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Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson & Kim Raver share the real-life surgeries they observed as training for their roles

Some were more bloody than others

News by Tiffany Babb, Contributing writer

Published on Mon Sep 09 2024

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It's no secret that actors often observe their real-life counterparts to learn about the ins and outs of what they're meant to be performing. For a show like Grey’s Anatomy, it's only natural to expect that actors observe some surgeries to see what they look like in real life. At D23's Grey's Anatomy panel, a couple cast members shared their (very different experiences) on their outings from set.

Chandra Wilson, who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey told the audience, “I had a chance to go and watch a five month old baby, who had a hole in her heart, get that heart repaired. I thought I would be up in the gallery, like we do in Grey’s looking down. But no, I got to be on the floor right there next to everything. I got to just stand there and watch this beautiful sort of bloodless procedure done in order to repair this baby girl so she could go on and live a good life." About the impact of the experience on her, Wilson said, "I was good! I was like ‘That’s right. I'm a surgeon!'”

Kim Raver, who plays Dr. Teddy Altman had a very different time in the surgery. “Mine was not bloodless," Raver said. "Mine was an open heart surgery, this was for reals! Same sort of thing-- I thought I would be sort of on the side, and they were like, 'No! Step on up! They had me standing above the patient's head to see into the chest cavity, And I kept remembering [thinking] ‘Oh boy. I hope I don’t faint in this one.”

Grey's Anatomy Season 21 premieres September 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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