Ellen Pompeo Opens Up about "Grey's" Drama w/ Isiah Washington and Katherine Heigl - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 10-06-2013, 10:31 PM

Ellen Pompeo Opens Up about "Grey's Anatomy" Drama with Katherine Heigl, Isaiah Washington
10/6/13

"Grey's Anatomy" has been on the air for ten seasons, and in that time the show has been through more than its fair share of off-screen drama.

Ellen Pompeo has seen it all, and in a revealing interview with The New York Post, Ellen Pompeo looks back at the "Grey's Anatomy" drama surrounding Isaiah Washington's firing and Katherine Heigl's departure.

Pompeo revealed that "Grey's" creator Shonda Rhimes wanted to cast Isaiah Washington as her character's boyfriend, but she pushed back on the idea ... because the storyline was "too close to home."

"They wanted Isaiah Washington to be my boyfriend. Shonda really wanted to put a black man in the mix. I didn’t think they were really going to put an interracial couple on the show and I didn’t want him. It was too close to home. I said I wanted that Dempsey kid. I think that once Isaiah did not get the role it backfired,” she says.

(Washington used a derogatory slur against homosexuals on the set and then dropped the same f-bomb backstage at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. His contract was not renewed for Season 4.

Pompeo is married to an African-American man in real life.)

Pompeo also spoke for the first time about Katherine Heigl's departure from the show.

"Hurt feelings, combined with instant success and huge paychecks started things spinning out of control. The crazier things got, as I watched all the tumult with Isaiah and then the Katie thing, I started to focus on the work. Maybe it is my Boston, blue-collar upbringing. I just tried to not pay attention to all the noise around me.

When Katie left, it was tough. You could understand why she wanted to go — when you’re offered $12 million a movie and you’re only 26. But Katie’s problem is that she should not have renewed her contract. She re-upped, took a big raise and then tried to get off the show. And then her movie career did not take off."

(Heigl left the show much the same as she spent her years on the show, amid controversy. In 2008, the actress wanted her name taken out of Emmy consideration because the writing for her character didn’t merit a nomination.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1..._4054417.html?

10-06-2013, 10:31 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,153	Ellen Pompeo Opens Up about "Grey's" Drama w/ Isiah Washington and Katherine Heigl *Ellen Pompeo Opens Up about "Grey's Anatomy" Drama with Katherine Heigl, Isaiah Washington* 10/6/13 "Grey's Anatomy" has been on the air for ten seasons, and in that time the show has been through more than its fair share of off-screen drama. Ellen Pompeo has seen it all, and in a revealing interview with The New York Post, Ellen Pompeo looks back at the "Grey's Anatomy" drama surrounding Isaiah Washington's firing and Katherine Heigl's departure. Pompeo revealed that "Grey's" creator Shonda Rhimes wanted to cast Isaiah Washington as her character's boyfriend, but she pushed back on the idea ... because the storyline was "too close to home." "They wanted Isaiah Washington to be my boyfriend. Shonda really wanted to put a black man in the mix. I didn’t think they were really going to put an interracial couple on the show and I didn’t want him. It was too close to home. I said I wanted that Dempsey kid. I think that once Isaiah did not get the role it backfired,” she says. (Washington used a derogatory slur against homosexuals on the set and then dropped the same f-bomb backstage at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. His contract was not renewed for Season 4. Pompeo is married to an African-American man in real life.) Pompeo also spoke for the first time about Katherine Heigl's departure from the show. "Hurt feelings, combined with instant success and huge paychecks started things spinning out of control. The crazier things got, as I watched all the tumult with Isaiah and then the Katie thing, I started to focus on the work. Maybe it is my Boston, blue-collar upbringing. I just tried to not pay attention to all the noise around me. When Katie left, it was tough. You could understand why she wanted to go — when you’re offered $12 million a movie and you’re only 26. But Katie’s problem is that she should not have renewed her contract. She re-upped, took a big raise and then tried to get off the show. And then her movie career did not take off." (Heigl left the show much the same as she spent her years on the show, amid controversy. In 2008, the actress wanted her name taken out of Emmy consideration because the writing for her character didn’t merit a nomination.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1..._4054417.html? Attached Images