List of Grey's Anatomy characters

File:Grey's Anatomy Season Five Cast.jpg

The season five cast—(from left) Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Sara Ramirez, Ellen Pompeo, Chyler Leigh, Justin Chambers, Katherine Heigl, Brooke Smith, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, T. R. Knight, and Sandra Oh

Grey's Anatomy is an American television series created by Shonda Rhimes, and is broadcast by ABC. The show features an ensemble cast of regular characters, with nine main characters in its first season. Since the first season, many characters have left the show or have been written off it, with new main characters having been both written in and out of the series.

Main characters

The following is a list of all current and previous main characters who have featured in Grey's Anatomy. The characters are listed in alphabetical order.

Name	Actor/actress	Starring seasons	Recurring seasons
Teddy Altman	Kim Raver	6, 7	6
Dr. Altman is the Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Seattle Grace. She previously served in Iraq with Owen Hunt. Although a skilled surgeon, her teaching methods can appear somewhat unorthodox. Her arrival in Seattle Grace, followed by her profession of love to Owen has caused some friction between Owen and his girlfriend, Cristina Yang.
Jackson Avery	Jesse Williams	7	6
A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital, he is also called "pretty boy," especially by Cristina Yang. He is a grandson of the famous surgeon, Dr. Harper Avery. He develops a crush on Cristina, and while inebriated he kisses her in a party, but Cristina breaks the kiss. In the 6th season finale, he is told by Dr. Shepherd that there is a lockdown in the hospital and is later left by Dr. Hunt and Dr. Altman in the OR with 2 nurses and 1 anesthesiologist. He is the one who decides that Yang should operate on Shepherd in order to save him. When Mr. Clark (the shooter) takes the OR hostage, he disconnects Shepherd in order to make everyone believe that he is dead until Mr. Clark leaves the room.
Miranda Bailey	Chandra Wilson	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
An attending general surgeon at Seattle Grace hospital, Miranda Bailey initially gave a cold, domineering impression, earning her the nickname The Nazi. However her attitude has since softened and she has developed a maternal role towards the Residents in the hospital. She has recently undergone a divorce which led her to turn down a fellowship in pediatric surgery.
Preston Burke	Isaiah Washington	1, 2, 3	-
Preston Burke was a former Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He began a romantic relationship with Cristina Yang, which came under strain when Burke was shot and his right hand's nerve supply was disrupted. With his career threatened he had Yang perform some of his surgeries, a situation which resolved when Derek Shepherd repaired Burke's nerve supply. Burke and Yang continued their relationship which ultimately ended on their Wedding Day, when Burke left Yang at the altar.
Alexandra 'Lexie' Grey	Chyler Leigh	4, 5, 6	3
Resident and half-sister of Meredith Grey, Lexie was in a long term relationship with Mark Sloan. Known for her photographic memory, she has earned the nickname Lexiepedia. Initially she had a distant, contentious relationship with Meredith, but they have since grown closer. She is often called "Little Grey" by other doctors on staff.
Meredith Grey	Ellen Pompeo	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
Resident Meredith Grey is considered the central protagonist of the show, and she narrates the majority of episodes. She began the series as an intern and has since progressed along her career path. Her character is defined by her romantic relationships as well as the lingering effects her mother's affair with Richard Webber has had on her life. She is best friends with Cristina Yang and following a long romance, Meredith has married neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd.
