August 2007 News Archive (Page 4)

All Kate Walsh needed was a little bit of patience.

She had an inkling that's what it would take for her strong, flawed character on Grey's Anatomy, Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, to click with the show's audience.

Her role as the estranged spouse of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), although initially intended to be short-term, took shape the longer she was on screen.

Initially Addison, a neo-natal surgeon, was hated by fans who saw her as standing between Meredith and McDreamy and true happiness.

But as Addison's story lines evolved, she became one of Grey's Anatomy's most beloved characters.

Not a bad effort.

"They started off writing her like the wicked witch from the east all in black coming in to clean up. And then they just gradually made her more and more human and took off the scales one by one," Kate Walsh said.

"They do this with everybody in the show. All the characters have a work persona and a personal persona. I think that's just very real, and that it is also very natural that some people would reveal theirs more than others, like the interns that are working 400 hours a week."

The public reaction to Addison has changed from anger over McDreamy to joy at seeing her in the arms of Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan (Eric Dane). The character is so popular, producers gave her a spin-off series.

Walsh left at the end of Season 3 to begin Private Practice, which viewers have already had a taste of in a previous episode of Grey's Anatomy.

The series is set in L.A. and also stars Taye Diggs and Tim Daly.

Continue Reading...

Technically, actor Isaiah Washington isn't Shonda Rhimes' problem anymore, and yet the hypocrisy over the controversial star continues, according to an opinion piece in Utah's Deseret News.

Washington's contract on Grey's Anatomy was not renewed; he has a deal at NBC that begins with a five-episode arc on the new Bionic Woman.

Shonda Rhimes, the creator/executive producer of Grey's Anatomy, and its forthcoming spinoff, Private Practice, is moving on.

But some of her own words are coming back to haunt her.

In the midst of the controversy over Isaiah Washington's slur - which, regardless of its true intentions, was widely understood as being aimed at gay castmate T.R. Knight - Shonda Rhimes kept her mouth shut. For the most part.

Except when she then tried to turn an incident of homophobia (or, at the very least, great political incorrectness and insensitivity) into an incident of racism aimed at Isaiah Washington.

Responding to rumors almost no one had heard until she refuted them, Rhimes came out swinging at reports that Washington would be dumped from his role as Dr. Preston Burke and replaced with former ER co-star Eriq LaSalle.

She called the rumors "not only ridiculous but offensive that we would consider replacing a member of our family."

"And also the (idea) that one black man was interchangeable with another seemed disturbing to me."

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It's time for another edition of our weekly Monday tradition - the Caption Contest, now in its 68th iteration. Let's get down to business!

We loved a lot of entries, such as those submitted by Kim and Kate Fan (the tie-in to Addison leaving for her own Private Practice in particular). But in the end, we opted for the simplicity of Graham Lunn's caption, as it seemed to sum up the nature of Alex Karev... at least the old Alex Karev.

Congrats! The winning entry appears below, under the image. Scroll down the page for the complete list of entries we received for this caption.

Good luck and thanks to all of you for playing and for making the Insider the #1 Grey's Anatomy fan site on the Internet. Visit us all year for all the news, videos, pictures, quotes and forum topics you can handle!

This week's Caption Contest image:

"Okay, let me try it out. If I tilt my head to the left, and look cute, does it make girls stare at me?"

We've come across some inside scoop on the new Grey's Anatomy interns who will be descending upon Seattle Grace in Season Four.

Of course, we all know about Lexie Grey, played by Chyler Leigh (pictured, who will be a regular cast member this season). But what about the other new interns besides Lexie?

One new intern, Claire, is played by Tymberlee Chanel, who is a relatively unknown newcomber to television, with the exception of two guest roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation this year and Numb3rs.

Graciella is played by Gloria Garayua. She comes to Grey's Anatomy following guest starring roles in Cold Case, the ill-received 3 Lbs., Strong Medicine, Joey, Six Feet Under and others.

Leo has had plenty of guest starring television roles as well, such as Dexter, That '70s Show, The X-Files and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. But the actor who plays him is also a relative newcomer to the scene.

Interestingly, these aren't the interns who appeared briefly in the final episode of  last season! Those interns were played by Ajay Vidure, Candice Afia, Artie O'Daly and Joseph Williamson. No word yet if they will be showing up this season as well.

Sources are also reporting that one of the interns is going to try and pull a Cristina / Meredith and hook up with one of their attendings. Intriguing!

Just in case you were looking for that memorable quote from last night's episode, or wondering what the heck that song you heard is called, the staff here at Grey's Anatomy Insider, as always, has you covered.

Follow the link to our official guide to "My Favorite Mistake," along with our list of memorable quotes from the episode, image gallery, and list of music played throughout.

You can also browse our complete song list to learn when each track was played - information we began compiling in Season 3.

Even George and Izzie couldn't believe what George and Izzie did!

As always, you can discuss the episode (and all things Grey's Anatomy) in our exclusive online forum. Join an existing thread or start your own!

Next Thursday, August 16, ABC will be re-airing "Time After Time" at 9 p.m. as we inch closer to the much-anticipated Season Four.

Echoing the sentiments of many, Ellen Pompeo says Hollywood socialites "who are rich and famous for nothing" are setting a bad example.

"I just think the media should take this country in a different direction," the 37-year-old Grey's Anatomy actress tells the new issue of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine, on newsstands August 15.

"We're so focused on the wrong things. We're teaching young girls that this is what they should be focusing on: rich and famous girls who are rich and famous for nothing."

