FEELING ‘GREY’
Oscar winner directs new ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Meredith (Ellen Pompeo, “Old School,” 2003) is brutally attacked by a surprising assailant in this new midseason premiere episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” airing Thursday, Feb. 11, on ABC. Academy Award winner Denzel Washington (“Training Day,” 2001) steps in to direct this harrowing episode. The staff at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital deal with life-or-death drama both at work and in their personal lives in this long-running series.
Everyone loves an Oscar winner. Bringing in an Academy Award winner is a surefire way to create a buzz around a series, but one medical drama is taking an unexpected approach with acclaimed actor Denzel Washington (“Training Day,” 2001). Instead of showing off his acting chops on screen, he stepped behind the camera to direct the midseason premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy,” which airs Thursday, Feb. 11, on ABC.
In January, a promo for the Washington-directed episode sent fans into a frenzy as they speculated what had happened to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo, “Old School,” 2003) after she was shown face down on the floor and later bloodied and wearing an oxygen mask. Kelly McCreary (“Emily Owens M.D.”), who plays Meredith’s half sister Dr. Maggie Pierce, revealed some details at the Television Critics Association panel:
“Meredith gets attacked by someone you would least expect and it is just as terrifying, shocking and harrowing as it appears.”
Created by television hitmaker Shonda Rhimes (“Scandal”), “Grey’s Anatomy” chronicles the day-to-day lives of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Pompeo leads the cast as Dr. Meredith Grey, a role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2007. She’s been with the series for all 12 seasons, along with Chandra Wilson (“Philadelphia,” 1993) as Dr. Miranda Bailey, Justin Chambers (“The Wedding Planner,” 2001) as Dr. Alex Karev, and James Pickens Jr. (“The X-Files”) as Dr. Richard Webber. Other notable cast members include Sandra Oh (“Sideways,” 2004) as Dr. Cristina Yang, who left the show after season 10, and Patrick Dempsey (“Sweet Home Alabama,” 2002) as Dr. Derek Shepherd (a.k.a. “McDreamy” to fans), who left after season 11.
The current ensemble cast of “Grey’s” also includes Sara Ramirez (“Sofia the First”) as Dr. Callie Torres, Kevin McKidd (“Trainspotting,” 1996) as Dr. Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw (“The Practice”) as Dr. Arizona Robbins, Jesse Williams (“Lee Daniel’s The Butler,” 2013) as Dr. Jackson Avery, Sarah Drew (“Everwood”) as Dr. April Kepner, Caterina Scorsone (“Missing”) as Dr. Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington (“William & Kate”) as Dr. Jo Wilson, Jerrika Hinton (“Rain,” 2006) as Dr. Stephanie Edwards, and Jason George (“Off the Map”) as Dr. Ben Warren.
Washington’s “Grey’s Anatomy” gig may mark the first time he’s directed for television, but he has directed two films for the big screen: “Antwone Fisher” (2002) and “The Great Debaters” (2007), both of which he also starred in. And while he may be new to directing for TV, he has a great resource in longtime friend and “Grey’s Anatomy” executive producer Debbie Allen (“Fame”), who’s directed a number of “Grey’s” episodes over the years. It’s a good thing, too. With fans champing at the bit to find out what happens next, Washington had his work cut out for him directing the highly anticipated episode penned by writer/ producer Stacy McKee.
The episode features a thrilling storyline that could draw viewers back to the medical drama. While “Grey’s” used to be all anyone wanted to talk about, the show could use a little resuscitation in the ratings department. After sitting among the top 10 series in its first four seasons, the show’s overall ratings have steadily declined from almost 20 million regular viewers in its season 2 heyday to 8.5 million tuning in to the midseason finale, which aired in November.
It’s a good time to inject a little excitement into the series, in the wake of the departure of fan favorite Dempsey last season. Many critics speculated the series wouldn’t survive without McDreamy, but it’s still performing very well in the all-important 18 to 49 demographic.
If someone can help turn the tide, it’s Washington. After all, he’s no stranger to medical dramas — he started out in one. After his film debut in 1981’s “Carbon Copy,” his career really took off when he was cast in the hit NBC series “St. Elsewhere.” From 1982 until the show’s finale in 1988, the actor portrayed Dr. Philip Chandler, endearing himself to millions of television viewers week after week before making it big on the silver screen.
His role as South African anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko in “Cry Freedom” made film critics sit up and take notice in 1987. He followed that up with his Oscar-winning turn as an ex-slave soldier in “Glory” (1989) and won another Oscar for his portrayal of a corrupt cop in “Training Day” (2001). With a career spanning three decades, the actor has amassed a number of other notable film credits, including “Malcolm X” (1992), “Philadelphia” (1993), “The Hurricane” (1999) and “Remember the Titans” (2000). Some more recent credits include “Flight” (2012) and “The Equalizer” (2014).
For his acclaimed body of work, Washington was recently awarded one of Hollywood’s biggest honors. At the 73rd Annual Golden Globes, he became the third black actor ever to be recognized with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Golden Globes’ lifetime achievement honor.
Hopefully, he’ll bring that golden touch to his work directing “Grey’s.” Don’t miss the Oscar winner’s television directorial debut in “Grey’s Anatomy,” returning with its midseason premiere Thursday, Feb. 11, on ABC.