Erica Hahn	Brooke Smith	4, 5	2, 3
Following Preston Burke's departure, Erica Hahn took his position as Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Seattle Grace. Her brusque, somewhat harsh personality was tempered by Callie Torres, with whom she began a relationship. Her time at Seattle Grace ended abruptly, however, when she became discontent with Izzie Stevens, and the lack of disciplinary action following the Denny Duquette incident.
Owen Hunt	Kevin McKidd	5, 6	5
Owen Hunt, Head of Trauma Surgery, is the boyfriend of Cristina Yang. Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he has struggled with the horrors he experienced whilst serving with the army in Iraq. He invited former colleague Teddy Altman to work alongside him at Seattle Grace, a decision which caused some friction between himself and Cristina.
Alex Karev	Justin Chambers	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
Hard-headed and often discourteous Resident, Alex Karev has had a series of unfortunate relationships throughout his life beginning with his mother. At an early age he had to become her defender from an abusive father and later her carer. Whilst working as a doctor he was involved with a patient, Ava, but her mental instability strained their relationship and Alex once again adopted a carer persona before Ava's admission to a psychiatric hospital. Subsequently he embarked on a relationship with Izzie Stevens and they wed, however their relationship has come under duress following Izzie's dismissal from Seattle Grace.
April Kepner	Sarah Drew	7	6
A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital, she was fired in Episode 6.06 by Chief Webber, but later rehired by Dr. Shepherd in Episode 6.13 due to him believing her dismissal was unfair. Later it is revealed that she has a crush on Dr. Shepherd in Episode 6.19. In the season six finale, she informs him that her best friend Dr. Reed Adamson has been shot and killed. She later runs into Mr. Clark (the shooter) when Shepherd was shot. Clark lets her go when she tells him everything about her life.
Addison Montgomery	Kate Walsh	2, 3	1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Former Head of OB/GYN and Neonatal Surgery, and the ex-wife of Derek Shepherd, Addison transferred to Seattle Grace, seeking reconciliation with Derek. After achieving a degree of understanding with Derek and realizing that he was in love with Meredith Grey, Addison left Seattle Grace. The character is now the protagonist of ABC series Private Practice and continues to make guest appearances in Grey's Anatomy.
George O'Malley	T.R. Knight	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	-
George O'Malley had a less dominant personality compared with his fellow residents. He once had an infatuation with Meredith Grey which ended when they slept together, and halfway through Meredith began to cry, humiliating George. He also had a strong friendship with Izzie Stevens and later Lexie Grey. He was once married to Callie Torres, but their relationship came to an end when he believed he had feelings for Izzie. The two tried a relationship but decided to remain as friends when they realized their relationship lacked chemistry. Tragically, George died when rescuing a girl from being hit by a bus, sacrificing himself instead.
Arizona Robbins	Jessica Capshaw	6	5
Arizona Robbins, Head of Pediatric Surgery, has a cheery disposition but gets upset when challenging authority. She has embarked on a relationship with Callie Torres. It is implied that her family have an affiliation with the military, as her brother joined and died working with the army, and she was named after the USS Arizona. She has been revealed to harbor great emotional intelligence; her insight and advice has been used to defuse several situations, such as Callie's dispute with her father.
Derek Shepherd	Patrick Dempsey	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
