Archive for June, 2007

Isaiah Washington Speaks His Mind, Laments His Firing to Newsweek

It’s a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles, and Isaiah Washington is on the set of the independent film The Least of These, Newsweek reports.

Isaiah Washington plays a priest in the movie, and he’s dressed in full-on black on black with a sliver of white at his collar.

He greets his guests with a gentle smile and an extended hand. Sitting in his small trailer filled with the scent of myrrh incense, he seems at peace.

Washington, IsaiahUntil he starts talking.

Isaiah Washington can’t stop himself from doing what he’s been doing a lot lately: explaining away a situation that already cost him a beloved job - and could ultimately cost him much more.

Last fall, Washington, by his own admission, picked a fight with Patrick Dempsey, one his co-stars on the ABC hospital drama Grey’s Anatomy.

Fighting with a co-worker is never smart, but Washington took it further by using an offensive term to refer to a gay cast member, T.R. Knight, during the altercation.

“Patrick and I had a philosophical disagreement that got out of hand and that I regret a great deal,” Isaiah Washington says.

“I said a lot of negative things that were never reported, but there was one word that caught everyone’s attention, particularly someone who wasn’t even in the room with us. It was a fight between two men that shouldn’t have happened. But someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me. I see that now, but I didn’t then.”

But that’s not the end of the tale.

When the cast was celebrating at the Golden Globes in January, a reporter asked about the altercation, and about Washington’s anti-gay comment. Washington took the mic to defend himself — and used the slur again. Once may have been a slip of the tongue, but twice? The public got angry.

Earlier this month, ABC did not offer Washington a new contract for the show’s fourth season, which begins filming this summer.

Washington has expressed bitterness about the situation, especially since he did everything the network asked to atone for his mistakes.

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Isaiah Washington to Appear on Larry King; Gives Revealing Interview to Gay Blogger

Isaiah Washington Strikes BackThat’s right, even more news about Isaiah Washington.

It’s not that we wish to continue discussing the firing of Isaiah Washington ad nauseam. But new developments continue to arise, and the drama seems to be becoming stranger by the day.

That said, what we try to do is present all the facts we come across, as they are presented to us, and let readers decide for themselves.

Michael Ausiello from TV Guide reports that the former Grey’s Anatomy star will sit down for a discussion with Larry King on CNN’s Larry King Live on Monday, July 2.

This will be the actor’s first TV interview since being fired. In an attempt to tell his side of the story, expect the interview to cover the incidents with T.R. Knight and Patrick Dempsey, the Golden Globes, the PSA, his firing, a potential law suit against ABC, and the media frenzy.

Isaiah Washington now claims that Patrick Dempsey agrees with the fact that T.R. Knight should have been fired. In a recent interview with gay rights activist/BET host Keith Boykin, the actor said:

“I know Patrick Dempsey has supported me by stating that if there is anyone that needs to be fired, it is T.R. Knight, because he has created such a negative environment on the set.”

Follow this link to read Boykin’s interview with Washington. Then come back and tell us what you think about his remarks.

Katherine Heigl Sets Wedding Date

Katherine Heigl and her fiancé, musician Josh Kelley, have set an official wedding date, making official Katherine’s desire for a holiday wedding.

The Grey’s Anatomy star will exchange vows on Sunday, December 23, two days before Christmas. Part of the reason for choosing this date comes was the fact that Katherine will be on a break from filming Grey’s Anatomy.

But mostly, Katherine Heigl has expressed a desire to have her wedding at a time when people are already feeling festive and happy.

Josh Kelley and Katherine Heigl

Katherine is the first of three engaged Grey’s Anatomy actresses - Ellen Pompeo and Kate Walsh are the others - to set a wedding date.

Congratulations again to Katherine and Josh. We’ll save the date, we can promise you that - no need to send us a card or reminder.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Single Again

Mary-Louise Parker and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the co-stars of Weeds, have called it quits, months after reports that the couple was on shaky ground.

“We’re not together anymore,” Morgan told People at Monday’s Kabluey premiere at the L.A. Film Festival in Westwood. “Everything’s fine, but it just didn’t work out. Wrong time in both our lives.”

