Grey’s Anatomy Creator Rejected Two Famous TV Stars For Key Roles

Former Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Tony Phelan reveals the two famous TV stars creator Shonda Rhimes rejected for key roles in the medical drama.

Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes rejected two notable television stars for key roles, sticking to her vision for the series. As one of the most enduring hits on broadcast television, in addition to bringing in huge streaming numbers, the success of the medical drama seems like it would have always been a safe bet. But as she was developing the Seattle-set hospital drama in the 2000s, Rhimes has mentioned how important it was to develop the main ensemble without specific actors in mind, though the approach received some pushback from executives.

In an interview with the Hollywood At Home With The Creative Coalition podcast to promote his miniseries A Small Light, writer and producer Tony Phelan also looked back on the early years of Grey’s Anatomy. Phelan, who eventually served as co-showrunner with his wife Joan Rater for eight seasons, shared that ABC executives wanted West Wing alum Rob Lowe to play Dr. Derek Shepherd and fellow West Wing actor Kristin Chenoweth for the role of Dr. Miranda Bailey, only for Rhimes to reject them to stay true to her original vision. See what Phelan explained below:

If you look at it, Grey’s, early on, it had so many people, so many cast members who were from the theater, as opposed to being known for previous work on television. Really, the only person who was a star in that cast was Patrick Dempsey. And it had been a while for him since he had been thought of that way. And so you know, Shonda will tell the story of how the network was pushing for—the actor’s name is eluding me now, but wanted a much more established star to play that character.

And they wanted Kristin Chenoweth to play Dr. Bailey, and it is a testament to Shonda that she was able to—Rob Lowe; that’s what it was. It’s a testament to Shonda that she was like, “No, no, it’s got to be these people”. She just assembled this great cast of people who could do comedy and drama. And easily toggle between the two.

Grey’s Was Better Off With A More Unknown Cast

It is common to hear in television, especially when casting for flagship dramas or sitcoms, that there will be some push to cast a familiar face. The thinking goes that familiarity will help, as far as the show’s advertising and in terms of building an audience. But the counterpoint to that is the reminder that some of the most beloved shows in recent memory, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to The X-Files to Friends, relied on varying degrees of lesser-known actors. Grey’s Anatomy is another example of this fact.

There are advantages to having a cast of relative unknowns, as it also allows them to imbue the role completely without having attachments to other characters, as Ellen Pompeo does with the titular Meredith Grey. She helped make the character into one of television’s most memorable doctors. The same is true for Chandra Wilson’s no-nonsense Dr. Bailey, who has become a guiding presence in the overall Grey’s franchise.

Casting more unknown actors also has a benefit in that audiences appreciate the opportunity to build relationships with actors and watch their careers evolve, which has happened to several members of the Grey’s Anatomy cast since the show’s 2005 premiere. It’s not to say that established actors can’t bring value, especially in terms of revealing different skill sets and shifting expectations. But everything from fan castings to network executive suggestions can overestimate that value over all else.

Source: Hollywood At Home With The Creative Coalition