15 Things You Didn't Know About Grey's Anatomy Creator Shonda Rhimes

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably have heard of Shonda Rhimes. While most people at the helm of television shows remain behind-the-scenes, people that the general public could never name, Shonda Rhimes is a little different. That's because she doesn't just write the show, she isn't just the creator - she's kind of a little bit of everything, all in one super creative package. She created her company, ShondaLand, and promptly started churning out hit television show after hit television show. Grey's Anatomy is her longest running, and the one that came first. Audiences around the world fell in love with Meredith and McDreamy and the badass Cristina Yang and the whole crew of fascinating yet flawed doctors.

Then, she spun off a character from that show and created Private Practice. Oh, and she went away from the medical world and into politics for Scandal, featuring the incomparable Olivia Pope. Is that not enough to impress you? Let's not forget that she also created a legal nail-biter, How To Get Away With Murder. There's no denying it - something magical is going on in that brain of hers, because she's managed to produce an insane amount of hit shows that have captivated the world.

However, while you may know all about her characters and the worlds they inhabit, how much do you actually know about Shonda Rhimes? Here are 15 things you may not have known about the creative powerhouse.

15 She's written several screenplays - not just television scripts

Shonda Rhimes' creative output is absolutely insane. She pens episode after episode, writing for different characters in different worlds, and somehow manages to pull out crazy plot twists that we never see coming. However, before she got her big break in the world of television, she used her skills to write screenplays - and you just may want to revisit them. Rhimes wrote the screenplay for Crossroads - yes, the movie starring pop star Britney Spears - and the sequel to Anne Hathaway's royal flick, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Sure, they weren't exactly Oscar-winning screenplays, and Crossroads even got slammed by the critics, but it was a foot in the door. Now, if she ever decided to leave the world of television and expand her empire into movies, we have no doubt that she'd put together some stunning screenplays that would get nominated for endless awards. It takes time to hone your craft.

14 She doesn't want to get married

One thing that romantics will have noticed about Grey's Anatomy over the years is that most of the female characters weren't exactly wedding crazy. Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, and Miranda Bailey all got married at some point through the course of the show - but they weren't spending hours picking out centerpieces and getting totally crazy about it all. Rhimes may have been putting a little bit of herself into those characters, because she's stated before that she really doesn't want to get married. Even when she was in a happy relationship that had a strong future, it just wasn't something she saw as being necessary. She's received some blowback for her opinion because of how it conflicts with society's view of what a woman's priorities should be, but in all honesty, we salute her honesty and willingness to take a stance! Given what a huge platform she has, it's great that she's putting out opinions that differ from the norm.

13 She has a net worth of about $60 million

When it comes to the entertainment industry, we usually assume that the biggest salaries go to the people in front of the camera, the ones receiving hundreds of thousands for every single episode. And yes, the stars of Shonda Rhimes' shows definitely bring home the bacon. However, Shonda Rhimes' own net worth is definitely nothing to sneeze about, especially considering how she made it in the industry completely on her own, without the help of an inside connection from a family member like many do. Over the years, Rhimes has amassed a net worth of roughly $60 million thanks to all the projects her production company has started up and successfully brought to fruition. Some of her projects haven't been as successful as others, but overall, anything that has the ShondaLand stamp on it is guaranteed to get at least a season or two, because, well - it's Shonda Rhimes. The woman knows her television.

12 Her BFF is the real-life Cristina Yang

Sometimes, we wonder how Shonda gets the inspiration for the characters she writes. I mean, women like Olivia Pope and Annalise Keating seem utterly larger than life. They're powerful, they're confident, they're amazing at what they do, and they make no apologies for any of it. They're the type of female characters we want to see - the type we need to be seeing on our screens. And the one who started it all, arguably, is Cristina Yang. Sure, Meredith Grey was the main character on Grey's Anatomy, the one who the show was named after, but Cristina Yang was the one who captured our hearts. She was an unstoppable force, someone who made you want to be the best version of yourself, someone who made you realize that you don't need to feel guilty for your life choices - you need to own them. Well, it turns out that her character is actually based on Shonda Rhimes' BFF since the age of 10.

