Isaiah Washington Implies Ellen Pompeo Was Allegedly ‘Uncomfortable’ With Him Potentially Being Her ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Love Interest
Former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington made a few interesting revelations in the book “How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy,” by Lynette Rice.
Washington reveals he initially auditioned for McDreamy but was given to Patrick Dempsey, and he believed he did not get the role because Ellen Pompeo was uncomfortable with him playing her intimate love interest.
Related: Ellen Pompeo Hints That Grey’s Anatomy Is Coming To A End!
“I didn’t audition for Burke, I auditioned for McDreamy,” Washington said according to Yahoo!.
Pompeo apparently didn’t want him to Derek Shepherd.
“There’s a rumour out there or something that Ellen didn’t want me to be her love interest because she had a Black boyfriend,” Washington added. “The context is that she’s not into white men.”
“I guess she implied that her boyfriend may have had a problem with her doing love scenes with me, so she felt uncomfortable,” adding that he “supported” her feelings.
In 2013, Pompeo spoke to the New York Post and opened up about who would be cast as McDreamy and how Shonda Rhimes wanted “a Black man in the mix” but Ellen “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 Dempsey kid,” said Ellen of Isaiah.