After Isaiah Washington broke his silence over his controversial exit on Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes, creator and one of the executive producers of the series, has finally said her piece to Access Hollywood on Thursday, June 14, 2007.
“I feel like we wrote the show in a way that really completes the story of [Washington’s character] Burke, and that is a really strong thing,” she has revealed.
Washington’s character, Preston Burke, who left Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh, at the altar during the season three finale on May 17, will not be recast with a new actor according to Rhimes.
“I’ve said it before, I and I will say it again. I don’t believe in replacing one actor with another. I think [a replacement is] a little bit odd in terms of somebody who has been on the show for three years,” Rhimes has explained.
Despite all the controversy that has surfaced the media, Rhimes has told Access Hollywood that she still perceived the past year as something positive. “We won the Golden Globe this year. I think the show took itself to new heights this year. I think we explored different things for women this year. I think we have had amazing guest casts this year. I think it’s been a sweet, sweet year for us,” Rhimes has added.
Source: Buddy TV
June 29th, 2007 at 6:20 am
I am so sick of the “race card” being played. I. Washington was black when he was hired and he was black when he was let go. It is his attitude that sucks, not his color!
July 17th, 2007 at 12:40 am
I really didn’t get it. You guys said that you come from democratic country, Merica, that people can free to speak. Then why can you do teh same thing for free to forgive. Come on. You all america don’t yo. Big country, it sould be have a big heart for forgiveness. I like GA show, but without Dr. Burke there,I don’t want to see it anymore. I will press other cannel to see other show that never use actor behavior as an issue to fire actors.
August 14th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Regarding the Isaiah Washington / T.R. Knight Media Frenzy that was SHOVED down the throats of the viewing public, WHILE TRUE UNDERLYING ISSUES GO UNADDRESSED.
Isaiah Washington whose family history in this country is one of SLAVERY and Segregation and T.R. Knight a white, gay male are INDIVIDUALS who are members of groups who still face discrimination in this country. It would be remiss of me not to point out that one’s sexual orientation can be concealed while the color of one’s skin / ethnic features are in plain site for all to see and America is a country where at one time Lynching Blacks was the sport of the day.
It is an insult to my spiritual evolution as a fellow human being on this planet of EARTH that the MEDIA inundates me and others with Bull$hit words to try to get US to ponder a question of whether or not Isaiah Washington is homophobic – In my heart of hearts (deep in my soul), I KNOW that Isaiah Washington is NOT homophobic. What Isaiah (the INDIVIDUAL) MAY BE is a challenging personality to work with and/or get along with. He may have RAGE issues (go figure, a descendant of SLAVES with rage issues).
There are those who feel that YOU people (Blacks) should JUST GET OVER SLAVERY, it happened a long time ago, move on already. First, and foremost, each of US is an “INDIVIDUAL” who happens to be from Slave Ancestry in America. Most of US are still dealing with issues from Slavery and more recently “Segregation” and DON’T realize it. One cannot begin to address these issues if one does not know that there are issues and where they originate. The Comedian, Chris Rock said it best when he said, America, for Blacks, is like the uncle who pays your way through college, but RAPED you when you were younger. MOST would not tell someone who was RAPED to “Just Get Over It.” A guest from the Oprah Show UPDATED the old adage about “TIME” perfectly when she said, “Time alone does not heal anything, it is what is done in that time that makes the difference” – which are words that resonate in my soul.
It is further insulting, ridiculous, A TOTAL WASTE OF PRECIOUS TIME to have Isaiah Washington in therapy FOR what he said, may or may not have said about T.R. Knight’s sexual orientation and then to have him make what “I Felt” was a Ridiculous service announcement (BECAUSE OF ITS TIMING – on the heels of the “Gay slur MEDIA FRENZY”) at the end of one of Grey’s episodes. Yes, I believe that Isaiah would greatly benefit from therapy (as would ALL descendants of SLAVES in America) PROVIDED the “REAL” issues are being addressed instead of going to therapy “IN HOPES” of saving one’s job.
Isaiah most likely should have some form of therapy to deal with RAGE issues and/or to develop better life / work coping skills. In the office next door to Isaiah and his therapist should be T.R. Knight with his therapist dealing with T.R.’s issues surrounding his sexual orientation because T.R.’s “reaction” to Isaiah’s behavior is indicative of “ISSUES T.R. Needs to Address.”
I read somewhere someone’s wording to the effect that Isaiah as a black man “should know better” than to use a sexual slur, most likely having had racial slurs directed at him. What we as individuals should know / do know (Intellect) vs. How We Behave (Emotion) most often are light years apart, hence my use of the words “spiritual evolution as fellow human beings.” On a number of occasions I had to “remind” my sister (1 yr. younger than me) that I understand her pain (I can feel her pain); however, she can’t take it out on US (her siblings, her husband, her daughter) because each of us are dealing with our own “personal” life challenges and that WE (her siblings) came from the same “screwed-up” Parents she did.
America STOP THE INSANITY of forcing us to pretend we love/like each other and START PROMOTING getting along with one another in spite of our likes and/or dislikes – Respecting one another’s Right to Co-exist and Benefit EQUALLY from the opportunities that America offers.
The Non-Renewal of Contract / Firing of Isaiah Washington is sooooooo much bigger than the individual. The handling of the situation is a MAJOR SETBACK to race relations in this country. This situation reeks of “OLD, Backwards Thinking” America trying to keep a black man down – keeping him in his place, after all can’t allow him to think he’s equal to a “White” man in America.
