Grey's Anatomy is an American television series created by Shonda Rhimes, and is broadcast by ABC. The show features an ensemble cast of regular characters, with nine main characters in its first season. Since the first season, many characters have left the show or have been written off it, with new main characters having been both written in and out of the series.
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The following is a list of all current and previous main characters who have featured in Grey's Anatomy. The characters are listed in alphabetical order.
Name | Actor/actress | Starring seasons | Recurring seasons | Occupation at Seattle Grace | Job Title | |
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Theodora 'Teddy' Altman | Kim Raver | 6,[1] 7, 8 | 6 | Attending Surgeon | Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery | |
Dr. Altman is the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Seattle Grace. She previously served in Iraq with Owen Hunt. Although a skilled surgeon, her teaching methods might appear somewhat unorthodox. Her arrival at Seattle Grace, followed by her profession of love to Owen has caused some friction between Owen and his girlfriend, Cristina Yang. | ||||||
Jackson Avery | Jesse Williams | 7[2], 8 | 6 | Surgical Resident | M.D. | |
A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital, he is also called "pretty boy," especially by Cristina Yang. He is a grandson of the famous surgeon, Dr. Harper Avery. He develops a crush on Cristina, and while inebriated he kisses her at a party, but Cristina breaks the kiss. In the 6th season finale, he is told by Dr. Shepherd that there is a lockdown in the hospital and is later left by Dr. Hunt and Dr. Altman in the OR with 2 nurses and 1 anesthesiologist. He is the one who decides that Yang should operate on Shepherd in order to save him. When Mr. Clark (the shooter) takes the OR hostage, he disconnects Shepherd in order to make everyone believe that he is dead until Mr. Clark leaves the room. It is also revealed later in season 7 that Avery suffers from traumatic nightmares. | ||||||
Miranda Bailey | Chandra Wilson | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | - | Attending Surgeon | M.D. | |
An attending general surgeon at Seattle Grace hospital, Miranda Bailey initially gave a cold, domineering impression, earning her the nickname "The Nazi". However her attitude has since softened and she has developed a maternal role towards the residents in the hospital. She has recently undergone a divorce which led her to turn down a fellowship in pediatric surgery. | ||||||
Preston Burke | Isaiah Washington | 1, 2, 3 | - | Former Attending Surgeon | M.D. | |
Preston Burke was the Former Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He began a romantic relationship with Cristina Yang, which came under strain when Burke was shot and his right hand's nerve supply was disrupted. With his career threatened he had Yang perform some of his surgeries, a situation which resolved when Derek Shepherd repaired Burke's nerve supply. Burke and Yang continued their relationship which ultimately ended on their wedding day, when he left her at the altar. Burke graduated at the top of his class from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. | ||||||
Alexandra 'Lexie' Grey | Chyler Leigh | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | 3 | Surgical Resident | M.D. | |
Resident and half-sister of Meredith Grey, Lexie, was in relationships with Mark, Alex, and Jackson. Known for her photographic memory, she has earned the nickname Lexipedia. Initially she had a distant, contentious relationship with Meredith, but they have since grown closer. She is often called "Little Grey" by other doctors on staff. | ||||||
Meredith Grey | Ellen Pompeo | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | - | Surgical Resident | M.D. | |
Resident Meredith Grey is the central protagonist of the show, and narrator of the majority of episodes. She began the series as an intern and has since progressed along her career path. Her character is defined by her romantic relationships as well as the lingering effects her mother's affair with Richard Webber has had on her life. She is best friends with Cristina Yang and following a long romance, she has married neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd. | ||||||
Erica Hahn | Brooke Smith | 4, 5 | 2, 3 | Former Attending Surgeon | M.D. | |
