgeon. Her professional confidence was shaken when Izzie Stevens cut Denny Duquette's LVAD wire and Denny subsequently died after his heart transplant; Bailey felt that she wasn't in control of her interns, and that the incident was ultimately her fault. She was criticized for the events at a Morbidity and Mortality conference in Oh, The Guilt, with one colleague questioning outright her competence at juggling career and motherhood. While her confidence has been somewhat restored since then, she still feels bad about not spending enough time with her son, once making a late-night call to sing "God Bless the Child" to him.
Disillusioned by how little she can help patients as a surgeon, Bailey decided to open a free clinic at Seattle Grace in the middle of season 3. She faced initial difficulties getting support from the attendings, but after talking with the Chief, managed to get their agreement to work there. The Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic has since opened, paid for using part of the $8.7 million bequeathed to Izzie by Denny Duquette, and Bailey is satisfied that the clinic will change people's lives for the better. She competed for the post of Chief Resident, but in the final episode of Season Three, she found out she lost to Callie Torres. Dr. Richard Webber indicated that she could become Chief of Surgery in a few years' time.
In season four, Miranda decided to be Callie's "number two," as Torres was lacking of competence as Chief Resident. The Chief saw Bailey pick up the slack, and delegate exceptionally well, and eventually realized that Miranda was covering for Callie. He terminated Torres from the position, and told Bailey that he made a mistake in not giving her the job in the first place. He also apologized for taking Dr. Bailey for granted. At this, Miranda broke down in tears and hugged the Chief. This is an example of the emotional baggage the "Nazi" carries, and shows one of her very rare emotional moments. During season four Miranda helped save the life of a white supremacist paramedic despite his racist treatment of her. When closing his stomach after the surgery, she comments to George that the incision will need to be aligned better, thus ruining the patient's large swastika tattoo on his stomach. During the surgery she declared that she "will not be called the Nazi ever again." Following severe injuries to her son in late season four and several arguments over the state of their marriage, Doctor Bailey and her husband separated because her husband believed that she placed her job at the hospital before her family and that it led to Tucker's injuries. In the finale, she realizes that if she wants to continue with her surgical career, she will not be able to remain in control of the clinic, and so hands over the reins to Izzie Stevens, telling her she has earned it.
In season 5, Christina confessed to Bailey and Alex Karev that Izzie had skin cancer, was refusing treatment and begged them to help. Bailey, like all the other residents and interns, was devastated to learn of this and set about helping Izzie recover. Bailey supported Izzie through her first surgery, while her friends failed to adequately do so, and through her cancer treatments. Throughout season 5, Dr. Bailey expressed discontentment with the General Surgery program and soon found herself drawn to Pediatric Surgery. Arizona Robbins, a Pediatric surgeon, eagerly encouraged Dr. Bailey to work in Pediatrics, having her work with her on a number of cases, many of which had the opposite effect than was intended and actively discouraged Bailey, as she grew attached to terminally ill children who later died. Chief Webber is unhappy with his mentee Dr. Bailey's decision to leave General Surgery, and discouraged her at every opportunity, giving her an uninspiring letter of recommendation and purchasing a surgical robot to lure her back to General Surgery. Dr. Robbins, however, vows to fight back and shows Dr. Bailey the positive side of Pediatrics, what Dr. Robbins calls "the joy" - when a child lives. This deeply moves Bailey, but she tells both the Chief (who has finally accepted Dr. Bailey's choice to move into Pediatrics) and Dr. Robbins that she cannot accept the fellowship in Pediatrics. Although both are shocked and do not understand why she would refuse such an opportunity, she later confides to the Chief that her husband has given her an ultimatum - either refuse the fellowship in Pediatrics or he will divorce her. Dr. Bailey decides that she will leave her husband herself, but as she will now be a single mother, she will be unable to make the commitment to Pediatrics Surgery and so will be remaining in the General Surgery program.
In Season 6, Bailey starts as an Attending in General Surgery. She has a relationship with Mercy West anesthesiologist Ben Warren during this season. In the season 6 finale, when facing the gun of Gary Clark, she lies and tells him that she is a nurse to save her life. She then attempts to save the life of Dr. Charles Percy with the help of her patient, Mary Portman. However, when the hospital is on lockdown, she can't get him to an OR due to non-functioning elevators. He dies in her arms telling her to tell Reed (who was killed) that he likes her, and that she (Bailey) was his favorite doctor. In the end, she is shown talking to a police officer asking for someone named Reed.
Dr. Bailey is shown immediately leaving Seattle with her son to go home to her parents', unable to tell Ben when she will be back. She later tells the trauma counselor that the day of the shooting was the worst day of her life. Bailey breaks up with Ben, stating that she cannot handle a relationship right now and that she is too busy trying to keep it together after the trauma that happened to her. Bailey tries to help Cristina Yang return to the OR, telling her that she is free to even observe and that no one will pressure her. The patient she was trapped with on the day of the shooting, Mary Portman, returns to the hospital to receive the surgery she was scheduled to have that day. Despite it being an extremely quick and minor procedure, Mary does not wake after anesthesia and subsequently dies after being taken off life-support. This is a great personal blow to Bailey, and is further devastated by the fact that Mary's autopsy is inconclusive. During this season she starts dating Eli Lloyd, a male nurse at Seattle Grace-Mercy West.
The character of Bailey was intended to be a blonde, white woman. However, Wilson's audition went so well that she was offered the part, and the character was rewritten. Sandra Oh was initially looking to audition for the part of Dr. Bailey.[2]
Shawna Malcom of the Los Angeles Times deemed Bailey and Sam her favorite pairing of the Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice crossover, praising: "The grief he gave her about becoming a pediatric surgeon … the grief she gave him for letting ex-wife Naomi go and wind up in the arms of Archer … the fist bump. I say again, the fist bump! Together, Chandra Wilson and Taye Diggs are hilarious and touching and all sorts of fabulous. Here’s hoping this isn’t the last we ever see of this unexpectedly dynamic duo."[3]
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