Meg Marinis acquired employed on Gray’s Anatomy as her first job out of school.

Already a success for ABC, the medical drama starring Ellen Pompeo as a wide-eyed surgical intern on the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital was in its second season, proper in the midst of the Denny Duquette storyline, Marinis remembers (a now-iconic present arc between Katherine Heigl and Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

Marinis, who had already been tuning into the drama weekly on Thursday nights, interviewed to be the second assistant to creator Shonda Rhimes. She didn’t get that job. However they had been creating a brand new place, a author’s PA, and he or she acquired that one as a substitute. “I freaked out as a result of I actually appreciated the present, however I didn’t have any thought what it might turn out to be,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “A decade in the past, I didn’t suppose I’d nonetheless be right here!”

Not solely is Marinis nonetheless at Gray’s Anatomy, however she’s now main the present that continues to be primetime TV’s longest-running medical drama because it returns with season 21. Marinis took over as showrunner with season 20 after taking the torch from Krista Vernoff, however that milestone season was delayed after which shortened (to solely 10 episodes) resulting from Hollywood’s twin strikes of 2023. “We had fewer episodes than sequence regulars,” Marinis remembers, noting the sprawling ensemble solid. “I felt like I didn’t champion everybody that labored right here as a lot as I may and couldn’t give them the complete actual property for them to do their finest work.”

With season 21, Marinis and Gray’s return large with an 18-episode season and extra Pompeo, who will seem onscreen for extra episodes than she has since scaling her position again in season 19. (She has remained the voiceover narrator for each episode.) “We’re an open-door coverage along with her,” she says. “It’s good to have her for greater than we had her for final season.”

Beneath, Marinis dives deep into her twisty plans forward following a premiere episode that closely targeted on Meredith (Pompeo), whereas additionally unpacking thrilling solid returns (whats up, Jesse Williams and Jason George!), and waiting for solid departures (Midori Francis and Jake Borelli are each exiting this season) and the arcs she has in retailer: “I’ll push no matter boundaries they’ll let me.”

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You took over as showrunner for season 20, which was a milestone season that leaned into nostalgia however was additionally impacted by the twin Hollywood strikes. Now, right here you might be with 18 episodes for season 21. What had been some takeaways from season 20 that you simply dropped at this full season because the boss?

There have been numerous tales that had been pitched final yr within the writers room that we didn’t get to make use of, so we went into this season actually excited. We felt like we had a full canvas now to inform the tales that we wished to. I had felt a bit upset that I wasn’t capable of inform full, wealthy character arcs for everyone. As a result of we had fewer episodes than sequence regulars, I felt like I did a disservice to the solid, and we needed to pair numerous writers up as a result of we’ve got a big writing employees. I felt like I didn’t champion everybody that labored right here as a lot as I may and couldn’t give them the complete actual property for them to do their finest work. So now I really feel like, “OK, we’ve got 18 episodes. Everybody will get a shot at every little thing.”

I grew up with this crew. Seeing them get solely 10 episodes of labor after 150 or nonetheless many days of not working, I felt unhealthy for everybody. So I used to be like, “OK, we got here again earlier — every week sooner than we usually did — in July, and we’ve got extra episodes.” I pushed us to return again earlier so we may make airdates so we may hold in step with the remainder of the Thursday night time lineup. Hopefully, this would be the yr the place folks really feel normalcy.

You’re airing in a while ABC, within the 10 p.m. timeslot. Does that imply you’ll have extra risqué storylines?

That is our first yr at 10 p.m. I imply, I’ll push no matter boundaries they’ll let me push. However I’ll say, the present will nonetheless be the present. If we are able to get a couple of extra risqué topic issues or steamy scenes, we’ll do it. However I gained’t do it only for the sake of a time slot. We’re Gray’s Anatomy, folks will discover us wherever we’re.

The premiere picks up proper the place the finale left off, with Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) firing lots of the present’s high docs over Meredith and Amelia’s (Caterina Scorsone) groundbreaking Alzheimer’s analysis. What’s the vibe this season?

