Since Grey's Anatomy premiered on ABC in 2005, the hit show has introduced a long list of characters that viewers grew to care about. While some of those characters have had happy endings or are still on the show, many have met their untimely demise. Despite that, Grey's Anatomy still can shock its viewers with character deaths.
One of Grey's Anatomy's strengths has always been the show's ability to craft moments that will always stick with viewers and highly memorable quotes. Similarly, there have been many character deaths that the series' avid fans still remember and are affected by years later. With that in mind, it is fascinating to learn which Grey's Anatomy character's death affected the show's creator the most.
Shonda Rhimes revealed that Dr. George O'Malley's death hit her hard
On October 8 2025, Shonda Rhimes was the guest on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. During that podcast episode, the host, Alex Cooper, asked Rhimes a fascinating question while discussing Grey's Anatomy. "Which character's death hit you the hardest?" After taking a moment to consider the question, Rhimes revealed it was the death of Dr. George O'Malley that affected her the most. Rhimes then went on to explain why that Grey's Anatomy death was so difficult for her to deal with.
"Probably George's. I mean, George was really, that character is so beloved. T.R. is such a lovely guy. That was such a hard thing to do. He was so T.R. was so amazing cuz he didn't need to lay on that table, but he was like ‘I'm going to do the role even though you're never going to see my face.’ The whole nine yards. He was wonderful."
The character of Dr. George O'Malley starred in the first five seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Then, O'Malley was hit by a bus while trying to save a pedestrian and suffered catastrophic injuries. In fact, his injuries were so severe that the character couldn't be identified until he traced his nickname, 007, in the palm of Dr. Meredith Grey.
During Rhimes' podcast appearance, Alex Cooper brought up how seeing O'Malley trace 007 devastated viewers. "007 in the palm. You really wanted us to actually like have like snot coming out of our noses." In response, Rhimes revealed that the 007 moment affected her too, which was why she was confident that the scene would work.
"I mean, it broke me. So, I knew that the audience would respond to it. But, I really loved it."Shonda Rhimes
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.