As Head of Neurosurgery, Derek Shepherd earned the nickname McDreamy by the female staff of Seattle Grace. Seen as the lead male, he is known for his tortuous love-life. Initially he moved to Seattle Grace to get away from his adulterous ex-wife (Addison Montgomery) and his deceitful best friend (Mark Sloan). He subsequently began a long romance with Meredith Grey which resulted in their marriage. Recently he has had a somewhat antagonistic relationship with Richard Webber who he believes isn't governing the hospital appropriately. He is now acting as the Chief of Surgery after going to the hospital board about Chief Webber's drinking problem.
Mark Sloan	Eric Dane	3, 4, 5, 6	2, 3
Mark Sloan, Head of Plastic Surgery, has a playboy personality that nearly jeopardized his friendship with Derek by having an affair with his wife, Addison Montgomery. However the two managed to resolve their issues and reaffirm their friendship. He has been given the nickname "McSteamy" by the female staff. Sloan had a relationship with Lexie Grey, though their relationship ended due to strain when Sloan's 18 year old daughter from a one night stand moved in with them. Sloan's daughter is also named Sloan. It was later revealed that she is pregnant. Mark wanted to keep the baby but Sloan decided to give it up for adoption.
Isobel 'Izzie' Stevens	Katherine Heigl	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
Growing up in a trailer park and putting her newborn daughter up for adoption at age 16, Izzie managed to progress along medical school by paying her bills through modeling. She put her career as doctor on the line in a risky bid to get her lover Denny Duquette a new heart by cutting his LVAD wires. Denny subsequently died but Izzie managed to keep her job. Izzie began a relationship with Alex Karev, but their relationship came under strain when she was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. She survived the condition following treatment with Interleukin-2 but after restarting work she accidentally induced hyperkalemia in a patient listed for renal transplant. Subsequently she lost her job, and has since disappeared from Seattle Grace.
Calliope 'Callie' Torres	Sara Ramirez	3, 4, 5, 6	2
An attending Orthopaedic Surgeon, Callie was once married to George O'Malley, but later divorced after he developed feelings for Izzie Stevens. Later, she had a lesbian affair with Erica Hahn which was cut short by Hahn's departure from Seattle Grace. She was in a happy relationship with Arizona Robbins but they have broken up because Arizona did not want to have kids. At the end of the 6th season during the finale, Arizona and Callie end up getting back together and deciding that they are going to have children after doing a surgery on a small girl while a shooter is loose in the hospital and Callie tells Arizona in a round about way that she loves her.
Richard Webber	James Pickens, Jr.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
Authority figure and Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace, Richard has had a difficult past characterized by affairs and alcoholism. His relationship with Meredith Grey is at times volatile owing to the fact that he had an affair with her mother. Recently Richard has struggled with managing the finances of Seattle Grace and has merged the hospital with Mercy West Hospital. The merger has caused him much stress, strained his relationship with Derek Shepherd and ultimately contributed to the collapse of his sobriety.
Cristina Yang	Sandra Oh	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	-
Skilled Resident Cristina Yang has an indomitable passion for cardiothoracic surgery, and is almost ruthless in pursuit of her desired specialty. She is best friends with Meredith Grey, and has previously been in a relationship with Preston Burke, which ended suddenly when he left Cristina on their wedding day. Since then she has entered into a relationship with Owen Hunt.

