Five Fast Facts About Alex Karev on Grey’s Anatomy

Along with Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey, and Richard Webber, Alex Karev is one of the only doctors on Grey’s Anatomy who has been around since the beginning. Though he started out as a cocky, arrogant doctor, Alex has transformed himself into an excellent surgeon who truly cares about his patients and friends.

Despite his tough upbringing and his violent tendencies, there’s goodness in Alex (Justin Chambers)! Here are five fast facts about him.

Tough Upbringing
There’s no doubt Alex Karev had a difficult childhood. His father was a drug addict and his mother was schizophrenic, so he was ultimately in charge of taking care of his siblings. They were put into a number of different foster homes over the years, but he worked hard enough to get himself into college.

Jock and a Brainiac
Alex decided to attend the University of Iowa, since he’s from Iowa, and he was also on the wrestling team! He managed to make a life for himself as he strived to succeed.

A Change of Plans
When he started his residency at Grey Sloan Memorial (back when it was called Seattle Grace), Alex was determined to become a plastic surgeon. He was inspired by Mark Sloan, but he eventually realized it wasn’t the specialty for him. That’s when he discovered pediatrics and how good he is at it.

Assault Charges
Alex took his anger issues to the next level when he assaulted Andrew DeLuca after he thought he was sexually assaulting Jo Wilson. DeLuca was simply just helping Jo get into bed after a night of drinking, but Alex didn’t even ask. DeLuca was beaten to a pulp and Alex faced assault charges. Eventually, DeLuca decided to drop the charges.

Self Control
Jo opened up to Alex about her abusive ex-husband a few seasons after they started dating, and Alex was determined to find him and confront him. Alex did eventually find Paul, the ex-husband, but he didn’t hurt him. Progress!