11 She has three children

Given what a packed schedule she has, you might assume that Shonda Rhimes is a single lady through and through. After all, how could she possible balance childcare and things like school activities with her busy television boss life? Well, it turns out that Rhimes actually has three beautiful children, and she manages to balance it all like a boss. Over a decade ago, Rhimes decided she wasn't about to wait for a man in her life in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. She decided to adopt, and adopted her first daughter in 2002. Nearly a decade later, she made the decision to expand her little family, and adopted another daughter. She rounded out the Rhimes quartet by having a third daughter with gestational surrogacy. And to be honest, we're kind of just waiting until all those daughters grow up and head off into the work force, because you just know they're going to be absolutely unstoppable.

10 She's the baby of the family

Shonda Rhimes is such a leader that you might assume she was the oldest of her family, or that she was perhaps an only child - but that's the furthest from the truth. Rhimes grew up in a big family, with three sisters and two brothers. And, she wasn't the first born, she wasn't somewhere in the middle - she's the youngest, the baby of the family. She credits her family for inspiring her and helping her realize things about herself (such as when a comment from her sister inspired her Year of Yes journey), as well as for nurturing her creativity when she was a child. While they all have unique careers, we can't help but wonder if it's strange for them to see just how high their little baby sister has risen. After all, while she's the incomparable television goddess Shonda Rhimes to the rest of the world, to them, she's just the baby of the family.

9 She pursued a prestigious MFA precisely because it was challenging

Shonda Rhimes honed her craft at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, learning how to craft stories and draft scripts that would captivate audiences. However, the story behind how she got there is kind of interesting. Shortly after graduating with her undergraduate degree in English, Rhimes read that it was actually harder to get into film school at USC than it was to get into law school at Harvard. Rather than simply forgetting that stat, or thinking it meant she would never be able to get into such a competitive program, Rhimes set a goal - she would take on the challenging option. So, she applied to USC film school, snagged a spot, and began her illustrious career from there. It just goes to prove that, even if things seem impossible, even if it seems like the odds are against you, sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith and believe in yourself. Shonda Rhimes did - and look where it got her!

8 She shed a staggering 117 pounds

If you've been a Shonda Rhimes fan for quite a while, and have seen pictures of the powerhouse at various red carpet events, you'll know that she's been looking a little bit different lately. There's a whole lot less Shonda. That's because, in addition to being at the helm of a hugely successful production company, she managed to shed a whopping 117 pounds. You read that correctly - she managed to lose over 100 pounds, despite being busy. Shonda didn't pursue her weight loss journey in order to fit into the teeny tiny Hollywood mold - she did it because she realized she needed to keep herself healthy in order to ensure she'd be there for her three daughters for years to come. So, even though she didn't like it at first, even though it was difficult, she stuck to her goal - and came out a more svelte, healthier Shonda. Honestly, if Shonda Rhimes can commit to a healthy eating plan and fitness routine, despite her busy schedule, what excuse do the rest of us have?

7 She worked regular day jobs before getting her big break

In Hollywood, overnight success stories are very rare. Even if it may seem like someone comes out of nowhere and suddenly has a smash hit, you often don't see the years and years of toiling away before they manage to reach that point. Shonda Rhimes is no different. She went to a prestigious film school, she worked her butt off, but after graduation it's not like the biggest studio in town called her up and immediately gave her a huge deal. Instead, she wrote and wrote while paying the bills by working as an office administrator and counsellor. Especially when you're a writer, being exposed to all sorts of people can be hugely useful in helping craft believable characters, so who knows - perhaps Shonda's day jobs will someday inspire a whole new, hugely successful television show to add to the ShondaLand line-up. And, it just goes to prove you can't count on immediate success - you have to work for it.

6 She's a spelling bee nerd

Yes, you read that correctly - Shonda Rhimes, the women behind high intensity dramas, is a humongous fan of the spelling bee. In fact, she's such a fan that she's live-blogged the Scripps National Spelling bee for several years now. We're not sure if Rhimes used to have dreams of standing on that stage and spelling a nearly impossible word, if that was her childhood Everest, what the exact reason behind her passion for spelling bees is, but it's kind of endearing. I mean, she's a writer - it kind of makes sense that she'd be obsessed with words! Although, we're just saying - given her love of the subject matter, we absolutely need to see some type of movie or television show penned by Shonda that centers on that world. Sure, she mostly writes adult characters, but we have a feeling she'd give voice to some incredible sassy, spelling-savvy children. Seriously, Shonda - we're waiting!

