American producer and playwright Shonda Rhimes. She is best known for creating and producing the hit television series “Grey’s Anatomy.” One of the longest-running programs in the annals of American television. She is regarded as one of the most significant African American female figures in the US entertainment sector. She has established herself as one of the most successful writers and producers in the nation in little under two decades.
Early Childhood & Life
Vera P. (Cain) and Ilee Rhimes Jr. gave birth to Shonda Lynn Rhimes on January 13, 1970, in Chicago, Illinois. She is the youngest of her parents’ six children. She has three older sisters and two older brothers. She was raised in the Will County, Illinois, community of Park Forest South, which is now called University Park.
Her father was a professor at a university, and her mother was a university administrator. Later, her father accepted a position as the “University of Southern California’s” (USC) chief information officer, a position he held until 2013.
She went to Chicago Heights’ “Marian Catholic High School.” She enrolled at “Dartmouth College” after finishing high school. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in both film studies and English. She contributed to the college newspaper with articles. She belonged to Dartmouth’s “Black Underground Theater Association.” She also wrote novels and directed and acted in school productions.
She relocated to San Francisco after receiving her degree in 1991, where she spent some time working at ‘McCann Erickson’. After that, she relocated to Los Angeles and graduated with an MFA in screenplay from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She received the “Gary Rosenberg Writing Fellowship” and graduated first in her class.
The career of Shonda Rhimes
Producer Debra Martin Chase hired her while she was a student at the “USC” to work as an intern. She was given the opportunity to intern at “Mundy Lane Entertainment” by Chase, who also served as her mentor.
She began working part-time jobs after graduating to help support herself. She began her profession as an office administrator before moving on to become a counselor at a facility that provided homeless people and people with mental illnesses with vocational training. She also served as the research director for the 1995 “Peabody Award”-winning film “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream.”
She produced the 1998 short film “Blossoms and Veils” with Jeffrey Wright and Jada Pinkett-Smith. She has only directed one other movie. ‘New Line Cinema’ bought one of her scripts in 1999. Her first significant breakthrough as a screenplay came with this. She received a task to co-write the “HBO” TV film “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” in the same year. Halle Berry, the movie’s principal actor, received numerous accolades.
She created the screenplay for Britney Spears’ debut movie, Crossroads, which was released in 2001. Despite receiving unfavorable reviews, the movie made over $60 million worldwide.
She also penned the screenplay for the sequel to the hugely popular 2001 film “The Princess Diaries,” “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement,” for the “Disney” studio. Despite not performing as well as its forerunner, the movie nevertheless managed to bring in close to $135 million at the box office. She once remarked how much she enjoyed making the movie with Julie Andrews.
She created her first TV pilot for “ABC” in 2003. It dealt with female war reporters. Later, ‘ABC’ declined it, though.
After that, ‘ABC’ requested another script from her. She made the decision to write about a film this time that she would have enjoyed seeing herself. She has a lifelong fascination with surgeons and medical procedures. She frequently watched medical programs on the “Discovery Channel” with her sisters, and they would talk about them afterward. This inspired her to create and develop the television series “Grey’s Anatomy.” It was accepted by ‘ABC’ in 2005 to serve as a midseason replacement for the drama series ‘Boston Legal.’ On March 27, 2005, ‘ABC’ broadcast the series’ debut. The show has been renewed for a 15th season as of 2018 after airing for 14 seasons.
The television show “Grey’s Anatomy” has achieved both critical and financial success. When each season’s final episode airs, there is thought to be a noticeable decrease in traffic in major US cities like New York. It has been on “ABC” the longest of any scripted primetime programming. After the series “ER,” it is the second-longest scripted primetime program ever on “ABC” and the longest-written medical drama. In order to produce “Grey’s Anatomy,” Shonda established her own production business, “Shondaland.” The business has expanded along with the popularity of the series and is currently a significant US TV production company.
‘Private Practice,’ a ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ spinoff series, was written and produced by her in 2007. It debuted on September 26, 2007, on “ABC.” The show aired for a total of six seasons, ending on January 22, 2013.