Following Preston Burke's departure, Erica Hahn took his position as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Seattle Grace. Her brusque, somewhat harsh personality was tempered by Callie Torres, with whom she began a relationship. Her time at Seattle Grace ended abruptly, however, when she became discontent with Izzie Stevens, and the lack of disciplinary action following the Denny Duquette incident. Dr. Hahn attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she was in the same class as Dr. Burke. | ||||||
Owen Hunt | Kevin McKidd | 5, 6, 7, 8 | 5 | Attending Surgeon | Chief of Surgery | |
Owen Hunt, Chief of Trauma Surgery, is the husband of Cristina Yang. Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he has struggled with the horrors he experienced whilst serving with the army in Iraq. He invited former colleague Teddy Altman to work alongside him at Seattle Grace, a decision which caused some friction between himself and Cristina. In the season 7 premiere he marries Cristina. Later, he is also offered the position by Richard Webber to choose the next chief resident at Seattle Grace. He was later promoted to Chief of Surgery after Webber resigned. | ||||||
Alex Karev | Justin Chambers | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | - | Surgical Resident | M.D. | |
Hard-headed and often discourteous Resident, Alex Karev has had a series of unfortunate relationships throughout his life beginning with his mother. At an early age he had to become her defender from an abusive father and later her caretaker. While working as a doctor he was involved with a patient, Ava, but her mental instability strained their relationship and Alex once again adopted a caretaker role before Ava's admission to a psychiatric hospital. Subsequently he embarked on a relationship with Izzie Stevens and they wed, however Izzie asked for a divorce following her dismissal from Seattle Grace. | ||||||
April Kepner | Sarah Drew | 7[3], 8 | 6 | Surgical Resident | Chief Resident | |
A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital, she was fired in Episode 6.06 by Chief Webber, but later rehired by Dr. Shepherd in Episode 6.13 due to his believing her dismissal was unfair. Later it is revealed that she has a crush on Dr. Shepherd in Episode 6.19. In the season six finale, she informs him that her best friend Dr. Reed Adamson has been shot and killed. She later runs into Mr. Clark (the shooter) when Shepherd was shot. Clark lets her go when she emotionally tells him everything about her life. In the third episode of season 7, April reveals that she is a virgin. In the season 7 finale, April becomes Chief Resident. | ||||||
Addison Montgomery | Kate Walsh | 2, 3 | 1, 2 | Former Attending Surgeon | M.D. | |
Former Chief of OB/GYN and Neonatal Surgery, and the ex-wife of Derek Shepherd, Addison transferred to Seattle Grace, seeking reconciliation with Derek. After achieving a degree of understanding with Derek and realizing that he was in love with Meredith Grey, Addison left Seattle Grace. The character is now the protagonist of ABC series Private Practice and continues to make guest appearances on Grey's Anatomy. | ||||||
George O'Malley | T.R. Knight | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | - | Former Surgical Resident | M.D. | |
George O'Malley had a less aggressive personality compared with his fellow residents. He once had an infatuation with Meredith Grey which ended when they slept together, and halfway through Meredith began to cry, humiliating George. He also had a strong friendship with Izzie Stevens and later Lexie Grey. He was once married to Callie Torres, but their marriage came to an end when George slept with Izzie. George and Izzie tried a relationship but decided to remain as friends when they realized their relationship lacked chemistry. Inspired by Dr. Hunt's experiences, George decided to leave Seattle Grace and enlist in the Army. But on his way to tell his mother about joining the Army, tragically, George died when rescuing a girl from being hit by a bus, sacrificing himself instead. | ||||||
Arizona Robbins | Jessica Capshaw | 6, 7, 8 | 5 | Attending Surgeon | Chief of Pediatric Surgery | |
Arizona Robbins, pediatric surgery attending, has a cheery disposition but gets upset when challenging authority. She has embarked on a relationship with Callie Torres. She comes from a military family and graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She has been revealed to harbor great emotional intelligence; her insight and advice have been used to defuse several situations, such as Callie's dispute with her father. In season 7, she wins a prestigious award, and she and Callie plan to move to Malawi, Africa and work there. However, she breaks up with Callie and leaves her at the airport. They reconcile soon after, and ultimately get married. | ||||||
