History Trivia / GreysAnatomy

** Casey Parker and his actor are both trans men.
** Levi Schmitt and his actor Jake Borelli are both gay.

* ColorblindCasting: How the show casts a bunch of its characters, specific examples:
** Cristina's surname was changed to Yang to seem more racially accurate when Sandra Oh was cast.
** The season 6 intake: Teddy, Charlie, and Reed who all have gender bender names (Teddy made short for Theodora and Charlie for Charles when they were cast).
** The season 14 intake: All the interns: Levi, Sam, Casey, Taryn, and the other two. Leads to the realization that Andrew [=DeLuca=] could have been bi if whoever they cast as Sam was male (they weren't, Sam was made short for Samantha); also Casey is (and is played by) a trans man (Alex Blue Davis) which makes this practice of the shows super for representation.
** The same if presumably done for the spin-offs, with character names like Dell (''Private Practice'', male), Andy and Vic (''Station 19'', female).

* CriticalResearchFailure: A meta example in the show's promotion that led to criticism: when Callie left the show various media outlets claimed she was the longest-running LGBT+ character [[ExactWords "on television"]] because of 240 episodes over 10 years from 2006-16 (Creator/SaraRamirez later getting another episode credit for soundtrack). Many people reading this, particularly from the UK, laughed out loud at how wrong it was, given the fact that there have been many other characters who would beat her to the title, most egregiously being the titular character of ''Series/DoctorWho'' who is also bisexual and has been in about 900 episodes since 1963. Callie might have been the longest-running LGBT+ character ''on American TV'', but they didn't say that. A more direct comparative might be lesbian Dixie from the British medical drama ''Series/{{Casualty}}'', who was in 400 episodes over 20 years from 1996-16.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Season 17 started with how the characters are handling the the Covid-19 pandemic in April of 2020.

** Ellen Pompeo revealed that the producers wanted to couple Meredith with Burke, and that Isaiah Washington's disappointment after this idea was scrapped contributed to off-screen tension (that eventually ended up getting him fired).

** Rob Lowe of Series/TheWestWing was originally approached to play Dr. Derek Shepherd, the love interest and later husband of the main character, Dr. Meredith Grey. He turned it down for another pilot.

* ImageSource: PreserveYourGays

* QuoteSource: RoadsideSurgery.

* FanNickname: The first batch of interns are referred to by the fandom as MAGIC: Meredith, Alex, George, Izzie, Cristina.

* QueerCharacterQueerActor:
** Callie and her actress Sara Ramírez are both bisexual. According to a 2013 interview, [[ActorInspiredElement Ramírez asked for it to be part of her character]].
** Casey Parker and his actor are both trans men.
** Levi Schmitt and his actor Jake Borelli are both gay.
* QuoteSource: RoadsideSurgery

* AbsenteeActor: Creator/KatherineHeigl in Season 6, by her own request. After appearing sporadically throughout the first half of the season, she was credited for six episodes she wasn't in before she finally decided she truly wasn't coming back.
** She isn't the only instance of this trope. Arizona broke up with Callie and [[PutOnABus went to Africa for some time]] because of Jessica Capshaw's pregnancy. Meredith had surgery that required her to miss work for weeks because of Ellen Pompeo's pregnancy; she did make appearances, but was always shown in bed. Derek (Patrick Dempsey) misses six consecutive episodes in season 11; he [[spoiler: dies later in the same season]].
** Even Ellen Pompeo (who play the show's titular character) isn't above this; she is only heard in a voiceover in season 13's "You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch)" (which is set away from Seattle, and only features Arizona, Bailey, and Jo) and she is absent altogether from the same season's "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" the first episode which doesn't feature Pompeo in any way.
** In later seasons, there are several episodes which only a few characters appear, including the aforementioned episodes. Another prominent example is "How to Save a Life" in season 11, where only Creator/EllenPompeo, Chandra Wilson, Kevin [=McKidd=], Sarah Drew, Creator/CaterinaScorscone, and Creator/PatrickDempsey appear; this is the same episode where [[spoiler: Derek dies]]. Side note: this is the first episode where Creator/JustinChambers is completely absent.
* ActorAllusion: Quite a bit:
** Jo Wilson, played by Creator/CamillaLuddington, whose StarMakingRole was as [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily Kate Middleton]], is referred to as "Princess" by Alex.
** Owen being of Scottish background as his actor, Creator/KevinMcKidd, is very Scottish. In season 15 Luddington's Jo, who was adopted, takes a mail-in DNA test that reveals she's "mostly British".
** In the 9th season opener, Arizona begs to keep her leg rather than have it amputated, in Series/IntoTheWest, Creator/JessicaCapshaw played Rachel Wheeler, who died on the operating table while having her leg amputated.

* ForeignRemake: Received one in Colombia's 2010 ''A corazón abierto'' (Open Heart), featuring the same premise with María Alejandra (Meredith) starting work at the hospital where her famous and now Alzheimer's-afflicted worked and making friends with other new doctors Cristina, Jorge, Isabel, and Augusto (Alex). Colombian!Derek is called Andrés.

** The reasoning behind Meredith's liver transplant storyline in Season Six--it was a procedure that would require a lot of bedrest for the character and to get Ellen Pompeo off her feet in real life (Shonda Rhimes has stated she was ''very'' pregnant while those episodes were being filmed).