5 She has a degree from Dartmouth - just like Meredith Grey

There are a lot of things Shonda Rhimes puts into her shows that she has no real life experience with. After all, it's not as if she's a trained surgeon who has seen countless operating rooms, or a political trailblazer who worked at the White House. However, every now and then, some of Shonda Rhimes' real life experience makes its way into her scripts - like her educational background. While we don't really see the Grey's characters in their university days, we do get tidbits of where they all went to school. Alex went to state school, Cristina got endless advanced degrees from some of the most prestigious institutions, and Meredith Grey studied at Dartmouth - just like Shonda Rhimes. Before she ventured to sunny California for film school, Shonda Rhimes got her undergraduate degree in English Lit at Dartmouth. She graduated in 1991, and over two decades later, delivered the commencement address to a crowd of eager Dartmouth grads. Talk about full circle!

4 She was in a championship marching band in high school

This is another case of Shonda Rhimes' real life experience sneaking into her scripts. Grey's fans will remember the touching scene where Dr. Bailey is upset and snaps at McDreamy because she assumes he'd never understand what it would feel like to be nerdy and unpopular, like she did in school and as a young resident - only to find out that McDreamy was a band nerd, just like she was, back in the day. Well, McDreamy and Bailey have one more former band member to add to their ranks - Shonda Rhimes herself. It turns out that the skilled writer also has some musical talents, and was in a championship marching band in high school. We're not sure exactly what instrument she played, but who knows - maybe she'll bust out that particular talent someday. We can hardly wait. Seriously, the woman has certainly lived an interesting life - even though the majority of her characters come from her imagination.

3 She's a Chicago girl

Rhimes' shows are set all over the world, from Washington, D.C. to Seattle, Washington to sunny California. It's a refreshing change of pace, given how many shows are set in either Los Angeles or New York City. However, when it comes to her own hometown, Rhimes still hasn't put it at centre stage in any of her shows. The entertainment industry superstar was actually born in Chicago, Illinois. We can only assume she has a huge passion for deep dish pizza - how could anyone born in Chicago not? There are many other television shows set in Chicago, so we can only wait and hope that Shonda decides to return to her hometown and start up a whole new series set there. Let's face it - basically anything the woman touches turns to gold, so you know it'd be great. She's done the medical world, she's done the political world, she's done the legal world - maybe her next show will focus on a creative industry? Only time will tell.

2 She got the idea for Grey's Anatomy from a random comment

It's always fascinating to hear what sparked particular ideas for creatives. Inspiration can come from just about anywhere, and often, it's from the most random sources. That's certainly the case for Rhimes' biggest hit to date. She was having a conversation with a doctor at some point, and the busy doctor divulged a seemingly insignificant detail - that it was really, really difficult to shave her legs in a hospital shower. It's something that most people would forget just about immediately, but for some reason, it captured Rhimes' attention. It got her creative juices flowing about just went on behind the scenes for medical professionals, and what personal challenges their demanding jobs created. So, she crafted Grey's Anatomy - and the world loved it. We kind of want to shake that doctor's hand and thank her for inspiring the hit show. Even though most people will never see the inside of the OR, or get involved in the personal romantic dramas of doctors, we all get to do it once a week through the show.

1 She loves listening to music when she writes

Every writer works differently. Some prefer to hide away, working in a private, secluded space where no outside distractions can reach them. Others love to be out amidst the people, working from a coffee shop or co-working space where they can be inspired by the buzzing of activity they're witnessing. Some need absolute silence to write, and some need music. Shonda Rhimes is in the latter camp. The busy creative pulls together pages and pages of scripts every single week for her various shows, and with a pace like that, she can't be precious. Next week's episode isn't about to wait a month because the muse is eluding her - she needs to write, every week. So, her trick is to pop on some headphones and start blasting tunes as she works. We have to admit, we kind of hope one day she'll release a book of playlists that inspired certain shows or episodes. Perhaps if we listen to what she was listening to, we can create an award-winning, beloved show as well? (Okay, probably not).