--- description: Rhimes 'doesn't want to name names,' but confirms rumors of friction with actor Patrick Dempsey. title: Shonda Rhimes Admits She Killed Off McDreamy Because She Didn't Like the Actor image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch Shonda Rhimes Admit She Killed Off McDreamy on _Grey's Anatomy_ Because She Didn't Like the Actor by [Char Adams / People](/author/people/) ## Char Adams / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 13, 2015 3:49 PM CUT by [Char Adams / People](/author/people/) ## Char Adams / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 13, 2015 3:49 PM CUT Shonda Rhimes has admitted that she killed off a major Shondaland character because she didn’t like the actor. “I’m not naming names,” the 45-year-old producer and writer told [_The Nightly Show’s_](http://www.cc.com/video-clips/vywq79/the-nightly-show-with-larry-wilmore-extended---shonda-rhimes-talks--year-of-yes- "undefined") Larry Wilmore on Wednesday. The famed producer is behind mega-popular shows like [_Scandal_](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,MediaProductsTax:TVScandal,00.html "undefined"), [_How to Get Away With Murder_](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,MediaProductsTax:TVHowToGetAwayWithMurder,00.html "undefined") and [_Grey’s Anatomy_](http://www.people.com/people/tvwatch/category/0,,20418587,00.html "undefined") – all of which have seen the untimely deaths of some characters. While she’s not “naming any names,” the most recent shocking death on one of her shows is McDreamy from _Grey’s_, played by actor [Patrick Dempsey](http://www.people.com/people/patrick%5Fdempsey/ "undefined"). Other ill-fated characters are _Scandal’s_ Harrison Wright ([Columbus Short](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:ColumbusShort,00.html "undefined")) and James Novak ([Dan Bucatinsky](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:DanBucatinsky,00.html "undefined")); Mark Sloan ([Eric Dane](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:EricDane,00.html "undefined")) and Denny Duquette ([Jeffrey Dean Morgan](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:JeffreyDeanMorgan,00.html "undefined")) from _Grey’s_; and _HTGAWM’s_ Sam Keating ([Tom Verica](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:TomVerica,00.html "undefined")). Rhimes appeared on the Comedy Central show to discuss her new book [_Year of Yes_](http://www.people.com/article/shonda-rhimes-saying-yes-made-me-happier-mom "undefined") – but it seems the 45-year-old has said _no_ to a few of her characters. She told Wilmore that she spent about a year and a half saying yes to everything “that I thought was terrifying, awful, gonna make me freak out,” including being on talk shows. “I think I have such a panic and a fear of public speaking or being in public. I’m really an introvert,” she told Wilmore of her fear of appearing on talk shows. “I was very shy when this began and so I would go into a full panic … and I wouldn’t remember even doing the interview.” Rhimes [previously told PEOPLE](http://www.people.com/article/shonda-rhimes-one-word-changed-her-life "undefined") that her journey of yes has changed her resolution for good. “There is no real finish line,” she said of her journey. “There is no way for there to be one because now everything feels possible now. Now that I know what happens when you say yes, how could I possibly go back to saying no?” _This_ [_article_](http://www.people.com/article/shonda-rhimes-killed-character-patrick-dempsey-greys "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://people.com "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4111546/shonda-rhimes-killed-mcdreamy-because-she-didnt-like-actor/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4111546/shonda-rhimes-killed-mcdreamy-because-she-didnt-like-actor/"},"headline":"Watch Shonda Rhimes Admit She Killed Off McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy Because She Didn't Like the Actor","datePublished":"2015-11-13T15:49:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T12:35:40.944Z","description":"Rhimes 'doesn't want to name names,' but confirms rumors of friction with actor Patrick Dempsey","url":"https://time.com/4111546/shonda-rhimes-killed-mcdreamy-because-she-didnt-like-actor/","keywords":["Television","Pop Culture","Grey's Anatomy","shonda rhimes"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Char Adams / People"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4111546/shonda-rhimes-killed-mcdreamy-because-she-didnt-like-actor/","name":"Watch Shonda Rhimes Admit She Killed Off McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy Because She Didn't Like the Actor"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch: Shonda Rhimes on Raising the Next Generation of Showrunners","description":"The showrunner talks to TIME about how to ensure that the television landscape reflects what the real world looks like","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/z8DMTowq/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-10-21T21:08:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/z8DMTowq.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4111546/shonda-rhimes-killed-mcdreamy-because-she-didnt-like-actor/","duration":"PT3M15S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4111546/shonda-rhimes-killed-mcdreamy-because-she-didnt-like-actor/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```