Derek Shepherd | Patrick Dempsey | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | - | Attending Surgeon | Chief of Neurosurgery | |
As Chief of Neurosurgery, Derek Shepherd earned the nickname McDreamy by the female staff of Seattle Grace. The lead male character, he is known for his complicated love-life. Initially he moved to Seattle from New York to get away from his adulterous ex-wife Addison Montgomery whom he discovered was having an affair with his best friend, Mark Sloan. He subsequently began a long romance with Meredith Grey which resulted in their marriage. Recently he had a somewhat antagonistic relationship with Richard Webber whom he believed wasn't governing the hospital appropriately. He took over as the Chief of Surgery after going to the hospital board about Chief Webber's drinking problem, but resigned after nearly dying from being shot. | ||||||
Mark Sloan | Eric Dane | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | 2, 3 | Attending Surgeon | Chief of Plastic Surgery | |
Mark Sloan, Chief of Plastic Surgery, has a playboy personality that nearly jeopardized his friendship with Derek by having an affair with his wife, Addison Montgomery. He knew both Derek and Addison Shepard from when all three lived in New York. Derek and Mark managed to resolve their issues and reaffirm their friendship. He has been given the nickname "McSteamy" by the female staff. Sloan had a relationship with Lexie Grey which ended due to strain when Mark's 18 year old daughter from a one night stand appeared at the hospital and subsequently moved in with them. The girl's mother had named her Sloan and never told Mark about her. She arrived in Seattle unannounced, and Mark found out she was pregnant. Mark wanted to keep the baby but Sloan decided to give it up for adoption. After that, Mark and Lexie retake their relationship, but it ends when Mark got Callie Torres pregnant, and Lexie started dating Jackson Avery. | ||||||
Isobel 'Izzie' Stevens | Katherine Heigl | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | - | Former Surgical Resident | M.D. | |
Growing up in a trailer park and putting her newborn daughter up for adoption at age 16, Izzie managed to progress along medical school by paying her bills through modeling. She put her career as doctor on the line in a risky bid to get her lover Denny Duquette a new heart by cutting his LVAD wires. Denny subsequently died but Izzie managed to keep her job. Izzie began a relationship with Alex Karev, but their relationship came under strain when she was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. She survived the condition following treatment with Interleukin-2 but after restarting work she accidentally induced hyperkalemia in a patient listed for renal transplant. Subsequently she lost her job, and has since disappeared from Seattle Grace. Originally, it was planned that character would have a proper closure to her relationship with Alex in season 7, but this did not happen. | ||||||
Calliope 'Callie' Torres | Sara Ramirez | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | 2 | Attending Surgeon | M.D. | |
Introduced as an orthopedic surgical resident, and then promoted to an attending, Callie was once married to George O'Malley, but divorced after he developed feelings for Izzie Stevens. Later, she had a lesbian affair with Erica Hahn which was cut short by Hahn's departure from Seattle Grace. She was in a happy relationship with Arizona Robbins but they broke up because Arizona did not want to have kids. At the end of the 6th season, however, after doing a surgery on a small girl while a shooter is loose in the hospital, Callie tells Arizona in a round about way that she loves her and the two end up getting back together and decide that they are going to have children. In season 7, while about to move to Africa with Arizona, Arizona breaks up with her and leaves her at the airport in Seattle. Callie ends up sleeping with Mark again and gets pregnant. Arizona returns for Callie and they get back together. Later on, Callie gets horribly injured in a car crash with Arizona. She delivers her baby at 23 weeks, which survives. Later Dr. Bailey marries Arizona and Callie. | ||||||
Richard Webber | James Pickens, Jr. | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | - | Attending Surgeon | M.D. | |