** Jessica Capshaw had pregnancies hidden in early season seven, late season eight/early nine, and late season twelve. For the first, her character was sent to Africa for two episodes to explain her absence.

** In later seasons, there are several episodes which only a few characters appear, including the aforementioned episodes. Another prominent example is "How to Save a Life" in season 11, where only Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, Kevin [=McKidd=], Sarah Drew, Caterina Scorscone, and Patrick Dempsey appear; this is the same episode where [[spoiler: Derek dies]]. Side note: this is the first episode where Justin Chambers is completely absent.

* RetroactiveRecognition: One of [[Series/{{Supergirl 2015}} Alex Danvers's]] many alternate Earth counterparts in the {{Multiverse}} was a surgical resident at Seattle Grace.
** Numerous Series/{{Arrowverse}} actors have also appeared on ''Grey's'' as PatientOfTheWeek, making for an interesting RewatchBonus.

** Sarah Drew's character of April Kepner both share an evangelical Christian faith.

** Episode 300: "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" (14x07). [[{{Expie}} Expies]] of George, Cristina, and Lexie are PatientOfTheWeek, Meredith wins a Harper-Avery Award, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Jo resurrects the "seriously?" meme.]]

** Episode 200: "Puttin' On The Ritz" (10x04). The hospital stages a circus-themed fundraiser.
** Episode 300: "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" (14x07). Meredith ditches the Harper-Averys to help with a trauma, which turns out to be second-year residents strangely reminiscent of George, Cristina, and Izzie. Meredith ultimately wins the Harper-Avery Award, with Jackson accepting for her, and gets a congratulatory phone call from Cristina.

* CriticalResearchFailure: A meta example in the show's promotion that led to criticism: when Callie left the show various media outlets claimed she was the longest-running LGBT+ character [[ExactWords "on television"]] because of 240 episodes over 10 years from 2006-16 (Creator/SaraRamirez later getting another episode credit for soundtrack). Many people reading this, particularly from the UK, laughed out loud at how wrong it was, given the fact that there have been many other characters who would beat her to the title, most {{egregious}}ly being the titular character of ''Series/DoctorWho'' who is also bisexual and has been in about 900 episodes since 1963. Callie might have been the longest-running LGBT+ character ''on American TV'', but they didn't say that. A more direct comparative might be lesbian Dixie from the British medical drama ''Series/{{Casualty}}'', who was in 400 episodes over 20 years from 1996-16.

** In one episode a young couple confronts Lexie asking if she's judging them for having kids and seeming so immature, with Lexie genuinely assuring them she would never--rightly so as actress Creator/ChylerLeigh was married with kids at a young age. To point, at the time of the episode she'd been with [[Creator/NathanWest her husband]] for 15 years and they had three kids. And, yes, she's as young as she looks (they're still together, too, if you're wondering).

** Even Ellen Pompeo (who play the show's titular character) isn't above this; she is only heard in a voiceover in season 13's "You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch)" (which is set away from Seattle, and only features Arizona, Bailey, and Jo) and she is absent altogether from the same season's "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" the first episode which doesn't feature Pompeo in anyway.

** In season 15 Jo, who was adopted, takes a mail-in DNA test that reveals she's "mostly British".

** Owen being of Scottish background as his actor, Creator/KevinMcKidd, is very Scottish.

** Camilla Luddington's character Jo is of British ancestry; Luddington is British.

** The season 14 intake: All the interns who aren't Levi "Glasses" Schmitt: Sam, Casey, Taryn, and the other two. Leads to the realization that Andrew [=DeLuca=] could have been bi if whoever they cast as Sam was male (they weren't, Sam was made short for Samantha); also Casey is (and is played by) a trans man (Alex Blue Davis) which makes this practice of the shows super for representation.

** In later seasons, there are several episodes which only a few characters appear, including the aforementioned episodes. Another prominent example is "How to Save a Life" in season 11, where only Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd, Sarah Drew, Caterina Scorscone, and Patrick Dempsey appear; this is the same episode where [[spoiler: Derek dies]]. Side note: this is the first episode where Justin Chambers is completely absent.

** Even Meredith (the show's titular character) isn't above this; she is only heard in a voiceover in season 13's "You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch)" (which is set away from Seattle, and only features Arizona, Bailey, and Jo) and she is absent altogether from the same season's "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" the first episode which doesn't feature Meredith in anyway.
** In later seasons, there are several episodes which only a few characters appear, including the aforementioned episodes. Another prominent example is "How to Save a Life" in season 11, where only Meredith, Bailey, Owen, April, Amelia, and Derek appear; this is the same episode where [[spoiler: Derek dies]]. Side note: this is the first episode where Alex is completely absent.

** Caterina Scorsone's pregnancy was hidden in season thirteen.

* AbsenteeActor: Katherine Heigl in Season 6, by her own request. After appearing sporadically throughout the first half of the season, she was credited for six episodes she wasn't in before she finally decided she truly wasn't coming back.

** Katherine Heigl (Izzie) was originally supposed to have time off for maternity leave and come back towards the end of the sixth season, but she instead asked the producers to be released from the contract 18 months early, in order to spend time with her family.

** Jo Wilson is played by an English actress.

** Kevin [=McKidd=] is Scottish--and not just a polite Edinburger, either. You know the kid in ''Disney/{{Brave}}'' with the [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent incomprehensible Doric accent]]? That would be him.