Supporting characters

Other medical professionals

Name	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Nurse Olivia Harper	Sarah Utterback	1, 2, 3, 4, 6	18
A nurse at the hospital. She had relationships with George and Alex. Alex gave her syphilis which she then unknowingly gave to George after breaking up with Alex (which was part of a hospital-wide syphilis epidemic among the doctors and nurses). After that, Alex began a relationship with Izzie, who then found him cheating on her with Nurse Olivia. The female interns occasionally insultingly refer to her as "Syph Nurse." She was also in the club 'Nurses United Against Mark Sloan' which implies she has had sexual relations with him. During the merger, she is fired and Derek offers to give her a recommendation.
Nurse Tyler Christian	Moe Irvin	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	24
Nurse Tyler is one of the members of the nursing staff at Seattle Grace. He attended the nurse strike in season 2.
Patricia	Robin Pearson Rose	1, 2, 3, 5	12
Patricia is Richard Weber's assistant/secretary and had previously worked as a nurse.
Dr. Sydney Heron	Kali Rocha	2, 3, 4	8
A fifth-year general surgery resident at Seattle Grace, known for her extremely perky personality. She initially appeared as Bailey's substitute when Bailey was on maternity leave and clashed with Cristina, who finds Sydney's positive attitude unbearable. She later served as Izzie's peer counselor and revealed that her perky persona actually originated from a nervous breakdown she suffered after losing a patient of her own. She was also in the running to become chief resident, but lost to Callie, who was later replaced by Bailey. Sydney also went on one date with Dr. Shepherd, but dumped him when she decided he wasn't ready for the kind of relationship she needs.
Dr. Katharine Wyatt	Amy Madigan	4, 5, 6	18
A psychiatrist at the hospital, she was Dr. Meredith Grey's and Dr. Erica Hahn's therapist. As of "Sweet Surrender", Dr. Owen Hunt has begun sessions with her.
Dr. Steve Mostow	Mark Saul	4, 5, 6	27
A surgical intern of Dr. Cristina Yang, who calls him "2". Steve assisted Dr. Shepherd in a craniotomy, and did it quite well. Despite that, in "There's no 'I' in Team", Dr. Yang considered "giving" him to George O'Malley when he finally passed his medical exams. According to Yang, Steve stinks and has memory problems which won't let him become a doctor, but he will dig ditches by the side of the road instead. In the episode "In The Midnight Hour", Steve allowed the other interns to practice an epidural anesthesia on him, and introduce a catheter onto his male organs; because of this he couldn't move for a while and thus was not present at Sadie's operation. Dr. Yang found him immobilized and found out about the operation. Steve was put on probation along with the other interns. Later on the season, Steve slept with fellow intern Pierce's girlfriend Megan after they broke up, and she got pregnant without knowing who is her baby's father. It's revealed in the 6th season that Steve and Megan are married, and have concluded that he's the father. Later during the merger, Megan is fired, but Steve keeps his job, although she's later hired back by Derek Shepherd. When the hospital was taken by a shooter, Steve was with Dr. Torres and Dr. Robbins in the pediatric department. According to his blog, he has aspirations to go into neurosurgery as a specialty.
Dr. Graciella Guzman	Gloria Garayua	4, 5, 6	17
A surgical intern of Dr. Izzie Stevens, who considered giving her to George O'Malley because she charts like crap, but kept her because she can put in a line. Graciella is a nervous student, who eats a lot of chocolate when nervous. In the episode "In The Midnight Hour", she was the only one who quit the interns' operation on Sadie because she felt it was wrong; nevertheless, she was put on probation with the other interns.
Intern Pierce	Joseph Williamson	4, 5, 6	23
A surgical intern of Dr. Alex Karev, who considered to give him to George O'Malley just because he hates how his name sounds. Pierce has confronted Dr. Karev in at least one occasion, when he met his punishment along with the other interns in the episode "In The Midnight Hour" and commented that Dr. Stevens killed a man and was forgiven; Dr. Karev responded by physically attacking him. Later on the season, Pierce and Steve fought over Megan, Pierce's girlfriend who slept with Steve during a break up, and now she's pregnant without knowing who is the father to her baby.
Dr. Ryan Spalding	Brandon Scott	5, 6	15
A surgical intern of Dr. Cristina Yang, who considered giving him to George O'Malley, first appeared in "Life During Wartime" and was subsequently named "4.2". In the episode "In The Midnight Hour" Ryan was one of the surgical interns operating on Dr. Sadie Harris. He was left on his own in an OR, while the others went to get help. He was put on probation with the other interns, after Sadie nearly died in the operation.
Dr. Megan Mostow	Molly Kidder	4, 5, 6	25