Morgan, 41, who won the hearts of millions of fans as Denny Duquette on Grey’s Anatomy, portrays the husband of Parker the Showtime series.

Parker has won widespread acclaim as Nancy Botwin, a housewife who starts selling drugs after Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character (Judah) dies.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan: SingleMary-Louise Parker

In his personal life, Morgan, who at one point was rumored to be dating Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice star Kate Walsh, says he has moved on, though he has not found a new girlfriend yet.

“I am a single guy,” he says. “I look for somebody with a sense of humor, someone that laughs at my bad jokes, and wants to have fun in life. That’s kind of the key.”

On Grey’s Anatomy, Morgan was one of the major focal points of Season 2 as the ailing heart patient who eventually fell in love with, and became engaged to, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl). Denny later returned in Season 3 - in the afterlife - as Meredith nearly drowned.

Morgan and Parker were first seen together at a party in New York last December. On March 22 they attended opening night of the Broadway musical Curtains as a couple along with Parker’s 3-year-old son (with her ex, Billy Crudup), William.

Even though Morgan and Parker are no longer dating, he may still appear opposite Parker on Weeds in more flashback scenes.

“That could always pop up, you never know,” JDM says. “We’ll see.”

Grey’s Anatomy Caption Contest LXI

This edition of the Insider’s entertaining and challenging Monday Caption Contest, the 61st, proved controversial and entertaining.

We enjoyed the captions by greysanatomystuff, hot4dempsey, katie, tets, Kim, Dr. McAwesome and AntiLexieClub (great name). But with a need to choose but one winner, we picked Lolly. This three-word caption seems to encompass the mood of our respondents, and made us laugh, too.

Congratulations! The winning reply appears beneath the image. Scroll down for the full list of captions we received regarding the photo.

As always, thank you for making us the top Grey’s Anatomy site on the web. No more Lexie Grey caption contests this summer, we promise. We are grateful for your visits, and wish you the best of luck this week!

This week’s Caption Contest image:

Derek & Lexie Grey

A Prostitute?! Really?!

Sara Ramirez in “Got Milk?” Campaign

Actress Sara Ramirez, a.k.a. Callie Torres, a.k.a. Dr. Calliope Iphegenia Torres O’Malley, joined an exclusive club in being added to the talented cast of Grey’s Anatomy during Season 2.

Now she’s the latest celebrity to sport the infamous milk mustache. See below. The Sara Ramirez “Got Milk?” ad reads:

In show business your figure, well, shows. That’s why I drink milk. Studies suggest the nutrients in milk can play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight. Staying active, eating right, and drinking 24 ounces of lowfat or fat free milk a day helps you look your best. Bravo.”

Sara Ramirez: Got Milk?

Great anatomy, indeed. For more information, visit thinkaboutyourdrink.com. For a cast member who doesn’t get a lot of credit or attention, relative to her fellow stars, Sara Ramirez has always been terrific in our minds. We hope to see more of her in the up coming years!

Grey’s Anatomy Quotes, Pictures, Music & More From Last Night’s Repeats

In case anyone is looking for quotes, pictures and episode guides from the double dose of Grey’s Anatomy Season 3 reruns aired last night, we’ve got them for you right here at Grey’s Anatomy Insider.

For “Sometimes a Fantasy,” (original air date October 5, 2006), which featured a guest appearance by Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine fame, you can read our exclusive episode recap as well as take a look at our list of memorable quotes, image gallery, guide to the music selections, and even a funny video clip.

For “What I Am” (first aired October 12, 2006), follow the links to our full recap, list of quotes, gallery of images from the episode and list of music.

Abigal Breslin and Justin Chambers

As always, you can discuss these episodes and all things Grey’s Anatomy in our forum. Summer is long, but Season 4 begins filming next month!

Grey’s Anatomy vs. Gray’s Anatomy

Here’s a funny tidbit from today’s Wall Street Journal that relates to the show we know and love - about a new “sport” on the Internet: coming up with the best examples of how Wikipedia is skewed towards popular culture.