With the primary half of the season, we’re actually constructing again from the place we left everybody on the finish of season 20 — notably with folks’s jobs. Lots of people’s jobs are on the road. How will we get these jobs again? Can we get them again? And it’s simpler for some than others. We’re actually paying off this standoff between Catherine and Meredith, and with Catherine and Bailey [Chandra Wilson, whose character was also fired]. Catherine has turn out to be this villain that we’ve realized to like, and we’re sort of flipping the story on her a bit bit this season. She’ll nonetheless be that villain however with a unique taste. We’ll see a bit vulnerability this yr, and the way do our characters react to the villain who’s susceptible?

What was it like filming that slap between Chandra Wilson and Debbie Allen?

Everybody asks that! (Laughs) It was exhilarating and terrifying! Debbie [Allen] was like, “Slap me!” she was able to do it. Debbie Allen is so recreation for something. She knew it might be within the promo the second that we filmed it. We faked it with some film magic. There was contact however very delicate contact. Even the delicate contact, Chandra — being Chandra Wilson — was like, “Are you OK?!” While you pair it with all of the interns’ shocked faces and a bit little bit of sound impact, it creates that second. However I feel we’ve all had that dream the place you inform the individual all of the belongings you wish to say that you’d by no means dare say in actuality, and I believed, “You recognize what? Everybody can establish with this second.”

I wish to ask you about Ellen Pompeo’s onscreen position this season. After seeing the premiere, her storyline performs a giant half and clearly will proceed on. Going into the season, it was confirmed she would seem in seven episodes with the potential of extra, since she wrapped her Hulu sequence. Will there be extra episodes to these seven?

I don’t suppose we’ve got a confirmed quantity proper now, and we don’t sometimes do it multi function run. However I’ll say, her story does proceed originally of this season. With Ellen, we’re an open-door coverage. Once we can have Ellen on set and within the episodes, we like to have her. She’s all the time current within the present, even when she’s not in it in it. She has voiceover nonetheless, and we speak about her character on a regular basis. She and I’ve an ideal relationship and work very well with each other. And she or he and Debbie, I may write scenes for all of them day lengthy. So if I may write a number of episodes of Meredith and Catherine going head-to-head, I completely would. However I do wish to respect her resolution to take a decreased position in these few seasons. However it’s good to have her for greater than we had her for final season.

The premiere scenes with Meredith and Catherine felt virtually like watching a stage play.

They’re such highly effective characters who’re a lot extra alike than anybody thinks. I’m an enormous fan of the Meredith-Ellis [Kate Burton] relationship, and Ellis isn’t round, however when you might have that tumultuous relationship together with your mom, you deliver that into each different relationship you might have with one other older feminine. I really like diving into the historical past of the present and diving into Meredith’s historical past with moms and mentor figures. Clearly, I really like writing for her and Bailey as nicely.

There’s scheduling concerned once you speak about what Ellen goes to return and do that season. However when you might have Meredith’s storyline in thoughts to debate, do you pitch it to her in chunks? As showrunner, how do you navigate these conversations?

It’s conversations along with her and with the studio as nicely. It’s simpler for her schedule once we do issues in chunks, and sometimes on Gray’s Anatomy, we inform story arcs. We’ll do a recurring affected person for 3 episodes right here; after which that individual will go away. It’s good to get followers invested once you do storylines in two- or three-episode arcs. And we all the time have these one-off storylines, however particularly as a result of the present is considered in a different way now, you may inform tales any manner you need. You’ll be able to inform tales the place you must watch the following one instantly on streaming, or the place you must have somebody wait every week. It’s annoying now, however it’s additionally enjoyable as a result of there are such a lot of alternative ways you may pull off a story.

A lot of the solid is splintered when the season opens, and the interns are the principle storyline again on the hospital. While you launched these interns again in season 19 as sequence regulars, it was a callback to the early days of the present and was additionally checked out as being a check of types, to see if the present may evolve as Ellen scaled again. Now that you’re right here, and they’re starring within the season 21 premiere, how would you say that check went? If Ellen wanted to cut back once more or do even much less, do you suppose you’ve prolonged the longevity of the present?

