Grey’s Anatomy is one of the most popular shows currently on television. The medical drama created by Shonda Rhimes has aired 12 successful seasons and has a cult following. However, despite its continued presence in the spotlight, there are still some things about the series that many people don’t know. Here, we present our list of 42 things you didn’t know about Grey’s Anatomy. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for parts two through four, coming soon!
Number Forty-Two: There Were Almost Some Complications. Before a title had been settled upon, the show was going to be called Complications instead of Grey’s Anatomy.
Number Forty-One: Sandra Oh Could Have Been Bailey. Oh auditioned for the role of Bailey; however, when she discovered the character of Cristina Yang, she fell in love and changed her mind.
Number Forty: It Was Almost Set in Chicago. It’s true! Show creator Shonda Rhimes is from Chicago, and she almost set it in her hometown. However, she was afraid it would be too similar to another popular medical drama – E.R.
Number Thirty-Nine: Chyler Leigh Dropped Out of High School. Leigh plays the role of Lexie Grey, a Harvard Medical School graduate. However, in reality, Leigh dropped out of high school.
Number Thirty-Eight: Arizona Was Only Meant for Three Episodes. The character of Arizona Robbins was originally only going to be in three episodes of the show. Thankfully, things changed.
Number Thirty-Seven: Rhimes Loves Surgical Shows. Rhimes developed her original idea for Grey’s Anatomy after watching a lot of surgical shows on the Discovery Channel, and she really began to develop the idea behind the show after a doctor confessed to her the difficulties of shaving your legs in a hospital shower.
Number Thirty-Six: Kate Walsh Was Only Hired for a Few Episodes. However, Walsh did such a great job that she stayed on, and she was eventually given her own show!
Number Thirty-Five: Ellen Pompeo Was a Happy Accident. Pompeo had auditioned for a different ABC pilot that didn’t end up being chosen. When she heard the news, she asked if she could audition for Grey’s instead.
Number Thirty-Four: The Only Role That Had a Character Description Was Miranda Bailey. And the character description was “tiny blonde with curls.” It’s probably a good thing the other roles lacked character descriptions, because Chandra Wilson is neither of those things.
Number Thirty-Three: Katherine Heigl Loves Baking and Knitting IRL. Just like her character, Izzie, Heigl enjoys knitting and baking in her spare time.
Number Thirty-Two: There Was Some Confusion About Derek’s Marriage. Pompeo had no idea the character of Derek Shepherd was married until they were filming the season one finale. Patrick Dempsey didn’t even know his character was married until halfway through the first season!
Number Thirty-One: Jessica Capshaw Auditioned for Three Different Roles. Capshaw, who plays Arizona, auditioned for the roles of Derek’s love interest (Nurse Rose), Meredith’s crazy friend (Sadie), and finally, Arizona Robbins. Stay tuned for part two of our list, coming soon!