15 Cast Members Of 'Grey's Anatomy' Before They Were Famous
Grey's Anatomy has been our guilty pleasure medical drama for over a decade now. Airing since 2005, Shonda Rhimes has not disappointed us with her intricate web of medical emergencies, love, betrayal and complex characters. Despite suffering through some not-so-great seasons, Grey's Anatomy has consistently been our go-to guilty pleasure show. Full of cute doctors, tidbits of wisdom and laugh-out-loud scenarios, we know we can always count on this show to escape… at least for an hour.
But before the show aired, what was Alex Karev doing? Or Meredith? What did they do before landing their career-high roles? To absolutely nobody's surprise, dreamy Alex Karev, played by actor Justin Chambers, was an aspiring model before he moved to NYC and pursued an acting career. Ellen Pompeo, our beloved Meredith, was cast to play one of Jim Carrey's ex-girlfriends in the cult classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2004. Her scenes were cut, but she was grateful for the experience and moved on to land the lead role in Grey's Anatomy shortly thereafter.
It's always fun to look back on the history of what our favorite stars were up to, before they were famous. What did they look like? Where did they live? Who were they dating? I've collected the 15 most intriguing characters' and done some digging on their roots! If you like snooping as much as I do (and seeing McDreamy when he was ever dreamier, if that's possible) keep reading our compilation of The Cast of Grey's Anatomy: Before They Were Famous.
15 Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey, aka, McDreamy definitely aged well. Always, a cutie, he seems to have grown into his handsomeness with the years. Before landing his iconic role as Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, Dempsey had a few roles in films and TV series'. He got his acting debut in NYC in his late teens, performing in a series' of theatrical stage productions. This led to his first lead film role in the movie In The Mood, a controversial role in which he played Ellsworth Wisecarver, a teenager who had extramarital affairs with older women. Interesting! Where can we get a copy of this film?! The early 2000's kicked off for Dempsey, as he appeared in Scream 3, Sweet Home Alabama and several episodes of The Practice. Not long after, he would become our favorite scrub-suited doctor, when he landed a lead role in our beloved show.
14 Justin Chambers
Before Justin Chambers assumed the role of dream boy Dr. Alex Karev, he was actually a fairly successful model. When he was young, he aspired to be a dentist, but a modelling scout found him one day, riding the metro, and his career kicked off. He modelled for Calvin Klein, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, travelling all around the world for shoots. Ultimately, he decided that he wanted to try his hand at acting, and moved to NYC to pursue his new dream. He completed a four year acting program at the HB Studio, which led to a role in soap opera Another World, where he played Nicholas Hudson. A few small movie roles later, Justin was cast as medical intern Alex Karev in 2004. He is among only a handful of original cast members who have appeared in all thirteen seasons. All those episodes paid off; Justin has an estimated net worth of over $12 million USD- enough money to spoil his wife and five children!
13 Jesse Williams
Oh Em Gee. This 'fro pic is too funny not to share! Jesse Williams, the actor behind our favorite green-eyed doc, Jackson Avery, also got his debut in the modelling business. Always interested in performing, Jesse studied acting and made his TV debut in an episode of Law & Order. He landed his career-forming role on Grey's Anatomy in 2009, and has been a series regular since the seventh season. Other than his good looks, Jesse also makes us swoon for his humanitarian interests. He has been an avid activist for The Advancement Project, a civil rights group, where he serves as the youngest member on the board of directors. He made headlines when he gave an epic and moving speech at the 2016 BET Awards ceremony, where he accepted the award for humanitarian efforts. The 35-year old father of two has certainly achieved a lot in his lifetime, so far! We can't wait to see what projects he will embark on when Grey's Anatomy wraps up.
12 Sarah Drew
We can't talk about Jackson Avery without talking about April Kepner, right?! The two go together so beautifully, now if they would only see it! Before her iconic role in Grey's Anatomy, she played Hannah Rogers in the WB series Everwood, from 2004-2006.Prior to that, Sarah was a Broadway actress, performing first at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey, and eventually making her way to London. A few guest appearances on various TV shows led the way and in no time she was a series regular on Everwood. Sarah is married to Peter Lanfer, a professor at UCLA. The couple have two children, son Micah Emmanuel, and daughter Hannah Mali Rose, who was named for her character in Everwood. With Season 13 of Grey's wrapping up, and a possible reconciliation between April and Jackson at hand, we can only hope that our favorite doctor couple reunite for good!