nee Nowland. Resident and former intern of Dr. Meredith Grey's, who she considered giving to George O'Malley. She had a relationship with Intern Pierce which ended when she had an affair with Steve that resulted in a pregnancy. During the hospital merger The Chief fired her by e-mail. Later she decided to sue the hospital, believing her dismissal was related to her pregnancy. She was later rehired by Derek Shepherd, who believed she was fired unjustly and deserved a "fighting chance."
Intern Laura	Candice Afia	4, 5, 6	25
Former surgical intern under Dr. Alex Karev. Laura was rebuked by Izzie Stevens when she made fun of a patient with a facial deformity.
Dr. Raj Sen	Anjul Nigam	1, 2, 4	7
A psychiatric resident at Seattle Grace. He sometimes provides consults for the surgeons.
Dr. Virginia Dixon	Mary McDonnell	5	3
An exceptional cardiothoracic surgeon who has Asperger syndrome, and served as the interim Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Dr. Swender	Kimberly Elise	5	3
A surgical oncology attending assigned to oversee Izzie Stevens' cancer treatment. She is said to be the best surgical oncologist in the state of Washington. Swender is a proponent for IL-2-use as treatment for cancer; she reasons its success when a patient, initially given only three months to live, uses the therapy and survives an additional two years. The patient, however, succumbs to complications due to the inherent nature of the IL-2. This has shown to affect Swender's otherwise authoritarian and impartial persona, and casts doubt on this treatment-protocol.
Dr. Margaret Campbell	Faye Dunaway	5	1
A general surgery attending and Seattle Grace's first female surgeon. With forty-years of surgical experience, she is considered a pioneer and one of the hospital's most respected surgeons; it is implied that, in that time, Richard Webber was taught by her as she recalls an incident involving a clamp dropped into an open body cavity, and has worked with Ellis Grey. More recently, Cristina Yang has been vocal about her objections and criticisms of Campbell's continued long-standing service. Due to a complication caused by a lacerated bowel during a routine cholecytectomy, Campbell shortly retires after performing her last surgery to repair the "careless mistake."
Dr. Sadie Harris	Melissa George	5	8
An intern and former best friend of Meredith. She reveals self-harm tendencies and later quits Seattle Grace after her medical knowledge and expertise are called into question.
Dr. Colin Marlow	Roger Rees	3	3
A professor at Stanford University and brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon (noted for pioneering a procedure called the Marlowe transplant), Colin Marlowe had a three-year relationship with Cristina Yang before she graduated and began her residency at Seattle Grace. He appeared months later as a candidate for Chief of Surgery, and ultimately withdrew as his true purpose to rekindle his relationship with Cristina failed.
Dr. Norman Shales	Edward Herrmann	4	3
An elderly surgical intern assigned to second year Dr. Alex Karev. Dr. Shales is a former pharmacist who because of his age is often mistaken by patients as the senior physician. He has since transferred into Psych.
Nurse Rose	Lauren Stamile	4, 5	10
A nurse at the hospital. She works often with Dr. Derek Shepherd. She has been the attending nurse on over 30 of Dr. Derek Shepherd's surgeries, as Rose stated in "Forever Young" (Episode 8, Season 4). Derek and Rose shared a kiss and were dating, much to Meredith's distress as she tried to get over him. Despite their seemingly happy relationship, Rose was soon bothered by comments made by hospital personnel about Meredith and Derek's breakup only being temporary. For example, Addison Montgomery sarcastically called Rose the "McRebound," unaware that Rose was in the room. Her prediction proved correct when in the season finale, "Freedom," Derek and Meredith make up and share a kiss. Derek abruptly leaves this kiss to break up with Rose, signaling the end of their relationship. Afterward, Rose was hostile towards Derek whenever she saw him but when she accidentally cut his hand during a surgery, she apologized and transferred to a different department.
Dr. Finn Dandridge	Chris O'Donnell	2, 3	9
The former veterinarian of Meredith, Derek, and Addison's dog, Doc. He was also the newest love interest for Meredith for some time before she broke up with him for Derek. His wife, Liz, died in a car accident. The interns have given him the nickname "McVet," in accordance with Derek Shepherd's nickname, McDreamy. He dated Meredith throughout the end of the second season, and the beginning of the third season. He competed with Derek Shepherd for Meredith's heart. Meredith realized that he may be the "best guy," but he wasn't "her guy." After she told him this, he replied by saying, "He'll break your heart again, and when he does, I won't be here" and walked out for the last time.
Dr. Charles Percy	Robert Baker	6	6
Surgical Resident from Mercy West Hospital and has a crush on Reed Adamson, a fellow Mercy Wester. Shot by Mr. Clark in the season 6 finale, dies shortly after.
Dr. Reed Adamson	Nora Zehetner	6	7
Surgical Resident from Mercy West Hospital. She had a crush on Alex Karev and a one-night-stand with Mark Sloan. She is murdered by Mr. Clark in the season 6 finale.
Dr. Ben Warren	Jason George	6	3
Anesthesiologist from Mercy West Hospital and love interest of Dr. Bailey