She developed a fresh storyline for “ABC” in 2010. The story’s working title was “Inside the Box.” It was a drama with a strong female lead that took place in a Washington, DC-based newsroom. The main character, “Catherine,” was described as a driven news producer who balanced office politics and moral quandaries while seeking news stories at all costs. However, “ABC” did not approve of the plot.
She worked with fellow ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ staff writer Jenna Bans as one of the executive producers of the medical drama ‘Off the Map’ in 2011. On January 12, 2011, the program debuted on “ABC,” but it was soon canceled. On April 6, 2011, the final episode of its first season aired.
She had “Scandal,” an ABC political thriller, authorized in May 2011. On April 5, 2012, ‘ABC’ networks debuted the series. In addition to being well-liked by the audience, it received high praise from the reviewers. The final episode of the seven-season television series aired on April 19, 2018.
She created the outline for a historical drama in 2012. The storyline, “Gilded Lilys,” concerned an aristocratic family running New York City’s first opulent hotel. The project started filming in Boston, but because ‘ABC’ decided not to air it, it was finally canceled.
Her company, “Shondaland,” sold the rights to a plot to “ABC” in August 2013. It dealt with law students doing internships at a criminal defense lawyer and professor’s office. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’s’ supervising producer Peter Nowalk wrote the pilot episode’s storyline and dialogue. ‘ABC’ made the decision to order the pilot in December 2013. The network said in July 2014 that the limited series based on the pilot will be called “How to Get Away with Murder” and that there would only be a few episodes every season. On September 25, 2014, the series made its debut. The network revealed on October 9, 2014, that there would be a complete series of 15 episodes. According to ‘ABC’s’ announcement on May 11, 2018, the show has been renewed for a fifth season as of 2018.
‘ABC’ aired a comedy-drama series created by her firm in March 2016. The Catch was the name of the television show. It was written by TV writers Helen Gregory and Jennifer Schuur as well as British author Kate Atkinson. Allan Heinberg, an American writer for cinema, television, and comic books, created it. ‘ABC’ aired the show for two seasons before canceling it.
Netflix stated on August 14th, 2017 that they had entered into an exclusive multi-year development agreement with “Shondaland.” In accordance with the conditions of the agreement, “Shondaland” would create exclusive, original content for “Netflix,” which would be referred to as “Netflix Original Series.”
A Shondaland-produced television show named “Still Star-Crossed” debuted on ABC in June 2017. Based on the same-named book by Melinda Taub, the series was a historical drama. After the first season, the television show was canceled.
The second Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, titled “Station 19,” debuted on “ABC” on March 22, 2018. The Seattle Fire Department’s station number 19 firefighters are the subjects of the television show. A second season of the show has been ordered.
‘For the People,’ her debut legal drama series, debuted on ‘ABC’ on March 13, 2018. Paul William Davies was the creator, and ‘Shondaland’ produced it. On May 11, 2018, “ABC” ordered a second season of the show.
Bigger Works of Shonda Rhimes
Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and Station 19 are a few of her notable works. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ is still her most well-liked and financially rewarding project out of these.
Recognition & Achievements
The 2007 “Golden Globe Award” for “Best Television Series – Drama” went to “Grey’s Anatomy.” Additionally, the sitcom has received three “Primetime Emmy Award” nominations. For her work on “Grey’s Anatomy,” she received the “Writers’ Guild of America Award” in 2006, and in 2015, she was recognized for her contributions to writing with the “Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement.”
Individual Life of Shonda Rhimes
She has three daughters and is not married. In 2002, she took in her first daughter, and in 2012, she adopted her second daughter. Her third daughter was born via gestational surrogacy in 2013.
Estimated net worth
The estimated net worth of Shonda Rhimes is about $1 million.
Trivia
She disclosed that she reduced 117 lbs through diet and exercise in 2015.
Each season, her company cranks out about 70 hours of TV programming.
She has glossophobia or a fear of speaking in front of others.