Shonda Rhimes 2237856 226163769 2008-07-17T02:56:12Z 96.246.58.122 /* Personal life */ {{Infobox Celebrity | name = Shonda Rhimes | image = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|1|13}} | birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], [[USA]] | birth_name = | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = [[television producer|producer]], [[screenwriter]], and [[television director|director]]. }} '''Shonda Rhimes''' is a [[screenwriter]], [[television director|director]] and [[television producer|producer]]. She is best known as the creator and executive producer of television series ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' and its spin-off ''[[Private Practice]]''. In May 2007, she was named as one of the [[Time 100]] people who help shape the world.<ref>{{cite web | last=Oh | first=Sandra | title=The TIME 100, ARTISTS & ENTERTAINERS | work=TIME | publisher= | url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1595332_1616813,00.html | accessdate=2007-05-05}}</ref> ==Personal life== Rhimes attended [[Marian Catholic High School]], [[Dartmouth College]] and earned a bachelor's degree. She earned a master of fine arts from the [[University of Southern California]]'s School of Cinema-Television. ==Career== Rhimes initially struggled to find a writing or production gig after graduation. For a time, she lived with her sister in San Francisco and worked in advertising. Later, she worked as an office administrator, and then as a counselor at a job center that taught mentally ill and homeless people job skills. Eventually, Rhimes began to break into the market, and sold several scripts. Rhimes received first position credit for the HBO movie ''[[Introducing Dorothy Dandridge]]''. When that movie was a critical and commercial success, she was hired to write ''[[Crossroads (2002 film)|Crossroads]]'' and ''[[The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement]]''. Rhimes won the Best Drama TV Series [[Golden Globe]] award in 2007 for Grey's Anatomy. ==Grey's Anatomy== <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Cast 13.jpg|thumb|300px|The season 3 cast of ''Grey's Anatomy'']] --> Shonda Rhimes is the creator and executive producer of ''Grey's Anatomy'', as well as one of the show's many writers. The [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series debuted as a midseason replacement on [[March 27]], [[2005]]. The show revolves around Dr. Meredith Grey ([[Ellen Pompeo]]), a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. The show features an ensemble cast, but Meredith is featured as the main character, with a voice-over narration at the beginning and end of most episodes. On [[May 16]], [[2006]] the morning following the close of the second season, ABC announced plans for a third season of ''Grey's Anatomy'' to anchor the network's Thursday evening programming,<ref>{{cite web | title=ABC Fall 2006 Schedule | date=2006-07-11 | url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-abc-upfront-grid,0,7505738.story | work=Zap2it | accessdate=2006-10-25}}</ref> by airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST. As Thursday has historically been the most competitive programming night among American broadcast networks, the announced schedule change for the series has been viewed by media analysts as another vote of confidence in the series from ABC. The fourth season premiered [[September 27]], [[2007]] in the primetime block on ABC. ==Private Practice== Shonda Rhimes is also the creator and executive producer of ''Grey's Anatomy'' spin-off series ''[[Private Practice]]''. She is also one of the show's writers. The series debuted on [[September 26]], [[2007]] on ABC. The show chronicles the life of Dr. Addison Montgomery ([[Kate Walsh]]) as she leaves Seattle Grace Hospital for Los Angeles in order to join a private practice. The show features an ensemble cast, including [[Tim Daly]], [[Amy Brenneman]], [[Audra McDonald]] and [[Taye Diggs]] among others. The first season was shortened due to writers' strike and consists of only 9 episodes. On February 11, 2008, ABC picked up ''Private Practice'' for the 2008-09 television season. The second season is scheduled to premiere [[September 24]], [[2008]] on ABC. ==Trivia== {{trivia| date=September 2007}} * As a [[List of Dartmouth College alumni|Dartmouth alumna]], Rhimes often peppers the scripts with references to the college. * Rhimes has said that of all of the ''Grey's Anatomy'' characters, her own personality is best represented by the character of [[Meredith Grey|Meredith]]; however, she also draws some similarities with the no-nonsense natures of [[Cristina Yang]].<ref>{{Citation | last=Johnson | first=Pamela K. | author-link= | publication-date=2005-09 | year=2005 | titl=The Cutting Edge. Shonda Rhimes dissects Grey's Anatomy. | periodical=Written By | series= | publication-place= | place= | publisher= | volume= | issue=2005-09 | pages= | url=http://www.wga.org/writtenby/writtenbysub.aspx?id=883 | issn= | doi= | oclc= | accessdate=2006-08-02}}.</ref> * Rhimes has said that her time spent as a [[candy striper]] while in high school sparked an interest in hospital environments.<ref>{{cite web | last=Maureen | first=Ryan | title=Shonda Rhimes, creator of 'Grey's Anatomy' and a Chicagoan of the Year | work=The Watcher | date=2005-12-21 | url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2005/12/shonda_rhimes_a.html | accessdate=2008-01-21 }}</ref> * Rhimes has said in several interviews that she already has the "bible" of Grey's Anatomy mapped out, and has planned the arc of each season. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{imdb name|id=0722274|name=Shonda Rhimes}} * [http://www.greyswriters.com/ 'Grey Matter' Writer's Blog on ABC.com] * Interview with [http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200503/20050328.html Shonda Rhimes] on the [[Tavis Smiley]] show * [http://www.wga.org/writtenby/writtenbysub.aspx?id=883 Writer's Guild of America profile] {{Grey's Anatomy}} {{Private Practice}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhimes, Shonda}} [[Category:1970 births]] [[Category:African American film directors]] [[Category:African American writers]] [[Category:American adoptive parents]] [[Category:American film directors]] [[Category:American screenwriters]] [[Category:American television producers]] [[Category:American television writers]] [[Category:Dartmouth College alumni]] [[Category:Grey's Anatomy]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:University of Southern California alumni]] [[Category:Writers from Chicago]] [[Category:American soap opera writers]] [[de:Shonda Rhimes]] [[es:Shonda Rhimes]] [[fr:Shonda Rhimes]] [[it:Shonda Rhimes]] [[no:Shonda Rhimes]] [[pl:Shonda Rhimes]] [[pt:Shonda Rhimes]] [[fi:Shonda Rhimes]]