24 surprising things yous probably didn't know almost 'Grey's Anatomy'

grey's anatomy

Grey's Anatomy has been running for over 10 years.
Kelsey McNeal/ABC
  • ABC's "Greyness'southward Anatomy" premiered on March 27, 2005, and has been on the air for over a decade.
  • Every "Gray'due south Anatomy" episode proper noun is a song title except for one.
  • The series has medical advisors and uses cow organs to make the surgeries look more realistic.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Greyness's Anatomy" is the longest-running scripted prime-time testify on ABC, and it's been on the air since 2005.

During that time, it'southward had more fifteen seasons, over 300 episodes, and multiple major doctor deaths.

It's been a wild, sometimes devastating ride for fans — but they're nonetheless tuning in over a decade later on.

Simply not even "Lexipedia" Grey herself could be expected to remember all of these interesting tidbits about "Greyness'due south Anatomy."

Read on for 24 things you probably didn't know about the striking medical drama.

The evidence'southward title comes from a existent medical textbook.

The book is called "Gray's Anatomy."
ABC/Christopher Willar

The anatomy book "Gray's Anatomy," written by Henry Grayness, is withal in print today.

"Grey's Anatomy" wasn't actually the original bear witness title.

The title was changed at least three times.
ABC

Kate Walsh, who played Addison Montgomery on the bear witness, told BuzzFeed in 2017 that the testify'southward proper noun was changed iii times before "Grey's Anatomy" was called.

"It was 'Doctors' and and so 'Surgeons' and then 'Complications' and I was like, 'What a b-------show title!' Walsh recalled. "'Greyness'southward Beefcake' is the perfect title."

A real hospital is used for some scenes.

The hospital is in LA.
ABC

The Veterans Assistants Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Middle in California serves as the entrance for Grey Sloan Memorial, co-ordinate to Los Angeles magazine.

But the interior shots are washed on a soundstage at Loz Feliz's Prospect Studios, according to the outlet.

Only 3 of the main flavor-i cast members are still on the testify.

Ellen Pompeo plays Meredith Grey.
ABC

After over 300 episodes, Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey), and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber) are the only original leads who are still on the series.

Bohkee is a scrub nurse in existent life.

Bokhee is a real-life nurse.
ABC

She may non say much, but she's been a staple background character of the bear witness for years.

And according to a 2013 tweet from Sandra Oh, who played Cristina Yang, Bokhee actually knows what she's doing.

"The nurse in that scene, Bokhee, is a real surgical nurse," Oh wrote. "She's been with usa since the beginning. She's like my 2nd mom, she's the best."

The show takes its medical scenes seriously.

The testify consults medical advisors.
ABC/Jessica Brooks

Co-ordinate to McKenna Princing, who wrote about being a medical advisor on the prove for UW Medicine in 2017, the serial employs existent doctors to make certain the writers are getting some procedures and jargon right.

But until the advisors filled in the jargon, the writers only put "medical medical" as placeholder text in the script, co-ordinate to bear witness creator Shonda Rhimes' book "Year of Yeah."

Rhimes wrote, "Meredith volition say, 'I need a medical medical to medical!' And someone else will go, 'Well I take medical medical.' 'Well paw me the medical!"

She likewise revealed that on the show "Scandal," information technology's "political political."

The organs and fake blood are made from some pretty nasty materials.

The bear witness uses cow organs for medical scenes.
ABC

To make the surgeries look real, Sarah Drew, who played April Kepner on the series, said that they utilize cow organs and fake blood fabricated upward of chicken fat and red gelatin.

"The olfactory property is repulsive and makes usa all gag," she said, co-ordinate to RTE. "And we use an actual soldering tool to solder the organs. It smells similar burning flesh ... Information technology's pretty gross."

Katherine Heigl rejected her Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Izzie Stevens.

Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens and Justin Chambers as Alex Karev.
Eric McCandless/Walt Disney Telly via Getty Images

In 2008, Heigl opted out of her Emmy nomination for "Grey's Anatomy."

According to the New York Times, she said in a argument that she didn't experience the writers had "given [her] the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination" and she "did not want to potentially accept away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials."

Per United states of america Weekly, Heigl left the show presently after in 2010.

Some of the stars have also directed episodes.

Ellen Pompeo has directed an episode.
ABC

According to Bustle, Wilson (Miranda Bailey), Debbie Allen (Catherine Avery), Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt), Jesse Williams (Jackson Avery), and Meredith Grey herself, Pompeo, take all directed episodes of the long-running series.

The testify helped to raise awareness for a critical illness.

"Can't Fight This Feeling" features a male child with Kawasaki disease.
ABC

"Scrubs alum" Sarah Chalke appeared in the flavour-nine episode "Tin can't Fight This Feeling" to raise awareness for Kawasaki disease .

According to TV Line, the episode is based on her real-life fighting for answers about her baby's mystery illness that turned out to be the rare Kawasaki disease.

It can kill within days, but her son survived thanks to her finding a spider web article nigh Kawasaki symptoms that matched her son's.

Now Chalke is dedicated to bringing the illness to national attention, especially since there's such a brusque window that it can be treated in.