Family members

Meredith and Lexie's family

• Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry): Thatcher is Meredith and Lexie Grey's father and the ex-husband of Ellis Grey. They were married for about seven years before his wife began having an affair with Richard Webber. Eventually, Ellis's affair and time away from home put too much strain on their marriage, and Thatcher left. Meredith was a small child at the time of the divorce, and roughly twenty years would pass before they saw each other again. Thatcher blames Ellis somewhat for his estrangement from Meredith, saying Ellis was "cold" and wouldn't let him get to know his daughter. After the disintegration of his first family, Thatcher married his second wife, Susan, and had two more daughters, Lexie and Molly. Susan constantly encouraged him to renew his relationship with Meredith. However, Susan died very suddenly at Seattle Grace Hospital, following a rare complication from a routine procedure to treat her hiccups and acid reflux problems. Meredith had been the intern on Susan's case, so Thatcher lashed out at Meredith and blamed her for Susan's death, slapping her in the face at one point. He later forbade Meredith to come to Susan's funeral service. In the episode "Physical Attraction, Chemical Reaction," Lexie and Alex find Thatcher extremely drunk. Alex humiliates Thatcher by offering to buy a drink for him. Lexie tells Alex to keep this a secret from Meredith. Thatcher later comes in the ER looking for Meredith, and she actually enjoys his company as a drunk more than his sober state. Later, as Lexie and Meredith talk, Meredith suggests Lexie watch him more, prompting Lexie to lash out at her. She tells Meredith that Thatcher is always drunk and swings from being proud of Lexie to berating her. At first Meredith doesn't believe it until Lexie relates how Thatcher uses the same "lifetime of proud" line with Lexie as he had with Meredith. This pushes Meredith to let her father go at last from her life. Thatcher returns in the fifth season, having gone through rehab and apologizing to both daughters, Meredith is cool to Thatcher, but Lexie is willing to forgive him.
• Molly Grey-Thompson (Mandy Siegfried): Molly is 22 years old and is Lexie's younger sister, and Meredith's other half-sister. She is also Thatcher Grey’s daughter by his second wife, Susan. She proposed to her husband, Eric, before he was shipped out by the military to be stationed in Iraq. Originally a patient at Mercy West, Molly transferred to Seattle Grace at 32 weeks pregnant, and Addison operated to repair a congenital diaphragmatic hernia on Molly’s baby. She later gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Laura. Her mother, Susan, died after rare complications after a simple surgery. Molly can be seen with her father at the hospital, before attending her mother's funeral.

Cristina's family

• Helen Yang Rubenstein (Tsai Chin): Cristina's highly traditional mother. Helen remarried to Dr. Saul Rubenstein, an oral surgeon, when Cristina was three, raising Cristina in the Jewish faith. Cristina's father died later in a car accident when she was nine. On the day of her daughter's wedding, she comments that she had supposed her daughter to be too emotionally stunted for marriage, but was happy to be apparently proven wrong.

Isobel (Izzie)'s family

• Robbie Stevens (Sharon Lawrence): Mother
• Hannah Klein (Liv Hutchings): Biological daughter. Izzie gave her up for adoption after she gave birth to her at just 16. Izzie states that she named her Sarah. In the third season, Hannah is admitted to the Seattle Grace Hospital as she suffers from Leukemia.

Dr. Webber's family

• Adele Webber (Loretta Devine): The outspoken wife of Dr. Webber, Adele has been shown to perceive much more than her husband might expect — whether it is about the past of her own marriage, or the current state of the Shepherds'. She endured her marriage silently and without complaints, but she finally had enough when Richard put his other hospital patients above her dying niece. When Richard failed to return home on the night of the prom, she made an appointment to see him at the office, but was blown off because of another hospital emergency. It proved one too many, however, and she gave him an ultimatum: her or the hospital. Richard tried to avoid making the choice, but Adele was tired of his indecision, and left him. When Dr. Richard Webber quits his job as the Head Of Surgery, he returns to Adele to find out that she has moved on and appears to be involved with another man. She is in the process of divorcing Richard when she was involved in a small car accident, and was hospitalized. She revealed to Addison that she is pregnant. After being released, she fainted in a bathroom and was found by Richard. It is discovered that she is having complications with the pregnancy and will have to undergo surgery. Despite the fact that he believes that he is not the baby's father, Dr. Webber stays at his wife's side even when she tells him to leave her be. This support eventually brings them back together. After the surgery, Adele lost the baby and tells Richard that the baby was indeed his and that there was never any other man in her life.

• Camille Travis (Tessa Thompson / Camille Winbush): Richard and Adele's cancer-sick niece, daughter of Adele's sister, Arlene. Bailey ordered the interns to plan a prom in the hospital - for her.

• Arlene Travis (Shelley Robertson): Adele's sister, mother of Camille.

George's family

• Louise O'Malley (Debra Monk): Louise was married to her husband Harold (George Dzundza) for 40 years before his death, and they have three sons: Jerry, Ronny, and George. Louise is a teacher and a devoted wife and mother. She has shown an intense interest in her youngest son's life, even asking Izzie for details on George's personal relationships. She is also a devout Catholic as evident by her disapproval of George and Callie getting a divorce and in tears asks George to go to church and pray for forgivness. George seems to find her a little overbearing, and is often embarrassed by her good-natured gestures, such as setting out breakfast for the interns during rounds and offering to iron his scrubs.