Authority figure and ex-Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace, Richard has had a difficult past characterized by affairs and alcoholism. His relationship with Meredith Grey is at times volatile because he had an affair with her mother. Recently Richard has struggled with managing the finances of Seattle Grace and has merged the hospital with Mercy West Hospital. The merger has caused him much stress, strained his relationship with Derek Shepherd and ultimately contributed to the collapse of his sobriety. He stepped down as Chief of Surgery in season 8. | ||||||
Cristina Yang | Sandra Oh | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | - | Surgical Resident | M.D., Ph.D. | |
Skilled Resident Cristina Yang has an indomitable passion for cardiothoracic surgery, and is almost ruthless in pursuit of her desired specialty. She is best friends with Meredith Grey, and has previously been in a relationship with Preston Burke, which ended suddenly when he left Cristina on their wedding day. Since then she has entered into a relationship with Owen Hunt, whom she marries in season 7. | ||||||
Name | Actor/Actress | Season(s) | Episode count | |
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Nurse Olivia Harper | Sarah Utterback | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 | 18 | |
A nurse at the hospital. She had relationships with George and Alex. Alex gave her syphilis which she then unknowingly gave to George after breaking up with Alex (which was part of a hospital-wide syphilis epidemic among the doctors and nurses). After that, Alex began a relationship with Izzie, who then found him cheating on her with Nurse Olivia. The female interns occasionally insultingly refer to her as "Syph Nurse." She was also in the club 'Nurses United Against Mark Sloan' which implies she has had sexual relations with him. During the merger, she is fired and Derek offers to give her a recommendation. | ||||
Nurse Tyler Christian | Moe Irvin | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 24 | |
Nurse Tyler is one of the members of the nursing staff at Seattle Grace. He attended the nurse strike in season 2. | ||||
Patricia | Robin Pearson Rose | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 12 | |
Patricia is Richard Weber's assistant/secretary and had previously worked as a nurse. | ||||
Dr. Sydney Heron | Kali Rocha | 2, 3, 4 | 8 | |
A fifth-year general surgery resident at Seattle Grace, known for her extremely perky personality. She initially appeared as Bailey's substitute when Bailey was on maternity leave and clashed with Cristina, who finds Sydney's positive attitude unbearable. She later served as Izzie's peer counselor and revealed that her perky persona actually originated from a nervous breakdown she suffered after losing a patient of her own. She was also in the running to become chief resident, but lost to Callie, who was later replaced by Bailey. Sydney also went on one date with Dr. Shepherd, but dumped him when she decided he wasn't ready for the kind of relationship she needs. | ||||
Dr. Katharine Wyatt | Amy Madigan | 4, 5, 6 | 18 | |
A psychiatrist at the hospital, she was Dr. Meredith Grey's and Dr. Erica Hahn's therapist. As of "Sweet Surrender", Dr. Owen Hunt has begun sessions with her. | ||||
Dr. Steve Mostow | Mark Saul | 4, 5, 6 | 37 | |
A surgical intern of Dr. Cristina Yang, who calls him "2". In "There's no 'I' in Team", Dr. Yang considered "giving" him to George O'Malley when he finally passed his medical exams. Later on, Steve allowed the other interns to practice an epidural anesthesia on him, and introduce a catheter onto his male organs; because of this he couldn't move for a while and thus was not present at Sadie's operation. Dr. Yang found him immobilized and thus found out about the operation. Steve was put on probation along with the other interns. Later in the season, Steve slept with fellow intern Pierce's girlfriend Megan, and she got pregnant. It's revealed in the 6th season that Steve and Megan got married, and concluding that he was the father. During the merger Megan is fired, but Steve keeps his job, although she's later hired back by Derek Shepherd. According to his blog[4], he has aspirations to go into neurosurgery as a specialty. | ||||
Dr. Graziella Guzman | Gloria Garayua | 4, 5, 6 | 17 | |
A surgical intern of Dr. Izzie Stevens, who considered giving her to George O'Malley because she charts like crap, but kept her because she can put in a line. Graciella is a nervous student, who eats a lot of chocolate when nervous. In the episode "In The Midnight Hour", she was the only one who quit the interns' operation on Sadie because she felt it was wrong; nevertheless, she was put on probation with the other interns. | ||||