I do, particularly as a result of I think about these as Meredith’s interns. In season 19, these had been the “second probability” interns she introduced in. I do really feel like all of them have a bit Meredith Gray struggle in them. They’re a bit bit like Meredith, the place they typically break the principles and are sometimes unapologetic about it. As a result of nothing is extra enjoyable than watching interns break the principles and seeing what the implications are — particularly when Bailey is their residency director.

I don’t know if I’d see it as a check, however I do really feel like these characters have turn out to be profitable in turning into an enormous fixture of the present. We’ve had them develop relationships with our different attendings that assist deliver out issues in our attendings. We present the interns in numerous relationships. We’ve began out one thing superb with Blue [Harry Shum Jr.]; Simone’s [Alexis Floyd] relationship with Lucas [Niko Terho]; Simone’s relationship with Bailey; Mika [Midori Francis] has a particular relationship with Owen [Kevin McKidd] and Teddy [Kim Raver] after what occurred with Teddy. So I do really feel like they’ve turn out to be enmeshed in our world and a part of our household, and I can’t let you know how a lot enjoyable they’re to put in writing for. Pleasant to put in writing for. They shock me in each efficiency in such nice methods.

A type of interns, Midori Francis (Mika Yasuda), is leaving the sequence this season. What are you able to say about her storyline and if her exit comes early or in a while?

I don’t wish to share something particular due to spoilers — as a result of I’m actually, actually proud of the way it’s turned out. What I’ll say is that we actually honor how we launched her character and the way far she’s come. Mika is such a enjoyable character to put in writing. She actually delivers this season, and I feel folks might be actually, actually invested in her storyline. She and the remainder of our solid and crew, I imply, I really feel like I’m the luckiest individual on this enterprise. We’re all very collaborative. I had a castmember in right here sitting at my desk final night time taking a look at a scene. I’m simply so grateful for them, and I actually really feel like as soon as you might be part of the Gray’s Anatomy household — as we’ve seen, we simply introduced again a personality after 17 years [Kali Rocha’s Dr. Sydney Heron] — simply because you aren’t on the present in an everyday manner doesn’t imply that you simply gained’t be coming and going.

Does that imply Gray Sloan might be getting a brand new intern sooner or later?

We introduce folks new on a regular basis. I’m not able to introduce anybody new to exchange my love for anybody!

Jake Borelli (Dr. Levi Schmitt) can be leaving after seven seasons. What sort of a Gray’s sendoff will Levi get?

The identical sort of factor. When you simply bear in mind how we launched Levi, he was a younger intern in glasses who had no thought what he was doing. I feel folks might be glad to see that he’s actually found himself in seven years, not simply as an individual however as a physician, and you’ll actually see that being honored.

After which, acquainted faces return. You talked about the return of Kali Rocha within the premiere. We additionally noticed Gray’s favourite Jesse Williams and returning star Jason George, again after the top of Station 19. What do you might have in retailer for Ben Warren, and the way far more will we see of Jackson Avery?

With Jackson, we’ll be in the midst of the season and be like, “Is Jesse out there?!” I want to say every little thing is deliberate meticulously, however we typically identical to to see the place that Boston storyline goes with Meredith, Nick [Scott Speedman] and Catherine. However it was actually enjoyable to have Jesse, as a result of we didn’t get to have him final season. There was such a Meredith-Catherine battle, however resulting from availability and issues like that, we weren’t capable of deliver Jesse in, and so I used to be actually excited after I heard that he had an out there window so we may see him weighing in on that battle now. He’s taking a look at this as a private betrayal of his friendship, not only a skilled betrayal with Meredith. He’ll all the time be alive in our world.

And for Ben, I’m so excited to have Jason dwelling. I say he’s “dwelling,” as a result of he began right here first — regardless that he was the star of a giant present for seven years. I don’t love a wedding greater than I really like Bailey and Ben’s marriage. And she or he’s the residency director now, so issues are a bit bit totally different. They’ve labored on the hospital collectively earlier than however by no means along with her as his direct boss. And there are going to be some emotions from the interns as soon as he does land again at Gray Sloan. Is he a buddy? Is he a spy? There might be some enjoyable stuff there. He additionally has a particular subset of expertise that not everybody has that he’ll deliver into his work as a surgeon. And it’s Ben Warren. He belongs at Gray Sloan. I’m excited to have him again.

In terms of bringing folks again, how do you make these selections? Do folks pitch these returns continuously within the writers room?

Completely. I’ll let you know, there are extra concepts pitched to deliver folks again than truly occur. Everybody has their fierce love and loyalty for earlier characters who’ve been on the present. We don’t wish to do it an excessive amount of, as a result of it’s a big solid, and we’re telling tales for our present characters and in addition some characters aren’t alive – however that hasn’t stopped us earlier than! However it is dependent upon the timing and if that individual is accessible. And even when it’s a personality from the previous, that story has to maneuver our present character’s tales ahead. So it’s a tough dance. Once we can, we make it work. However we are able to’t do it an excessive amount of, as a result of I wish to hold it actually particular and shocking.

However sure, there’ll all the time be somebody who’s like, “What about Addison [Kate Walsh] on this episode!” She is such a deal with to have. It relies upon, are we telling a giant Amelia story and will somebody from the Shepherd household come again? If we’re telling a Bailey or Richard [James Pickens Jr.] story, that’s once we take a look at folks like Addison. Or if we’re telling a Meredith story, Jackson. We attempt to unfold it round and hold followers on their toes so we are able to shock them with appearances.

You talked about how Bailey and Ben are a stable couple. I’m curious the way you view Nick and Meredith. Nick isn’t within the premiere, however they’d their glad ending with the season 20 finale. Do you now view them as this protected couple on the highway to fortunately ever after, or will that highway nonetheless be twisty and bumpy?

I view them on a protected highway to fortunately ever after proper now. (Laughs.) Meredith has come a great distance in her relationships, and clearly, he loves her, regardless of her lovable flaws. However she simply made a dedication to him on the finish of final season, and I feel she’s going to attempt to maintain that so long as she will be able to. He sort of put all of it on the market for her within the finale, and he or she mentioned she was going to strive. So, I imagine that if Meredith says she’s going to strive, she’s going to strive.

Was the plan all the time to have Scott Speedman keep on for this lengthy, or did it evolve as you noticed their chemistry and story evolve?

It advanced. They’d prompt chemistry the very first time we noticed them in season 14, however he was written as a visitor star. It was all the time behind our minds. I wasn’t in cost on the time, however after I noticed him in that episode I used to be like, “Oh my God, that’s Ben from Felicity, and he has prompt chemistry with Meredith, why isn’t he on the present?” (Laughs.) He was so good, and he introduced out this lightness in her, even in that first episode, that was sort of mesmerizing. So we talked about it for a few years and some years after that. And the timing was by no means proper based mostly on the place Meredith’s story was. After which we acquired to a degree the place we pitched it once more within the writers room, and Krista [Vernoff] mentioned, “Alright let me give it some thought.” After which she got here in and mentioned, “Alright, I’m making a name.”

The objective, then, once you introduced him on was that it might be an arc?

Sure, and it might shock Meredith, like she wasn’t anticipating to see him.

In current seasons, Gray’s has taken on the healthcare results from COVID and the overturning of Roe v. Wade with highly effective storylines. I learn that local weather change is your subsequent hot-button subject, and we noticed a bit of that within the premiere from Hyperlink (Chris Carmack). Is {that a} large theme this season?

It’s considered one of them. We’ve a pair that we inform in numerous episodes. However clearly, we’re experiencing local weather change a lot in L.A. that it’s actually been a scorching subject within the writers room — no pun supposed!

It’s one thing that’s actually related within the medical discipline proper now. Quite a lot of hospitals are reevaluating how they do issues, as a result of it’s come to our consideration that hospitals, particularly surgical flooring, contribute loads to the carbon emission of the world. The anesthesia gases and issues like that. There are numerous actions going ahead about, how will we take a look at that? How do hospitals do their half?

The subjects that we sort out are related to the medical discipline. There are some tales that are available in that aren’t as pertinent, however we’re actually taking a look at issues from the docs’ perspective and the healthcare perspective. We did COVID from the docs’ perspective, and we did reproductive rights from the docs’ perspective. So once we take a look at subjects to discover, that’s all the time the place we’re wanting: What’s affecting medical care proper now, what’s affecting individuals who work at hospitals? We’re not eager to make any overt statements on both aspect of any aisle, we simply wish to spotlight what our medical discipline goes by way of proper now.

