Debbie Allen speaks about the future of Grey’s characters Catherine and Richard
Nothing can break Grey’s anatomy power couple Catherine Fox and Richard Webber, at least according to Debbie Allen.
“He’s my husband and I won’t let him go anywhere. That’s the truth,” Allen, 74, said We weekly exclusively while promoting her Gr8 Eye Movement campaign in partnership with Prevent Blindness and Regeneron. “He doesn’t go too far from me.”
Catherine and Richard (James Pickens Jr.) have experienced some ups and downs during their time Grey’s anatomyincluding cancer diagnoses and near relapses, but there’s no end in sight for the fictional duo.
“I started directing Grey’s anatomy in season 7, and then, Shelby Stivale Schonda [Rhimes] enjoyed the energy I brought. Then she said, “I’m going to put you on the show.” And then Jim Pickens said, “If she comes to the show, she has to be with me,” she recalled. “It has developed into a beautiful relationship that fans love and stories they identify with.”
Because there are countless television episodes available to the public at all times, it is a major milestone when a show airs 100 episodes or more. Shows like Riverdale found that success by recruiting an audience based on their connection to the Archie Comics. As Riverdale prepared to air its 100th episode, creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa noted […]
Allen is very aware of the characters’ storylines because she and Pickens, 69, are “the seniors of that show.” She added: “Everything that happens to us, people can relate to what’s going on.
Allen made her Gray debuted in 2011, while Pickens is an original cast member who has been on the show since its inception in 2005. Their characters have been married since season 11, which aired in 2015, and their love will continue into season 20, which premiered on Thursday, March 14.
Gray season 20 is a shortened season with only 10 episodes following the SAG-AFTRA strike, which ended in November 2023. Allen teased that each episode will be “packed with wonderful new characters, great stories and real medical situations.”
Allen, as usual, teased “some dynamic medical situations.” “Some are extraordinary that you don’t even have a clue about them,” she continued, adding that the cast will “sometimes learn about them as we go because the writers are always searching.”
In addition to acting and directing on the set of Grey’s, Allen is also focused on her own health, which led to her collaborations with Prevent Blindness and Regeneron, and the creation of the Gr8 Eye Movement.
“We had such a great response from people all over the country,” Allen said Us about Gr8 eye movementwhich started in September 2023. “We have made people aware of the retinal diseases that challenge people especially at a certain age.”
Throughout its long run, Grey’s Anatomy has said goodbye – and then hello again – to countless popular characters. As the first series regular to leave ABC’s medical drama, fans were surprised when Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke) returned to Grey’s Anatomy in 2014 – seven years after he was fired for using a […]
People who are pre-diabetic, like Allen himself, have since learned about wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and diabetic retinopathy (DR).
“These were some of the things I also learned about because diabetes has always been a big part of my family history and I’ve always been looking for it. It was personal for me,” she said. “It’s personal for me, and I think if I can use my celebrity to draw attention to something good right now, which is being proactive and [getting] information and to ensure that people visit our website. The Gr8 Eye Movement campaign is simply a win-win for everyone. It is real.”
Grey’s anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 9pm ET.