"The Kawasaki dr. we dealt with said they do a news story every twelvemonth, and frequently that save lives every year," Chalke told Idiot box Line. "And then she said that this ["Grey's Beefcake"] episode absolutely is going to salve lives. It'due south going to save some kids."

In that location have been two spin-offs from "Grey's Beefcake."

"Private Exercise" is a spin-off.
ABC

"Private Practice" followed Addison Montgomery'due south transfer to a California dispensary. It ran for six seasons and ended in 2013.

In 2018, "Station nineteen" premiered, post-obit Ben Warren every bit he changed jobs from doctor to firefighter.

Derek and Meredith had a real hymeneals registry.

Gain went to charity.
ABC

People reported in 2009 that the fictional couple had a real nuptials registry on The Knot.

It encouraged fans to donate to research organizations that Derek and Meredith would have canonical of, like the American Academy of Neurology Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association.

"Grey's Anatomy" scrubs are used in real hospitals.

The scrubs are apparently quite pop.
ABC

Barco Uniforms and ABC partnered in 2006 to produce hospital-grade scrubs under the "Grey'southward Beefcake" label, according to Metro.

The character Miranda Bailey is partially inspired past Shonda Rhimes' mom.

Shonda Rhimes said Dr. Bailey is a realist like her mom.
ABC

The dear chief of surgery has been on the prove since flavor one and came straight from Rhimes' real life, according to an interview she gave to O mag.

"She's very no-nonsense. Dr. Bailey says stuff like 'These people are nasty — all they think nigh is sexual practice while nosotros're trying to save lives hither.' My mother is definitely that kind of realist," Rhimes said.

Chambers is nothing like his character.

Justin Chambers has five kids.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/GettyImages

Karev was long known for his commitment-phobe ways and fright of e'er settling down.

Meanwhile, Chambers came to the show as a married father of five kids, co-ordinate to Cosmopolitan. The actor afterwards left the prove after playing Karev for 15 years so he could focus on his family and other projects.

Camilla Luddington, who plays Jo Wilson, is actually British.

Camilla Luddington naturally speaks with a British accent.
Getty Images / Frazer Harrison

She does an clumsily proficient American accent on "Gray'south Anatomy," only you lot can take hold of her speaking in her native accent in Lifetime'southward "William and Kate," a Tv movie virtually Prince William and Kate Middleton'southward love story.

Luddington played Middleton.

Every "Grayness's Anatomy" title is a song title except for one.

The episode is titled after the hotline for domestic abuse.
ABC

Since its premiere episode, "A Hard Day'southward Night," every "Grey'south Anatomy" episode has shared its title with a song, according to BuzzFeed.

But ane exception was fabricated for the flavour-xiv episode "1-800-799-7233." It was named for the domestic-violence hotline since the episode dealt with Jo Wilson's abusive ex-husband, per Glamour.

Jesse Williams was a teacher earlier he played Jackson Avery.

Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery.
Eric McCandless/Walt Disney Goggle box via Getty Images

Co-ordinate to Essence magazine, Williams in one case taught high-school history before he made the spring to acting.

Derek Shepherd was well-nigh played by Rob Lowe.

It'south hard to imagine anyone but Patrick Dempsey.
ABC

According to E! News, Lowe wrote in his memoir that he was offered the role of Derek Shepherd simply turned it down for a CBS testify chosen "Dr. Vegas" that failed to get in.

Instead, McDreamy was played by Patrick Dempsey.

Rhimes loves to employ some of the same actors in her projects.

Meredith's dad is as well Cyrus Beene on "Scandal."
ABC

Many people who have appeared on "Grey'south Anatomy" accept likewise appeared on Rhimes' other shows like "Scandal."

Notably, per ScreenRant, Meredith'southward dad is also Cyrus Beene on "Scandal," Teddy'southward love involvement Henry is also Jake on "Scandal," and Meredith's mom is also Emerge Langston on "Scandal."

And that'due south merely to proper name a few.

Pompeo and Dempsey didn't originally know that Derek was married during flavor one.

Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo on "Grayness's Beefcake."
ABC

The first flavor finale reveals that Derek is still married to Addison Montgomery, a fact that Dempsey didn't learn until halfway through the season and Pompeo didn't know until the terminal episode, co-ordinate to a since-deleted behind-the-scenes video.

"They didn't tell me that was coming and I was very surprised," Pompeo said.

Drew gave birth in real life right after filming Apr'south birth scene.

Sarah Drew was pregnant in real life.
ABC

According to Access Hollywood, afterwards shooting April'southward labor and delivery over a long ten-hour workday, a pregnant Drew went home and found herself in labor for real a few hours later on.

Pompeo is one of the highest-paid actresses.

Ellen Pompeo has made millions of dollars for her work on "Grayness's Anatomy."
ABC, Gray's Beefcake / screenshot

In early 2018, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that a huge contract negotiation for the actor resulted in her being paid $20 million a year. That works out to $575,000 per episode.

Equally of 2019, Forbes still recorded her as one of the highest-paid actresses, with a salary of $22-1000000 in a twelvemonth.

Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Go along reading