For instance, the West Wing of the White House merits a 1,100-word entry on Wikipedia - an online encyclopedia anyone can edit - while The West Wing, the seven-season TV smash, has an 6,800-word write-up.

Check out a few examples cited by the Wall Street Journal in the graphic below… including a picture of Ellen Pompeo and the annihilation of Gray’s Anatomy, the medical text, by ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s vs. Gray’s

Determined Isaiah Washington Says That ABC “Fired the Wrong Guy”

Isaiah and T.R.“They fired the wrong guy,” Isaiah Washington said today.

The former Dr. Preston Burke on ABC’s hit series Grey’s Anatomy told the Houston Chronicle that T.R. Knight should have been fired from the show.

Isaiah Washington was not offered a contract and thus let go from the show on June 7, a month before filming for the new season was to begin.

The actor has been slammed with negative publicity since October. That’s when he allegedly used an anti-gay slur in reference to T.R. Knight in an on-set argument with co-star Patrick Dempsey.

The Houston native’s interviews with the media since have been few.

“I have to clear my name,” Isaiah Washington told the Chronicle in a telephone interview from the set of his new movie, The Least of These.

“I’ll start from the beginning. I’m telling everything. So here’s the truth.”

Washington said T.R. Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley, stirred up the notion that the slur was targeted at him and created a negative work environment.

The embattled actor also alleged that T.R. Knight likely wanted a salary increase and a more substantive role for his character.

Knight, who acknowledged that he was gay after the incident, told Ellen DeGeneres in January that Washington used the slur against him and that “everyone (on the set) heard it.”

“That’s a lie,” Washington said. “I used the word during a disagreement with Patrick. I apologized for that. We shook hands and went back to work.”

Washington also said he is considering a lawsuit. “My livelihood, my honor and dignity and my name have been so challenged.”

He said his firing was a big disappointment.

“I was not fired for making homophobic slurs,” he said. “I did everything I said I would do. I offered to go to counseling, to do a PSA. I wanted everyone to know I was remorseful.”

Washington said he asked to be released from his contract last fall, then again in January when he repeated the slur at the Golden Globes.

His use of the word at the awards ceremony was taken out of context, he says, stating that he was responding to a question from a reporter over whether he had used the slur.

He said he regrets that his actions overshadowed Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes’ win for best TV series drama.

Washington first learned ABC would not renew his contract in a tearful, personal call from Shonda Rhimes.

“That was a shock,” he said. “I did everything they told me to do, including not saying anything. Then they didn’t renew my contract. It’s not fair.”

ABC executives declined to comment. The 43-year-old Washington said this was the first negative incident in his 20 years in Hollywood.

He said he made three errors in judgment: “Believing that the cast of Grey’s Anatomy were like family; believing I had the freedom to express myself with family and that we could resolve our issues; and trusting ABC was going to take care of me. I’m not angry. I’m disappointed.”

Blisters, Champagne Unite Ellen Pompeo, Chris Ivery With New Friends

Ellen Pompeo PhotoAccording to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Ellen Pompeo and a new friend clicked hit it off over champagne and blisters in Paris, as their guys looked on.

The Grey’s Anatomy star was in Europe promoting the ABC show with her then-boyfriend, now-fiancé Chris Ivery; Kim McNair and Tim Lawless were there to celebrate a wedding anniversary and play backgammon.

The Minneapolis “Ims,” as Kim and Tim are known by friends in Europe, were waiting for their Yachts de Paris dinner ride on the Seine to begin when she said to Tim:

“I love this city. Everywhere you go, they offer you champagne. Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery come on and I look at my husband and say, ‘Is it?’ and he goes ‘Yeah, for sure.’ She is sitting maybe 2 feet away from us.”

“And she leans over with her champagne glass and clicks my glass and goes Don’t you just love the city? They always offer you champagne.”

It turns out that she and Pompeo clicked - so well, in fact, that their two tables for two were combined into one table for four.

“The ship was very formal and Ellen was in formal wear, but she had flats, flip-flops on,” Kim said.

The TV doctor, whose co-stars include another Minnesotan, T.R. Knight, started complaining about blisters.

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