Grey’s dumps “Dr. Hahn”
Actress Brooke Smith is dropped suddenly by ABC after it was reportedly unhappy with her character and a gay romance. Some spoilers.
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A casting bombshell dropped on Grey’s Anatomy will raise eyebrows with news that Brooke Smith (Dr. Erica Hahn) is being excised from the show. ABC (US) is said to be over unhappy with the direction of the character and a gay storyline involving Callie, played by Sara Ramirez.
Smith is quoted this week as saying she was told in mid-September and kept on for just one more week to shoot her final episode. ” I was floored when they told me [I was being let go]. It was the last thing I expected. In fact, when they told me I asked, ‘When is this happening?’ And they said, ‘The [next episode] is your last,’ which is the one that airs this Thursday. So it was very sudden.”
She says the ultimatum by ABC was so swift it didn’t even allow for a proper send-off for the character.
“I’m not written out. My final scene is just me heading to my car. I honestly don’t know what happens in the next episode. I heard not much.”
According to Michael Ausiello, this was not creator Shonda Rhimes’ decision but rather an order that came down from the network. He notes the suits “had issues” with both the explicit direction Sara Ramirez’s character was taking and, more importantly, with the Hahn character in general. Basically, they didn’t like her and wanted her gone ASAP.
Smith says she was given the news by an upset Shonda Rhimes, whose hands were probably tied by the network.
“She did seem upset. I wasn’t having a very good week that week. I was like, ‘Oh, God, what is it with this business?!’ And she said, ‘No, no, no. You are such a great actress. We love you.’ It seemed like some decision came down from above. It didn’t feel like it was her.”
Grey’s Anatomy was previously at the centre of a news story involving actor Isaiah Washington making homophobic comments on co-star T.R. Knight, and later dumped from the show. Despite the network’s strong track record with gay characters in Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters and Desperate Housewives, it remains to be seen whether this move, and particularly the speed with which it has been handled, will reverberate will with some fans of the show.
The episodes pertaining to this news will air in Australia in 2009, including the introduction of Melissa George in a (previously bisexual) role.
UPDATE: “Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian. Clearly it’s not an issue, as we have a lesbian character on the show — Calliope Torres,” Rhimes said in a statement on Monday. Sara Ramirez, who plays Callie, is an “incredible” actress and the goal is “to play up her magic,” Rhimes said. “Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke’s character would sustain in the long run.”
Melissa George is also confirmed to have her bisexual role altered. One source says “They changed the script, and now she isn’t. She starts off flirting with Callie but it never goes anywhere.”
Source: EW.com
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- Tagged with Brothers and Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty
18 Responses
She wasn’t my favourite character but this move didn’t seem necessary. It’s a shame they brought in Melissa George because I would’ve preferred Brooke to have stayed.
sorry guys but i just didn’t like this character,
nothing to do with the homosexuality, i just find the overcompetitive, workaholic type very hard to like, although the callie / hahn relationship does have substance and added something new the show i don’t think it was worth a full time character. I think that Greys has way to many characters and it should be last on first off, i don’t know about others but i don’t feel i have a relationship with this character as i do with the others.
i don’t like lexie either
Lisa, totally agree. I think After Ellen may implode over this blatantly homophobic decision….
Disney, ABC and its affiliates should be ashamed at this disgusting display of prejudice. Lover her or hate her, Brooke Smith’s character was representative of a large number of women who came to terms with their sexuality late in life. Her and Sara Ramirez’s storyline was far more important and engaging than all the heterosexual bed-hopping and neuroses on display by the rest of the characters.
What kind of message does that send to the American public? It’s ok to be sexually promiscious if you’re straight, but if you’re gay and exploring a potentially fulfilling relationship, it’s unacceptable.
This is a massive step backwards for ABC and the show.
I hope that GLAAD crucifies them.
i was loving this storyline. the realness of it all. it is a shame and yes now melissa george is straight and not bisexual. there are way too many people on this show and now wonder it has gone from 24+ million to 14+ million in ratings per week in the USA. it is enough to make me stop watching as this was the only fresh storyline. and if kellie goes back to mcsteamy i will puke.
The fact the writers didn’t even close the story properly shows beyond doubt it was a network decision. Maybe it was just a narrow-minded muscle show or maybe they had worrying market research on the character or the story, who knows?
Zambora, the networks always win. Trying to go against them is usually suicide.
Not happy, Jan.
I very much like the actress, and Hahn really appealed to me.
Who is in charge – Network or Production company ?
Any chance we could be related to network exec and get guaranteed lifetime role in soap
More bad news for Channel 7
Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters and Desperate Housewives all had male gay characters. The only difference here is that the gay characters are female.
This is 2008 not freaking 1950! What is wrong with having gay characters??
I thought that the story line was very bold and true to life today.
Hated the character, and not coz she was gay. I would have prefered her to stay and Callie to go, along with Lexie.
I liked her and despite ch7 not wanting to air it till 2009 I’m trying to keep up.
Spoiler.
I just read that Melissa George’s character is no longer bisexual. Outrageous. Does Disney have anything to do with this?
Does anyone else predict this will just put more heat into the war that GLAAD wages with ABC, Grey’s in particular.
that is appalling, in last weeks episode {….Spoiler…}” i am shocked.
it’s just another notch on the lesbians are invisible and rarely seen outside of sweeps bed head.
i’m sick of it.
David, me thinks afterellen is going to have a field day (and not in a good way)
stupid networks and people who can not tolerate a gay character being a lead character. so so angry
As much as I hated her character, that is pretty poor form by ABC execs.
This is ridiculous, that can’t have been the only reason they quit the character altogether, and if it was it’s insanity. Maybe they were thinking having two characters with homosexual ideas at once is too many, which is beyond ridiculous! There must be more to this story than what they’re currently saying.