Isaiah Washington was an important part of Grey’s Anatomy’s first seasons, where he played Dr. Preston Burke, but that wasn’t the character he originally auditioned for. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy debuted on ABC in 2005, and even though it began as a mid-season replacement, the reaction of critics and viewers was so positive, it has lived on for over 10 seasons. Grey’s Anatomy shows no signs of stopping soon, even though most of its original cast is now gone, but the stories at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital continue.
Being a medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy follows the genre’s basic premise: the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings who do their best to balance their personal and professional lives, which more often than not overlap. The series is led by Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who began as an intern alongside characters like Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight), and is now head of general surgery. Over the course of more than 10 seasons, Meredith (and viewers) have met many, many interns, residents, and more, among those Dr. Preston Burke.
Burke is the former head of cardiothoracic surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital, though he might be best remembered for his relationship with Cristina Yang, whom he left on their wedding day. Preston Burke was Washington’s breakout role, but that wasn’t the character he originally auditioned for.
Grey’s Anatomy: Isaiah Washington Auditioned To Play Derek Shepherd
When Isaiah Washington auditioned to be part of Grey’s Anatomy, he didn’t go after the role of Preston Burke – he actually auditioned to play Derek Shepherd. The production crew had already found its Dr. Burke in Paul Adelstein, as the character was originally envisioned as a Caucasian man. However, Adelstein had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with a film, and so the character went through a revision. Washington was called back and offered the role of Burke, and so he joined the series. Washington left Grey’s Anatomy in season 3 after an on-set incident in which he insulted T.R. Knight with a homophobic slur. Burke, then, was sent to Switzerland, where he founded the Klausman Institute for Medical Research, with a focus on cardiac research, and later left his spot to Cristina so he could move to Milan with his wife.
Since then, Washington has appeared in a number of projects both on TV and film. He appeared in movies like Area Q, Blackbird, and most recently Cut Throat City, though his biggest role has been that of John Allen Muhammad in the drama film Blue Caprice. When it comes to TV, he has appeared in the series Bionic Woman, The Cleaner, Blue Bloods, and The 100, where he played Thelonious Jaha. As for Derek Shepherd, Rhimes found what she was looking for in Patrick Dempsey, whom she described as “dreamy”.
Ultimately, Derek Shepherd’s arc also came to an end, though much later and more tragically than Burke’s. Derek got into a car accident and was removed from life support after a lot of complications, leaving Meredith (and fans) heartbroken. Grey’s Anatomy could’ve opened more doors for Isaiah Washington had things behind-the-scenes gone differently, but he hasn’t been inactive since he left the show.