11 Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Pompeo, our beloved Meredith Grey, has been the main protagonist in Grey's Anatomy from the very beginning. With a net worth over $30 million, she reportedly earns over $350,000USD per episode of Grey's Anatomy. But, she wasn't always so successful. Ellen was only discovered by a casting agent in NYC at 26 years old, arriving fairly late on the acting scene. She debuted her career with some small TV roles in episodes of Law & Order, Strangers With Candy and Friends. After her 2002 appearance in the film Moonlight Mile, she gained some notoriety and was ultimately selected for the lead role of Dr. Meredith Grey in Grey's Anatomy in 2005. The 47-year-old star is married to Chris Ivery, and the pair have two children. She famously supported Hilary Clinton in the 2016 election, alongside Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington and Viola Davis.
10 Sara Ramirez
Sara Ramirez, aka, Dr. Callie Torres, was one of the most loved past cast members of Grey's Anatomy. She was a staple on the show for an entire decade, running from 2006-2016, when she decided to leave the show and pursue other projects. Born in Mexico, Ramirez moved to San Diego when she was 8 years old. She attended a performing arts school, and had her acting debut in the Broadway play, The Capeman. Her performances on Broadway led to her winning several awards, namely a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She is a trained classical singer, and has even released an extended play collection of her music on iTunes. Like her character, Callie, Sara has come out as bisexual, although she is married to a man, Ryan DeBolt. She is currently working as the voice behind Queen Miranda on the TV show Sofia the First.
9 Jessica Capshaw
Jessica Capshaw has been playing the role of Dr. Arizona Robbins since Season 5, officially joining in as a main cast member in Season 6. Funnily enough, her first acting gig was on the medical drama ER, back in 1999. She appeared in a few film roles, but nothing major, until landing a recurring role on The Practice, where she played Jamie Stringer from 2002-2004. Then, in 2009, she appeared on the scene of Grey's Anatomy and stole our hearts as Callie's love interest and Karev's mentor. Playing an openly gay doctor, she has had many flirtations and hook-ups with women on the show. Alas, it's all acting, as Jessica is married to hubby Christopher Gavigan. The pair have four children together. Another very interesting tidbit about Jessica, her stepfather is Stephen Spielberg and she has a half-sister and adopted brother from her mother's marriage to him. Cool!
8 Sandra Oh
Canadian actress Sandra Oh played Meredith's bestie, Cristina Yang, on Grey's Anatomy for close to a decade, leaving the show for good in 2014. Her performances in Grey's earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild awards and numerous additional nominations. The naturally talented actress got her debut in Canadian television, where she appeared in a CBC biopic of Adrienne Clarkson. Her first film role was also in a Canadian production, the 1996 production Double Happiness. She won a Genie ward for her role. With a selection of awards, critical acclaim and quite a bit of experience under her belt, Oh was cast to her career-defining role as Dr. Cristina Yang in 2005. She exited the show at the end of its 10th season, and has appeared in small TV roles here and there ever since. A nice break is totally merited after all her years of service!
7 Kevin McKidd
Ahhh dreamy Dr. Owen Hunt. One of the few red-haired men that I am attracted to! The first mind-blowing fact about Kevin is that he is Scottish-born, and has a very cute Scottish accent that he so cleverly transforms during filming of Grey's Anatomy. A life-long fan and I am only finding this out today. I suggest you head straight to YouTube to hear a clip of it! Anywho, back to his roots. His breakout role was in Trainspotting in 1996, where he played Tommy (I have seen the movie a million times, and also, this is the first time I am making the link! Mind blown… again). With dozens of small film and TV roles, he landed his role on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Owen Hunt, from Season 5, in 2008. As the love interest of Dr. Yang, he quickly became a lead cast member, and his story has subsequently developed. He's now married to Dr. Shepherd (girl Shepherd) and we're not quite sure where that twisty plot is going! Hopefully Amelia pulls herself together and doesn't let Owen fall through her fingers before the finale!