Intern Pierce | Joseph Williamson | 4, 5, 6 | 23 | |
A surgical intern of Dr. Alex Karev, who considered to give him to George O'Malley just because he hates how his name sounds. Pierce has confronted Dr. Karev in at least one occasion, when he met his punishment along with the other interns in the episode "In The Midnight Hour" and commented that Dr. Stevens killed a man and was forgiven; Dr. Karev responded by physically attacking him. Later on the season, Pierce and Steve fought over Megan, Pierce's girlfriend who slept with Steve during a break up, and now she's pregnant without knowing who is the father to her baby. | ||||
Dr. Ryan Spalding | Brandon Scott | 5, 6 | 15 | |
A surgical intern of Dr. Cristina Yang, who considered giving him to George O'Malley, first appeared in "Life During Wartime" and was subsequently named "4.2". In the episode "In The Midnight Hour" Ryan was one of the surgical interns operating on Dr. Sadie Harris. He was left on his own in an OR, while the others went to get help. He was put on probation with the other interns, after Sadie nearly died in the operation. | ||||
Dr. Megan Mostow | Molly Kidder | 4, 5, 6 | 25 | |
nee Nowland. Resident and former intern of Dr. Meredith Grey's, who she considered giving to George O'Malley. She had a relationship with Intern Pierce which ended when she had an affair with Steve that resulted in a pregnancy. During the hospital merger The Chief fired her by e-mail. Later she decided to sue the hospital, believing her dismissal was related to her pregnancy. She was later rehired by Derek Shepherd, who believed she was fired unjustly and deserved a "fighting chance." | ||||
Intern Laura | Candice Afia | 4, 5, 6 | 25 | |
Former surgical intern under Dr. Alex Karev. Laura was rebuked by Izzie Stevens when she made fun of a patient with a facial deformity. | ||||
Dr. Raj Sen | Anjul Nigam | 1, 2, 4 | 7 | |
A psychiatric resident at Seattle Grace. He sometimes provides consults for the surgeons. | ||||
Dr. Virginia Dixon | Mary McDonnell | 5 | 3 | |
An exceptional cardiothoracic surgeon who has Asperger syndrome, and served as the interim Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery. | ||||
Dr. Swender | Kimberly Elise | 5 | 3 | |
A surgical oncology attending assigned to oversee Izzie Stevens' cancer treatment. She is said to be the best surgical oncologist in the state of Washington.[5] Swender is a proponent for IL-2-use as treatment for cancer; she reasons its success when a patient, initially given only three months to live, uses the therapy and survives an additional two years. The patient, however, succumbs to complications due to the inherent nature of the IL-2. This has shown to affect Swender's otherwise authoritarian and impartial persona, and casts doubt on this treatment-protocol.[6] | ||||
Dr. Margaret Campbell | Faye Dunaway | 5 | 1 | |
A general surgery attending and Seattle Grace's first female surgeon. With forty-years of surgical experience, she is considered a pioneer and one of the hospital's most respected surgeons; it is implied that, in that time, Richard Webber was taught by her as she recalls an incident involving a clamp dropped into an open body cavity, and has worked with Ellis Grey. More recently, Cristina Yang has been vocal about her objections and criticisms of Campbell's continued long-standing service. Due to a complication caused by a lacerated bowel during a routine cholecytectomy, Campbell shortly retires after performing her last surgery to repair the "careless mistake."[7] | ||||
Dr. Sadie Harris | Melissa George | 5 | 8 | |
An intern and former best friend of Meredith. She reveals self-harm tendencies and later quits Seattle Grace after her medical knowledge and expertise are called into question. | ||||
Dr. Colin Marlowe | Roger Rees | 3 | 3 | |
A professor at Stanford University and brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon (noted for pioneering a procedure called the Marlowe transplant), Colin Marlowe had a three-year relationship with Cristina Yang before she graduated and began her residency at Seattle Grace. He appeared months later as a candidate for Chief of Surgery, and ultimately withdrew as his true purpose to rekindle his relationship with Cristina failed. | ||||
Dr. Norman Shales | Edward Herrmann | 4 | 3 | |
An elderly surgical intern assigned to second year Dr. Alex Karev. Dr. Shales is a former pharmacist who because of his age is often mistaken by patients as the senior physician. He has since transferred into Psych. | ||||
