In the event you did not know that Oscar winner Denzel Washington directed an episode of “Gray’s Anatomy,” then you definately nearly undoubtedly do not know that he and the present’s star, Ellen Pompeo, had a critical battle throughout manufacturing.
The lady who performed sequence lead Meredith Gray for 19 seasons of the hit medical drama created by Shonda Rhimes opened up concerning the on-set drama between her and Washington throughout a 2021 episode of the actress’ podcast “Inform Me with Ellen Pompeo.” (Pompeo formally left the sequence in early 2023, however she nonetheless commonly seems in episodes and offers the present’s voice-over). Whereas chatting along with her former “Gray’s Anatomy” co-star Patrick Dempsey, whose character Derek Shepherd — Meredith’s husband — was killed in season 11, Pompeo mentioned the on-set points she had with the Oscar-winning actor as they labored on a season 12 episode collectively.
In Pompeo’s view, she thinks that Washington doubtlessly did not take the chance very critically. “I feel he noticed it as a superb train to only are available in and direct one thing fast,” she advised Dempsey. “Think about Denzel Washington approaching to direct an episode of ‘Gray’s Anatomy?’ That is one thing that I by no means thought that I might see, ever.” So the place did all of it go unsuitable? In response to Pompeo, Washington did not know a complete lot concerning the present or Meredith Gray, and when she improvised throughout a pivotal scene and gave an in-character route to a different actor, he acquired offended along with her. “Denzel went ham on my ass,” Pompeo recalled. “He was like, ‘I am the director! Do not you inform [Pompeo’s scene partner] what to do!'”
“I used to be like, ‘Hear, motherf*****, that is my present! That is my set!” Pompeo recalled to Dempsey throughout their interview. “‘Who’re you telling? You barely know the place the lavatory is!'” So what does Washington need to say about it? In a 2022 interview with Selection, Washington stated he did not keep in mind the incident in query earlier than grinning and saying, “However it’s all good.”
The episode of Gray’s Anatomy that Denzel Washington directed is tremendous intense
To be completely honest to Ellen Pompeo — who most likely should not have blown up at Denzel Washington fairly as badly as she says she did — the episode that the “Fences” director and star helmed was a really delicate and really private one for her character Meredith Gray. All through “Gray’s Anatomy,” it is an understatement to say that Meredith has been via it; she sticks her hand right into a physique cavity holding a bomb in season 2, drowns in season 3, survives a mass capturing in season 6, a airplane crash in season 8 (although the latter does kill her sister Lexie Gray, performed by Chyler Leigh), and her husband dies in a automotive crash in season 11. Within the episode Washington directed, “The Sound of Silence,” Meredith is treating a affected person named Lou (Dohn Norwood) who simply had a seizure … and in a second of disoriented rage after the seizure, Lou brutally assaults Meredith, breaking her jaw and inflicting listening to loss.
As Meredith recovers, surrounded by her buddies and colleagues, she loses hope, particularly in a very heartbreaking second when her children come to go to her hospital room and are terrified to see her jaw wired shut. The scene that precipitated the obvious concern between Washington and Pompeo, although, is one the place Lou asks to apologize to Meredith; within the podcast, Pompeo says she was pissed off that Norwood was taking part in Lou as quiet and meek at that second and demanded, as Meredith, that he converse up and take a look at her throughout his apology. Within the episode that airs, Meredith, who nonetheless can’t converse, takes Lou’s hand and forgives him.
“Gray’s Anatomy” is streaming on each Hulu and Netflix now.