In an thinly-veiled reference to coverage of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and their ilk, Pompeo says:

"What are we doing to this younger generation? It's not very responsible."

Pompeo, who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, calls the media "irresponsible" for speculating that she has an eating disorder.

"I worry about the girls who look up to me - I don't want them to think I starve myself or don't eat."

"I don't want them to think that to be like me, that's what they have to do," explains the actress, who is naturally slender.

Pompeo, a Boston-area native who is engaged to record producer Chris Ivery, says they haven't yet set a wedding date. The pair got engaged in November, having dating for three years.

"I swear we're going to get married at sometime," Ellen Pompeo says. "We're just trying to fit it all in. It won't be a big ceremony - we want one thing to ourselves!"
Does Ellen Pompeo see children in her future?

"I do," she says. "With the show, I just don't know if it's entirely fair to myself and to everybody else right now. We'll see what happens."

He is, without a doubt, at the peak of his career as the leading man of Grey's Anatomy, but TV heart-throb Patrick Dempsey is not immune from pondering his life beyond Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd.

In a mid-morning interview on the Los Angeles set of Grey's Anatomy, a relaxed Dempsey imagines the future, when he will have had enough of the demands of the medical drama and can live quietly with his wife and kids.

His feelings have been shaped in large part by his wife, Jillian, giving birth in February to twin boys, Sullivan and Darby. He also has a five-year-old daughter, Talula.

"It's (the arrival of twins) daunting and overwhelming. I think it's going to be really fun," Dempsey says. "Eventually, at the end of this run of Grey's, it will be nice to retreat to the country and raise them in an environment that is much better than Los Angeles."

"I love family. I think it's the one thing that keeps me sane in all the craziness of what's going on with this show."

Patrick Dempsey, who works up to 16 hours a day on Grey's Anatomy, says it's nearly impossible to find an escape from the hype generated by the global success of the show.

Though he credits Grey's Anatomy with resurrecting his career, he has found it a challenge dealing with intense media scrutiny, particularly about cast unrest on the show.

Continue Reading...

Fans of Mer/Der may have hit the jackpot with this latest piece of Grey's Anatomy gossip, courtesy of TV Guide's Michael Ausiello.

Responding to a reader question, in which a Mer/Der lover begs for positive news about her favorite Grey's Anatomy couple, the TV sleuth reports that they may have dodged a bullet regarding Ms. Lexie Grey.

Basically, he hears from sources that Lexie and Derek are not happening â€" at least not at the onset of Season Four. Word around Seattle Grace is that Lexie (Chyler Leigh) develops a new romantic interest... Alex Karev!

That should certainly make things awfully interesting when for Dr. Karev (Justin Chambers), as Jane Doe / Rebecca (Elizabeth Reaser) will also be returning to the scene around Episode 4.

Alex Karev and Lexie Grey? Stay tuned!

Can Grey's Anatomy off The Sopranos in the heated battle for Best Drama at the Emmys? According to The Envelope, the L.A. Times awards blog, the medical drama is way ahead in fan support. But it will likely be a fight to the finish.

Some believe Heroes might do it by tapping the same factors that boosted Lost to a recent victory under the new voting process. Both = hot ensemble shows with fantasy elements, huge ratings and major buzz.

But Grey's Anatomy really does best fit the pattern of Emmy champs. Voters love medical shows, yes (E.R. won best drama; Chicago Hope and St. Elsewhere won top acting kudos).

But medicine really isn't the key ingredient in a prescription for victory. This is: ensemble "workplace programs" that feel important, plus snob appeal.

Elitist voters will sometimes embrace lowly dees-and-dems cops if the shows have cache (NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues). Of course, attorneys get winning verdicts all the time (The Practice, L.A. Law). Cops and lawyers together, too (Law & Order). Snooty liberal politics (The West Wing) have a shot, as do upscale mafiosos (The Sopranos).

This year's nominee House is about medicine, but it may be too character specific. Programs largely focused on one role win acting trophies all the time (The Shield, Columbo, Medium), but seldom prevail in series races.

Boston Legal fits this formula, and would've had a good chance under the voting process in place before 2000, but can probably be discounted now.

Heroes fits the formula even though it's not, like Lost, in a "workplace," so to speak. However, it spotlights a team working together. That's what counts!

Grey's Anatomy fits the formula perfectly, of course, has other pluses. A stylish show about life and death feels all the more urgent because it's been in the headlines recently (thank you, Isaiah Washington).

And it can benefit from the Emmy phenom of delayed recognition.

On rare occasions, voters jump on the bandwagon right away (Lost, West Wing), but they usually make programs wait a year, two or three.

With Sopranos off the air and recent champs Lost and 24 out of this category, a good, logical case can be made for Grey's being the next winner of best drama - even after what many consider to be a sub-par Season 3.

Thanks to Kristen for sending along this addition to our new video section - it's a rather significant one, as videos go, and we can't believe we didn't have it in our collection of Grey's Anatomy videos before!

As many Grey's Anatomy and Katherine Heigl fans know, she met her fiance, Josh Kelley, on the set of the singer / songwriter's music video for "Only You." Here's Josh's video, featuring the attractive blonde who would go on to wear his engagement ring very soon after!

Cool song - and amazing that Katherine and Josh met on the set of this video and are now engaged! As always, if you find anything you think that should be in our growing video section, leave a comment or let us know using our Contact Us form! Thanks to your help, our Grey's Anatomy site gets more extensive all the time! Hope you enjoy!