List of Grey's Anatomy cast members

For more detailed character information, see List of characters from Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is an American primetime medical drama which debuted on ABC on March 27, 2005. The series revolves around Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, and her friends and mentors at Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. The show's producers used a "blind-casting" technique, resulting in a racially diverse cast. All roles for Grey's Anatomy are cast without the characters' races being pre-specified, in keeping with creator Shonda Rhimes's vision of diversity.^[1] A total of 19 actors have received star billing in the show: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Isaiah Washington, Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Brooke Smith, Kevin McKidd, Jessica Capshaw, Kim Raver, Jesse Williams, and Sarah Drew.

Casting

When casting Grey's Anatomy, series creator Shonda Rhimes hoped to assemble a racially diverse cast, and so created characters without pre-specified races.^[1] Determined not to have a show in which "all the extras are white, except the lone janitor", she created what the New York Times have called "one of the most colorful backgrounds in television".^[1] Of the principal cast James Pickens, Jr., Isaiah Washington and Chandra Wilson are African American, Sandra Oh is a Canadian-born Korean, and Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers and T.R. Knight are Caucasian.^[2] Rhimes used a "blind-casting" technique, which resulted in several roles going to actors of different racial backgrounds than first envisioned. Washington, eventually cast as Preston Burke, was originally considered for the role of Derek Shepherd, while Burke was initially to be played by a white actor who dropped out at the last moment.^[1] Wilson was cast in the role of Miranda Bailey, who Rhimes had imagined as a blonde until auditioning Wilson.^[1] Episodic guest roles are similarly multicultural, though Rhimes has ruled that black actors cannot be cast as drug dealers or pimps.^[1] As president of ABC Entertainment, Stephen McPherson, attributed some of the show's success to the fact it represents the "diverse canvas" of modern America.^[1]

Cast

Awards

References

External links

• Full cast and crew of Grey's Anatomy at the Internet Movie Database
• Full cast and crew of Grey's Anatomy at TV.com