We already brought you part one of our list of 42 things you didn’t know about Grey’s Anatomy, and now we’re back with part two! Check out 10 more fascinating facts about the television show that you probably didn’t know below. You might be surprised by what you learn!
Number Thirty: Patrick Dempsey Was Afraid of Shonda Rhimes. It’s true! Dempsey was afraid of Rhimes when he first auditioned because of her staunch poker face.
Number Twenty-Nine: They Hid Pompeo’s Pregnancy With a Liver Transplant. Ellen Pompeo became pregnant in the sixth season of the show. Rather than making Pompeo’s character pregnant, they decided to have her undergo liver surgery that required her to hide the majority of her body under a sheet.
Number Twenty-Eight: Isaiah Washington Wasn’t the First Choice. In fact, the actor who won the role of Dr. Preston Burke dropped out. It was then that Washington was asked to play the role.
Number Twenty-Seven: There’s a Reason They All Started Out as Interns. Rhimes wanted the characters of Meredith, Alex, Cristina, George, and Izzie to begin as interns because, according to her, “there’s something really horrible about not knowing what you’re doing for a living.”
Number Twenty-Six: All of Alex’s Pilot Scenes Were Digitally Inserted. The role of Alex Karev wasn’t added to the show until after the first episode was shot. In order to include his lines in the pilot, producers had to digitally implant him into the episode.
Number Twenty-Five: James Pickens Jr. Had an Amazing Audition. So amazing, in fact, that he was offered the role of Dr. Richard Webber just minutes after his audition.
Number Twenty-Four: Sandra Oh Came Up With the Idea for Cristina’s Breakdown. The breakdown eventually led to Rhimes writing the scene where Cristina can’t stop crying after she loses her baby.
Number Twenty-Three: Isaiah Washington Was Almost Derek Shepherd. Though he makes an excellent Dr. Burke, Washington originally auditioned for the role of Derek Shepherd.
Number Twenty-Two: Washington Did His Research. Before the episodes that involved Dr. Burke performing surgery, Washington would look up exactly how doctors perform the actual surgery.
Number Twenty-One: Every Medical Storyline Has a Real Beginning. Every single medical storyline for the show originates from articles in medical journals that the writers, actors, or fans find and send in. Stay tuned for parts three and four of our list of 42 things you didn’t know about Grey’s Anatomy, coming soon!