Nurse Rose | Lauren Stamile | 4, 5 | 10 | |
A nurse at the hospital. She works often with Dr. Derek Shepherd. She has been the attending nurse on over 30 of Dr. Derek Shepherd's surgeries, as Rose stated in "Forever Young" (Season 4, Episode 8). Derek and Rose shared a kiss and were dating, much to Meredith's distress as she tried to get over him. Despite their seemingly happy relationship, Rose was soon bothered by comments made by hospital personnel about Meredith and Derek's breakup only being temporary which ended up being true when Derek and Meredith got back together for good. For example, Addison Montgomery sarcastically called Rose the "McRebound," unaware that Rose was in the room. Her prediction proved correct when in the season finale, "Freedom," Derek and Meredith make up and share a kiss. Derek abruptly leaves this kiss to break up with Rose, signaling the end of their relationship. Afterward, Rose was hostile towards Derek whenever she saw him but when she accidentally cut his hand during a surgery, she apologized and transferred to peds. | ||||
Dr. Finn Dandridge | Chris O'Donnell | 2, 3 | 9 | |
The former veterinarian of Meredith and Derek's dog, Doc. He was also the newest love interest for Meredith for some time before she broke up with him because she was still in love with Derek. His wife, Liz, died in a car accident. The interns have given him the nickname "McVet," in accordance with Derek Shepherd's nickname, McDreamy. He dated Meredith throughout the end of the second season, and the beginning of the third season. He competed with Derek Shepherd for Meredith's heart and ultimately lost to Derek because Meredith was still in love with him (Derek). Meredith realized that he may be the "best guy," but he wasn't "her guy." After she told him this, he replied by saying, "He'll break your heart again Meredith, and when he does, I won't be here" and walked out for the last time. | ||||
Dr. Ben Warren | Jason George | 6, 7 | 3 | |
Anesthesiologist from Mercy West Hospital and boyfriend of Dr. Bailey until she broke up with him because he went golfing the day of the shooting. | ||||
Dr. Reed Adamson | Nora Zehetner | 6 | 10 | |
Surgical resident, formerly at Mercy West Hospital. She was close friends with Dr. Charles Percy and Dr. April Kepner. She seemed to be attracted to Alex Karev, and she had a one night stand with Mark Sloan. She was shot in the head by Gary Clark in the season six finale. | ||||
Dr. Charles Percy | Robert Baker | 6 | 11 | |
Surgical resident, formerly at Mercy West Hospital. He was often referred to as "the big guy." He was in love with Dr. Reed Adamson. Percy was shot by Gary Clark in the season six finale, and despite Miranda Bailey's efforts, he died. | ||||
Dr. Robert Stark | Peter MacNicol | 7 | 7 | |
An incompetent pediatric surgery attending brought on as the interim Chief of Pediatric Surgery when Arizona Robbins gave her notice to oversee a pediatric surgery program in Malawi, Africa. Under contract for a year, Stark continues to serve as the department chief when Robbins returns. Described as a lazy doctor[8] and a complacent and self-satisfied attending, Stark represents the antithesis of attending surgeons commonly employed at Seattle Grace/Mercy West Hospital.[9] Stark has an antagonistic disposition with most of the hospital staff, especially Alex Karev. April Kepner is the only exception to his behavior, whom he later attempted to date with little success. | ||||
Dr. Lucy Fields | Rachael Taylor | 7 | 8 | |
An OB/GYN attending and maternal-fetal medicine fellow at Seattle Grace Mercy West. Self-proclaimed as being "damn good at her job," Fields attended Harvard Medical School and completed her OB/GYN residency at Duke University Medical Center.[10] Fields is also Callie Torres's obstetrician and shows that she is equal parts tough, ironic, and empathetic, especially when dealing with Torres and her support team: Mark Sloan and Arizona Robbins. It also seems that she has a slight crush on Alex Karev, and in Episode 18 they start to form a relationship. Also, Doctor Addison Montgomery comes back and is told that she is not up to key with dealing with traumatic pregnancy cases.(Ex: Callie being pregnant in a car accident).Alex Karev breaks off the relationship he had with her in the season 7 finale.[11] |
Meredith and Lexie's family
Derek's family
Cristina's family
Izzie's family
Dr. Webber's family
George's family
Alex Karev's family
Miranda Bailey's family
Mark Sloan's family
Teddy Altman's family
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