Grey's Anatomy (season 1) - Cast

Cast

Nine actors had star billing in the show's first season. Series creator Shonda Rhimes wanted a diverse cast, and so created characters without pre-specified races. Determined not to have a show in which "all the extras are white, except the lone janitor", she has created what the New York Times have called "one of the most colorful backgrounds in television". Rhimes used a "blind-casting" technique, which resulted in several roles going to actors of different racial backgrounds than first envisioned. Isaiah Washington, eventually cast as Preston Burke, was originally considered for the role of Derek Shepherd, while Burke was initially to be played by a white actor who dropped out at the last moment. Chandra Wilson was cast in the role of Miranda Bailey, who Rhimes had imagined as a blonde until auditioning Wilson. The Campus have observed that the Grey's Anatomy cast is actually more diverse than the city it emulates, noting that Seattle is actually 70% Caucasian.

The nine characters who appear as series regulars in the first season all work in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital. Five of the characters are interns: Meredith Grey portrayed by Ellen Pompeo, who is in a romantic relationship with her attending Derek Shepherd, and is the daughter of the renowned surgeon Ellis Grey, who now suffers from Alzheimer's; Cristina Yang portrayed by Sandra Oh, an extremely competitive intern who befriends Meredith and begins a sexual relationship with Preston Burke; Izzie Stevens portrayed by Katherine Heigl, an ex model who struggles to be recognized as a doctor; Alex Karev portrayed by Justin Chambers, an arrogant intern who initially irritates his colleagues, and George O'Malley portrayed by T.R. Knight, an insecure intern with a lack of confidence, who develops a crush on Meredith. The interns are mentored by their resident Miranda Bailey portrayed by Chandra Wilson, a disciplined woman who is nicknamed "The Nazi". The surgical program is led by the Chief of Surgery Dr. Richard Webber portrayed by James Pickens Jr.. In his employ are Preston Burke and Derek Shepherd from New York portrayed by Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey respectively. Guest stars include Meredith's mother Ellis, portrayed by Kate Burton, nurse Olivia Harper, portrayed by Sarah Utterback, who serves as a love interest for George and Alex, and Derek's estranged wife Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh.