Isaiah Washington returns to Grey's Anatomy Set.. There's one thing, though...

That I did not know, which is.....

She famously talked Shonda Rhimes out of casting him as her love interest on Grey's Anatomy.




But there were no hard feelings between Ellen Pompeo and Isaiah Washington as they reunited on the set of the medical drama.


Washington – who was axed seven years ago following his use of homophobic slurs towards a co-star – has been brought back to the show for a special one-off appearance as Dr Preston Burke as his former on-screen fiancee Dr Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) departs the show.

And he and Ellen appeared to have decided to put the past behind them as they cosied up for a picture, which she promptly posted to Instagram.

Ellen wrote: 'BURKE IS BACK #itsallgoodinthehood #burkeisback.'


Ellen previously revealed, showrunner Rhimes wanted to cast Washington as her love interest but she talked her out of it.

She told the New York Post: 'They wanted Isaiah Washington to be my boyfriend. Shonda really wanted to put a black man in the mix. I didn't think they were really going to put an interracial couple on the show and I didn't want him. It was too close to home. ... I said I wanted that [Patrick] Dempsey kid. ( why though??)

'I think that once Isaiah did not get the role it backfired.'

In real life Ellen is married to music producer Chris Ivery, who is black.



Washington's character was one of the central players on the programme for the first three seasons.

He also shared a picture on his Twitter account of him in medical scrubs with the caption: '#Day2 Done. #BurkeIsBack'.




Speaking about Burke, who was last seen during the finale of season three as he stood Christina up at the altar, showrunner Rhimes previously said in a statement: 'It's important to me that Cristina's journey unfolds exactly as it should. Burke is vital to that journey - he gives her story that full-circle moment we need to properly say goodbye to our beloved Cristina Yang.'





However, on set altercations with then co-star T.R. Knight led to him using anti-gay slurs against his fellow actor and he was fired.

Despite this, GLAAD, the non-governmental media monitoring organisation which promotes the image of LGBT people in the media, has praised his return.

It said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: 'His PSA and his statements promoting marriage equality in recent years have sent a strong message of support for LGBT people.

'We look forward to seeing him return to one of our favorite shows, as well as in Patrik-Ian Polk's moving film Blackbird about a young man coming out in a small Southern town.'

Isaiah blamed Knight for the incident and insisted the wrong man was let go.

He told the Houston Chronicle in 2007,one month after he was fired, 'I have to clear my name. I'll start from the beginning. I'm telling everything. So here's the truth."

While Knight told chat show host Ellen DeGeneres that Isaiah used the slur against him and that 'everyone (on the set) heard', Isaiah insisted he used it during an argument with co-star Patrick Dempsey.

'That's a lie," Washington said. 'I used the word during a disagreement with Patrick. I apologised for that. We shook hands and went back to work.'

'I was not fired for making homophobic slurs, ' he added: 'I did everything I said I would do. ... I wanted everyone to know I was remorseful. '

Rhimes previously called the period after he was fired a 'really difficult time’.

She told The Hollywood Reporter: 'It was hard for me to write the show. Seasons four and five were difficult because I was in a dark place after the press frenzy that descended on us because of the [Washington and Knight situation and critical backlash to the stories.

'In the beginning, it felt like such a magical place, and to discover that everyone isn't who you thought they were is very unfortunate."

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So happy he gets to re-appear, even if for one episode. :smt001

 

Wow wonder if the show would have gained traction if McDreamy was black.
Interesting read

 

I didn't even know this show was still on. Oh well, I'll get back to Helix season finale, lol.

 

this show replaced boston legal in 2005 and is still going strong...WTF? gaining traction

 

Would it have been popular with an ir leading love story

 

It is popular and it has always had leading IR stories in several different combinations

 

I haven't watched Grays un a number of years, but I will give it to the writers, they have definitely been very across the board on all of their love interests and combinations. I got into the show several years ago, and have thought about catching up but there are so many episodes and seasons that its a bit overwhelming to me.

 

Come on lets keep it real when its a bm and ww people lose their damn minds ie the Cheerios commericial

 

have you or have you not watched the show? do you have any idea who is acting in the show? do you have any idea what the relationship story lines are in the show...for the love of god you are not an authority on every damn topic...you do not know what you are talking about...

ellen did not want to be washington's love interest because she is already married to a black man IRL...instead he was cast in a relationship with Sandra Oh...keep in mind on the show ellen's mother in the first season was having an affair with the chief of the hospital...duh bm/ww...they kicked the show off with IR and have continued to introduce new IR couples every season...

 

I have watched the show. Didn't really keep up with it much after Derek got shot but yeah I've seen it.
And yeah I get she's allowed side characters to have ir relationships like Burk and Christina or even George with Callie but the flagship couple, the two that had everyone tuning in week after week was the romance between Derek, McDreamy, Shepard and Merdith Grey (sounds like I know enough about it for you?)
I was simply musing if the show would have been the ratings juggernaut that it was had the focal relationship been between a bm and a ww.
Recent shit in the media would argue no since a large population just about loses their minds when they see a bm and a ww together especially as the main characters. I can't recall the last time I'd seen a Scandal scenario where the main relationship is between two people of different races and the man is black. Hell even on Greys the good looking men got nicknames like McSteamy and McDreamy Burke was just a nerdy tight ass who Christina clung to because she wanted to learn as much as she could about heart surgery. Surgery is her life not being in love.
And I won't stand up cheer for the side ir couples especially the ones that don't involve a strong bm character because its nowhere near the same thing. If you don't see that I feel sorry for you

 

hmmm...errrr....they didn't even get together until season 2 or 3 ....the show started out with BM/WW IR between meredith's mother and the chief...pretty big deal because the chief was married to a BW...Burke sure didn't look like a nerd when he took his shirt off...

i think you are a bit confused about main characters? and a cast of rolling story lines...

please don't feel sorry for me...clearly you have no idea what you are talking about...

washington would still be on this show if he had not made a complete ass out of himself at the awards show...the fact that rhimes is bringing him back for Christina's departure is HUGE...

 

A cookie cutter primetime TV series, eh? Nothing new.

 

Do you know what main character means? lol
If you think the show started with Grey's mother and the chief then...

 

yep the sky is green and the grass is blue...conversing with you is like hitting my head on a brick wall...

 

Well may it bring you sense since you God forgot to give you some:smt023:smt023:smt023

 

Right after your Baptism lol

 

I've been baptized.

 

there's suppose to be two from what I'm reading since the first one is done as a child a second one of your choosing has to be made in order truly uphold the sacrament. So let me know I'll bring the wine.

 

That's not true at all. In Southern Baptist teachings, you get a baptism once and that's it. In Catholicism, you only receive it once as part of the seven sacraments.

The "second" part is only reserved for those who want to be "saved."