Grey's Anatomy's diverse casting makes creator Shonda Rhimes embarrassed for other TV shows. First airing in 2005, the medical drama is currently in the midst of its 18th season on ABC. The long-running show stars Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr., with many original cast members, including Sandra Oh, Isaiah Washington, Katherine Heigl, T. R. Knight, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, Brooke Smith, and Kate Walsh having left the show in prior seasons.
Not long after Grey's Anatomy first aired and quickly became popular, the show was praised for its diversity and representation. Women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ actors make up a large portion of the cast and frequently hold positions of power, putting it far and away above most other shows, especially in the mid-2000s when it was first released. Not only did the cast feature a diverse array of characters, but Grey's Anatomy was praised for the genuine and realistic way in which it depicted these characters and the socially-conscious storylines in which they were featured.
In a new interview with Variety, Rhimes reveals that the praise Grey's Anatomy gets for its diversity is bittersweet because it because means other shows were and are still severely lacking in those areas. Regarding the lasting legacy of Grey's Anatomy, Rhimes says, "Sadly, I think the legacy might simply just be that we made it possible for more people of color to have jobs on camera on television." While still an achievement, Rhimes makes clear that the feat "makes [her] embarrassed for television."
Although the series may have pushed boundaries and paved the way for more representation on TV shows, Rhimes believes it was already long overdue when Grey's Anatomy first premiered in 2005, saying, "We changed the faces that you see on television. And it should not have taken so long for that to happen". Representation on TV has certainly come a long way since the mid-2000s and Grey's Anatomy is still pioneering in this area, with the series having just cast E.R. Fightmaster in a recurring role, the first non-binary actor to appear as a doctor on the show.
While it's unfortunate, in many respects, that a show adequately representing people of various races, genders, and sexual orientations needs to be celebrated at all, the leaps Grey's Anatomy has made in this regard can't be ignored. Television today is already more representative and more diverse than ever before in history and, although Rhimes would likely agree that there's still a long way to go and much work to be done, progress is still progress. Rhimes and the cast and crew should be recognized for their roles in evolving the television landscape through their work on Grey's Anatomy, ultimately making TV more inclusive and representative across the board. New episodes of the series air Thursdays at 9 pm EST on ABC.
Source: Variety