As a result of it’s an election yr, so many of those subjects are high of thoughts for viewers. Fall TV launches near the election. Did that impression any storylines, or does it simply make extra of this within the ether?

I feel it’s made extra of it within the ether. We’re very cautious in what we placed on tv. We’re very aware that every one our viewers have totally different affiliations, views and opinions. We’re story first. And we go artistic first. And if there’s something that we are able to educate on, we educate. However it’s not our job to inform folks what to suppose. We simply wish to educate and present and be aware.

Associated to a scorching subject or not, was there a giant debate within the writers room about any episode this season?

Typically once we’re tackling subjects, we’re like, “Ought to the affected person die? Does which have extra of an impression? Ought to the affected person not die, does which have extra of an impression?” These are the debates that we get in. However we often talk about and talk about and talk about in a really calm, managed method and take everybody’s perspective in. I’d wish to say we’ve got rip-roaring debates, however everyone seems to be all the time respectful, and we herald specialists so it’s not simply as much as us.

Is there a ripped-from-the-headlines story this season you may tease? Or on the flip, one thing you couldn’t imagine got here from an actual story?

We’ll all the time shock and shock. We’ve the quirky medical tales, however then we’ve got the unbelievable, insane traumas the place you’ll be like, “Oh my God, did you see what they did?”

You’ve been on Gray’s since season three. How do you’re feeling in regards to the longevity of the present? And, how lengthy do you suppose Gray’s will go on?

I’ll go till they inform me to place my pencil down. I clearly love this present and haven’t left but, and I really feel like, so long as Shonda and ABC need us to maintain going, I’m right here for it. I really feel like there are all the time new tales to inform. Medication and the way folks physician change yearly. I additionally suppose persons are continuously discovering new methods to injure themselves and get themselves sick. There are all the time quirky medical tales to go round. And the brand new solid has introduced in recent faces and views. So I feel folks nonetheless wish to watch us, and there’s one thing to be mentioned that we’re actually making historical past. Folks wish to see how that pans out.

You’re nonetheless the longest-running primetime medical drama on TV and Thursday night time appointment TV, the place you pull in stable scores. However the present additionally has a brand new streaming life on Netflix and Hulu, reaching the TikTok era. How does that affect the varieties of tales you inform and, what surprises you about what traits or goes viral with the youthful viewers?

Now that we’ve seen what sort of issues pattern and go viral, there might be a second within the writers room the place we’ll go, “That is going to go viral.” We’ve gotten fairly good at predicting it. Like, the slap. Once we shot it, we knew it was the promo, and the meme that will be on Twitter or X. Relying on how Meredith or Bailey ship a efficiency, we are going to know if it’s going within the historical past of the Meredith-Bailey memes. We’re all the time looking for these moments — the brand new “vajayjay” or “significantly” — what that phrase for the brand new era is.

I’m simply so grateful that, regardless that this premiered 21 years in the past, persons are nonetheless discovering it. My nieces are of their 20s and my nephews are in highschool, and their buddies are watching it. It holds up. There’s one thing so common about being in your 20s and beginning out on the planet and never understanding what you’re doing. You’re nonetheless discovering love and discovering friendship, and I don’t suppose that can ever get outdated. These unique interns actually suck you in. And it’s a physician present, too. The stakes are life and demise, what’s stakes-ier than that?

And, the place we actually take into consideration our youthful viewers is in ensuring that we’re tremendous correct in public well being messages. We’ve all the time been accountable for lots of public well being, however we’ve got realized by way of TikTok that individuals actually do take significantly what they see on Gray’s Anatomy as truth with regards to medical care, particularly with younger folks. That’s the place we’ll ask, “Is that this 100% right? In case you are 15, how do you understand this?” That stuff we’re actually cautious on, notably with COVID, reproductive rights and issues like that.

And, after all, with who’s sleeping collectively within the hospital closets.

(Laughs.) Sure. Extra interns sleep collectively within the closet than attendings!

Gray’s Anatomy season 21 releases new episodes Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC, streaming on Hulu.