We already brought you parts one and two of our list of 42 things you didn’t know about Grey’s Anatomy, and now we’re back with part three! Check out 10 more fascinating facts about Shonda Rhimes’ masterpiece that you probably didn’t know below. You might be surprised by what you learn!
Number Twenty: It Took Some Convincing for Producers to Believe the Musical Episode Was a Good Idea. In fact, Shonda Rhimes had to have Chandra Wilson, Sara Ramirez, and Kevin McKidd perform in front of ABC producers before they believed the Season 7 musical episode could work.
Number Nineteen: Cast Members Are Debriefed Before Every Fictional Medical Procedure. Before filming any of the cast performing a medical procedure, they are given loads of information about the procedure and how to perform it.
Number Eighteen: Capshaw Really Walked on One Leg to Prepare. When the character of Arizona lost a leg, Capshaw reportedly tied her own leg up and attached a prosthetic to appear as realistic as possible.
Number Seventeen: Producers Used Digital Mapping in the Musical Episode. In the notorious musical episode, when Callie sings to herself above her own injured body, producers used digital mapping to to put her face over her body double.
Number Sixteen: Jesse Williams Has Teaching Experience. Before Williams was cast as Dr. Jackson Avery, he was a teacher!
Number Fifteen: Meredith’s Childhood Home Is Real. The majority of Grey’s Anatomy is shot in Los Angeles; however, the character of Meredith’s childhood home is a real home located in Seattle.
Number Fourteen: They Use Real Cow Organs. It’s true! Real cow organs are used in place of human organs in the show.
Number Thirteen: Chyler Leigh Stayed Under Plane Wreckage for Nearly Two Days to Shoot. While filming the scenes where Lexie is killed in a plane crash, Leigh had to stay underneath the plane “wreckage” for almost two days while filming the scene.
Number Twelve: All of the Show’s Original Interns Had Surgery. Every single intern from the show’s first season ended up having surgery. Cristina had to have a tubal pregnancy, Meredith had an appendectomy, Izzie had cancer, Alex was shot, and George had to have emergency surgery after being hit by a bus.
Number Eleven: The Writer’s Change the Characters’ Names During Auditions. If you audition for a role in Grey’s Anatomy, you probably won’t know which part it’s for. The writers purposefully change all of the characters’ names to prevent leaks. Stay tuned for our fourth and final installment of this list, coming soon!