• Jerry O'Malley (Greg Pitts): Brother. Has a dry cleaners business.

• Ronny O'Malley (Tim Griffin): Brother. Sells cars.

Alex Karev's family

• Aaron Karev: Alex's younger brother. He is very nice and polite, which is why Cristina named him "Angel Spawn" while she calls Alex "Evil Spawn". He has a hernia which is successfully removed by Dr. Bailey. He's also very chatty and speaks frankly about his and Alex's past, while Alex likes to keep their past secret. All in all he seems to be the opposite of Alex, even though he likes saying 'Dude' as Alex does.

• Amber Karev: Alex's sister. She's the youngest of Alex's siblings.

Other minor characters

• Joe the Bartender (Steven W. Bailey): The owner of the Emerald City Bar, located across from the hospital, where the doctors often go for a drink. Joe collapsed due to an aneurysm in "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head," and Derek and Burke performed a stand-still surgery to repair it. Joe and his boyfriend Walter attended the Thanksgiving Izzie hosted at Meredith's house, and they went on a camping trip with Dr. Shepherd, Burke, Webber, Karev and O'Malley. During this trip, Joe revealed during a discussion with the Chief that although he and Walter had been "on-and-off" for about ten years, they were now committed and considering the possibility of children. They are one of two couples being considered as adoptive parents for a young mother's twins.

• Walter (Brian Reid/Jack Yang): Joe's boyfriend. Walter has been played by Jack Yang in all of his appearances except in the episode Let It Be, where he is played by Brian Reid.

• Amanda (Shannon Lucio): A young woman saved from being hit by a bus by George, who was subsequently dragged several yards by the bus. Amanda was extremely concerned about him, and she stayed with him in the ICU. :After George succumbed to his injuries, she was devastated that she lost her "prince" who saved her life. She attended George's funeral and cried harder than his own mother. Amanda kept a daily vigil outside the hospital until Izzie confronted her, pointing out that she was still alive thanks to George, and that she should honor him by living her life.

• Rebecca Pope or "Ava" (Elizabeth Reaser): A patient suffering from amnesia after being badly injured in the ferry crash. At the time of the crash, she was in the third trimester of pregnancy. She was discovered by Dr. Alex Karev, and they developed a very close relationship. While at Seattle Grace, she delivered a baby girl and underwent extensive facial reconstruction surgery, performed by Dr. Mark Sloan. She eventually regained her memory and went home with her husband Jeff, although before leaving she pleaded with Alex to "give [her] a reason to stay." She returned to Seattle Grace to be with Alex, and he ended up getting suspended for sneaking her into the OR gallery to watch him perform surgery. She left, but returned six weeks later claiming to be pregnant with his child. Although initally upset, Alex eventually became excited about having a baby with her; however, it was revealed that she was suffering from a hysterical pregnancy. When she learned that she was not actually pregnant, she became severely depressed, and Alex neglected his duties at the hospital to take care of her. But when she attempted suicide, Izzie intervened and had her admitted to the psychiatric ward. It's revealed that she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder several months earlier, and her husband had taken their daughter and left her. Alex visited her after she was admitted and told her that he couldn't take care of her anymore, and that she would be transferred to a psychiatric facility. Elizabeth Reaser was nominated Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series at the 2007 Emmy Awards for her role on the show.

Deceased characters

• Bonnie Crasnoff (Monica Keena): A patient admitted to Seattle Grace Hospital after being in a train crash. She and another passenger, Tom, were connected by a large metal pole passing through their bodies. Since moving the pole would kill them, the doctors decided to move one of the patients off the pole, then operate around the pole to repair the damage in the other patient. Since her injuries were more severe, they decided to move her, and she died almost immediately. Bonnie reappared in Season 3 as part of Meredith's dream after drowning.

• Dylan Young (Kyle Chandler): The commanding officer of the Seattle PD bomb squad that responded to the bomb scare. He helped to keep Meredith calm as she held the bomb located inside a patient's body. She removed the bomb safely from the patient, but it exploded while Dylan carried it out of the OR. He reappared in Season 3 as part of Meredith's dream after drowning.