6 Caterina Scorsone
Caterina Scorsone, aka, Dr. Amelia Shepherd, has been part of the Grey's Anatomy family since Season 7. Originally, she was making guest appearances only, and ultimately became a permanent cast member in Season 10. Another Canadian girl, Caterina first appeared in epic Canadian children's TV show Mr. Dressup when she was just 8 years old. From 2003-2006, she had a leading role in the Lifetime series 1-800-Missing. Then, in 2009, she starred as Alice in the Showcase miniseries of the same name. Grey's Anatomy, and its sister show, Private Practice, have been her biggest roles in the last few years. She continues to play Dr. Amelia Shepherd. Caterina is married to rocker hubby Rob Giles, who is part of the California-based band, The Rescues. The pair were married in 2009 and have two children together.
5 Chandra Wilson
Chandra Wilson, aka Dr. Miranda Bailey, has been a staple in the Grey's Anatomy family from Day 1. The Texas native's career began decades earlier, when she landed her first film role in 1993's Philadephia. For much of the 90's and early 2000's, she played small roles in TV shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Sex and The City and The Sopranos. Her portrayal of the feisty Dr. Miranda Bailey has collected her numerous award nominations and wins, including Image Awards, Satellite Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has three children with her long-time partner and is also an avid activist. As an advocate for substance abuse and mental health issues, Chandra hosted 10th Annual Voice Awards event for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 2015. She is also a celebrity ambassador for CureMito! It seems that her desire to help others' goes deeper than her TV character!
4 Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl played Dr. Izzie Stevens in the glory days of Grey's Anatomy, spanning 5 years. Her reputation on set was mysteriously negative; reports of Heigl being bossy and rude to her coworkers were all over the Internet in the aftermath of her departure from the show, in 2010. Before landing her iconic role, she was a child model who posed for advertisements for Sears and Lord & Taylor at the young age of 9. She made her fil debut in 1992, in That Night, but her breakout role would come two years later, when she played alongside Gerard Despardieu in My Father The Hero. She wrapped up her high school education and subsequently landed a lead role in TV show Roswell in 1999. After being cast in Grey's Anatomy, her career exploded and she would go on to star in numerous films, mostly romantic comedies. She is married to singer Josh Kelley, the couple have 3 children together.
3 James Pickens Jr.
James Pickens Jr. has played the wonderful Dr. Richard Webber for over decade. As one of the shows original cast members, his storyline has evolved over the years, and his wisdom has grown. A truly likeable character, Richard Webber has historically played the fatherly role to Meredith, and pretty much all the other doctors at some point or other. The 62-year-old actor got his debut way back in 1986, when he starred in old-school soap opera Another World. He would go on to appear in numerous TV series', namely, Roseanne, The West Wing, Beverly Hills: 90210, Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Born in Ohio, this country-boy still enjoys horseback riding and roping cattle. He is married to Gina Taylor, who was a member of the music group Musique, back in the late 70's. The happy couple have been married for over 32 years and have 2 children.
2 Eric Dane
Eric Dane, aka Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, was our favorite silver fox on the show for many seasons. Before joining the cast, Eric started out his career in some popular teenager shows, Saved By The Bell, Roseanne, The Wonder Years and soap opera Married… With Children. After landing his first film role in The Basket, Eric was signed on as a guest star on Grey's Anatomy. He quickly gained popularity on the show, playing Dr. Derek Shepherd's best-friend and second-most-handsome doctor (first, depending on who you ask!)He resigned after Season 8, and went on to play the lead role in The Last Ship. He has been married to actress Rebecca Gayheart since 2004, and the couple have 2 children. Eric sought treatment in a rehab facility in 2011 for a dependence on prescription painkillers he developed after having suffered from a sports injury. He also made headlines around that time when an adult video hit the Internet featuring himself, his wife and a third woman.
1 Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Blast from the past! Remember Jeffrey Dean Morgan? The man who looks more like Javier Bardem than Javier Bardem himself? Beloved Denny Duquette? He appeared in 23 episodes, so that's enough to get him a spot on this list! Before his appearances on Grey's Anatomy, where he seduced a young Izzie, Jeffrey appeared in a few minor film roles. When he was cast as Denny Duquette, he was simultaneously appearing in episodes of TV shows Weeds and Supernatural. 2005 was a big year for him! He has appeared in dozens of films and series' since then. He's been a regular cast member of The Walking Dead since 2016, where he plays Negan. And guess who his lady friend is? Actress Hilarie Burton, aka Peyton from One Tree Hill! The pair have been together since 2009 and have a son together, Augustus, who was born in 2010.