NO, Isaiah Washington SHOULD NOT have been fired. Nor should T.R. Knight for the “role” he played in this debacle (he is EQUALLY responsible along with Isaiah for this situation). They should both have been reprimanded and required to attend “REAL” (genuine) therapy sessions. THE ONLY FIRING needed is to “Line the MEDIA up against a wall” and have a FIRING SQUAD unload a Million Rounds of Ammunition into their Low-Life human forms.
At the first sign of friction amongst the diverse cast members it would have BENEFITTED America as a whole to bring in a Therapist / Relationship Expert to address “core” issues before the “Parasitic” MEDIA could get wind of “trouble” on the set.
With the absence of Isaiah, I have NO interest in Grey’s Anatomy and I will no longer watch the show. SHAME ON Any and ALL individuals who played a part in the firing of Isaiah Washington – UNDO THIS ! ! !
I hope my “words are received” in the spirit in which they are intended – Honest, Respectful, America RACE discussion.
August 14th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Regarding the Isaiah Washington / T.R. Knight Media Frenzy that was SHOVED down the throats of the viewing public, WHILE TRUE UNDERLYING ISSUES GO UNADDRESSED.
Isaiah Washington whose family history in this country is one of SLAVERY and Segregation and T.R. Knight a white, gay male are INDIVIDUALS who are members of groups who still face discrimination in this country. It would be remiss of me not to point out that one’s sexual orientation can be concealed while the color of one’s skin / ethnic features are in plain site for all to see and America is a country where at one time Lynching Blacks was the sport of the day.
It is an insult to my spiritual evolution as a fellow human being on this planet of EARTH that the MEDIA inundates me and others with Bull$hit words to try to get US to ponder a question of whether or not Isaiah Washington is homophobic – In my heart of hearts (deep in my soul), I KNOW that Isaiah Washington is NOT homophobic. What Isaiah (the INDIVIDUAL) MAY BE is a challenging personality to work with and/or get along with. He may have RAGE issues (go figure, a descendant of SLAVES with rage issues).
There are those who feel that YOU people (Blacks) should JUST GET OVER SLAVERY, it happened a long time ago, move on already. First, and foremost, each of US is an “INDIVIDUAL” who happens to be from Slave Ancestry in America. Most of US are still dealing with issues from Slavery and more recently “Segregation” and DON’T realize it. One cannot begin to address these issues if one does not know that there are issues and where they originate. The Comedian, Chris Rock said it best when he said, America, for Blacks, is like the uncle who pays your way through college, but RAPED you when you were younger. MOST would not tell someone who was RAPED to “Just Get Over It.” A guest from the Oprah Show UPDATED the old adage about “TIME” perfectly when she said, “Time alone does not heal anything, it is what is done in that time that makes the difference” – which are words that resonate in my soul.
It is further insulting, ridiculous, A TOTAL WASTE OF PRECIOUS TIME to have Isaiah Washington in therapy FOR what he said, may or may not have said about T.R. Knight’s sexual orientation and then to have him make what “I Felt” was a Ridiculous service announcement (BECAUSE OF ITS TIMING – on the heels of the “Gay slur MEDIA FRENZY”) at the end of one of Grey’s episodes. Yes, I believe that Isaiah would greatly benefit from therapy (as would ALL descendants of SLAVES in America) PROVIDED the “REAL” issues are being addressed instead of going to therapy “IN HOPES” of saving one’s job.
Isaiah most likely should have some form of therapy to deal with RAGE issues and/or to develop better life / work coping skills. In the office next door to Isaiah and his therapist should be T.R. Knight with his therapist dealing with T.R.’s issues surrounding his sexual orientation because T.R.’s “reaction” to Isaiah’s behavior is indicative of “ISSUES T.R. Needs to Address.”
I read somewhere someone’s wording to the effect that Isaiah as a black man “should know better” than to use a sexual slur, most likely having had racial slurs directed at him. What we as individuals should know / do know (Intellect) vs. How We Behave (Emotion) most often are light years apart, hence my use of the words “spiritual evolution as fellow human beings.” On a number of occasions I had to “remind” my sister (1 yr. younger than me) that I understand her pain (I can feel her pain); however, she can’t take it out on US (her siblings, her husband, her daughter) because each of us are dealing with our own “personal” life challenges and that WE (her siblings) came from the same “screwed-up” Parents she did.
America STOP THE INSANITY of forcing us to pretend we love/like each other and START PROMOTING getting along with one another in spite of our likes and/or dislikes – Respecting one another’s Right to Co-exist and Benefit EQUALLY from the opportunities that America offers.
The Non-Renewal of Contract / Firing of Isaiah Washington is sooooooo much bigger than the individual. The handling of the situation is a MAJOR SETBACK to race relations in this country. This situation reeks of “OLD, Backwards Thinking” America trying to keep a black man down – keeping him in his place, after all can’t allow him to think he’s equal to a “White” man in America.
NO, Isaiah Washington SHOULD NOT have been fired. Nor should T.R. Knight for the “role” he played in this debacle (he is EQUALLY responsible along with Isaiah for this situation). They should both have been reprimanded and required to attend “REAL” (genuine) therapy sessions. THE ONLY FIRING needed is to “Line the MEDIA up against a wall” and have a FIRING SQUAD unload a Million Rounds of Ammunition into their Low-Life human forms.
At the first sign of friction amongst the diverse cast members it would have BENEFITTED America as a whole to bring in a Therapist / Relationship Expert to address “core” issues before the “Parasitic” MEDIA could get wind of “trouble” on the set.
With the absence of Isaiah, I have NO interest in Grey’s Anatomy and I will no longer watch the show. SHAME ON Any and ALL individuals who played a part in the firing of Isaiah Washington – UNDO THIS ! ! !
I hope my “words are received” in the spirit in which they are intended – Honest, Respectful, America RACE discussion.