• Dennison "Denny" Duquette, Jr. (Jeffrey Dean Morgan): A patient waiting for a heart transplant. He developed a close relationship with Izzie Stevens, and he eventually proposed to her. Izzie risked her career to save him by cutting his LVAD wire, insuring that he would become so ill that he would get a new heart. He died shortly after the transplant from a blood clot. He reappared in Season 3 as part of Meredith's dream after drowning. In Season 5 Izzie began to see Denny everywhere, which was eventually revealed to be a symptom of her brain tumor.

• Harold O'Malley (George Dzundza): Father of George O'Malley. He was a truck driver with a passion for vintage cars. He was married for forty years to his wife, Louise, and they had three sons: Jerry, Ronny, and George. He was very proud of all of his sons, but he often had trouble relating to George. He was admitted to Seattle Grace with esophageal cancer that had spread to his stomach, as well as a leaking aortic valve. He underwent surgery to replace his aortic valve, which was successful, and later had a second surgery to determine the extent of the cancer. Prior to the second surgery, he had asked Dr. Webber and Dr. Bailey to remove the tumor regardless of the risk in order to give him a chance to fight the cancer. The surgery proved too much for his body, and after several days, he went into multi-system organ failure, which prompted the family to take him off life support.

• Ellis Grey (Kate Burton, Sarah Paulson (1982 flashback)): Meredith's mother. She was a highly respected surgeon who trained at Seattle Grace with Dr. Webber. During their residency, she and Webber had an affair; she left her husband Thatcher for him, but he could not bring himself to leave his wife. After her residency, she left Seattle to take a position at Massachusetts General. She also worked at the Mayo Clinic. She won the Harper Avery Award twice, and she invented the laprascopic Grey method. She developed early onset Alzheimer's shortly before Meredith started medical school, and at the start of the show she had been placed in a nursing home. She died in the middle of Season 3 of cardiac arrest.

• Susan Grey (Mare Winningham): The second wife of Thatcher Grey, and mother of Lexie Grey and Molly Grey Thompson. Susan was always aware of Thatcher's first wife and daughter, but she didn't meet Meredith until Molly was a patient at Seattle Grace. She reached out to Meredith and encouraged her to develop a relationship with Thatcher. At first, Meredith resisted Susan's attempts to mother her, but eventually she came to think of Susan as a surrogate mother. Susan died suddenly, following a rare complication from a routine procedure to treat her acid reflux and hiccups. Thatcher was devastated by her death and became an alcoholic.

• George O'Malley (T. R. Knight): A surgical resident at Seattle Grace, and one of Dr. Bailey's former interns. He began to display a talent for trauma surgery and decided to join the army. On his final day as a civilian, George saved a woman from being hit by a bus, but was run over and eventually died.

• Dr. Reed Adamson (Nora Zehetner): Surgical resident, formerly at Mercy West Hospital. She was close friends with Dr. Charles Percy and Dr. April Kepner. She seemed to be attracted to Alex Karev, and she had a one night stand with Mark Sloane. She was shot in the head by Gary Clark in the Season 6 finale.

• Dr. Charles Percy (Robert Baker): Surgical resident, formerly at Mercy West Hospital. He was often referred to as "the big guy." He was in love with Dr. Reed Adamson. Percy was shot by Gary Clark in the Season 6 finale, and despite MIranda Bailey's efforts, he died.

• Gary Clark (Michael O'Neill): Husband of a patient at Seattle Grace. His wife was treated by Dr. Lexie Grey and Dr. Webber. After surgery his wife went into a coma, and since she had earlier signed a DNR, she was taken off life support. Clark filed a lawsuit against Dr. Shephard for wrongful death, but lost. In the Season 6 finale, he returned to the hospital intending to kill Dr. Shephard, Dr. Lexie Grey, and Dr. Webber. He ended up shooting several other people, including Reed Adamson, Charles Percy, and Alex Karev. After a tense standoff with Dr. Webber, he used his last bullet to kill himself instead of Dr. Webber.

External links

• Official blog of Joe the bartender
• Official blog of nurse Debbie