'Grey's Anatomy' Nailed Its Casting of Meredith's Father — But That's No Surprise

There is no known formula for a successful TV show. If there is a secret one out there somewhere, Shonda Rhimes has it memorized. She writes hit after hit, including one of her first shows, Grey’s Anatomy. 

Now in its 17th season, the medical drama still has fans hooked. It’s not clear why fans love the show so much. It could be the characters, or the drama, or the heartfelt storylines.

But whatever the secret is, fans are emotionally invested. The great acting, by both stars and those with small parts, definitely helps. 

Jeff Perry did such a good job playing Thatcher Grey that fans hated him 

Although he wasn’t a star, Jeff Perry was a Grey’s Anatomy regular. He was cast as Meredith Grey’s father, and appeared in multiple episodes. Perry is known for starring in another of Rhimes’ shows, Scandal. He played the somehow evil-yet-loveable Cyrus Bean.

That’s something Cyrus Bean and Thatcher Grey have in common. Perry is perfect for both roles, because he can make fans really hate him, all while remaining vulnerable. 

Fans on Reddit recently discussed Perry and his portrayal of Thatcher, and they were floored by his acting abilities. As one fan wrote “I hated him in the scene where Meredith tells him about Susan dying and that made me realize he is an AMAZING actor and casted PERFECTLY!!!!”

Although most people don’t want to be hated, in Perry’s case it means he’s doing his job. He can evoke strong emotions in viewers, which makes him an ideal actor all around. He’s an especially perfect fit for complicated dramas, where characters can go from loved to hated over the course of an episode. 

Fans think Ellen Pompeo and Jeff Perry look a lot alike 

Perry’s skills aren’t the only thing that made him perfect for the role of Thatcher Grey. He looks a lot like his daughter on the show, Meredith Grey. Played by Ellen Pompeo, Meredith has been the star of Grey’s Anatomy since its inception. Fans think Perry and Pompeo look a lot alike, especially as Pompeo gets older.

As one fan wrote, “How well was Thatcher Grey cast?! The older Meredith gets the more she looks like him. The show does excellent casting all round.” The redditor also posted a pic of Thatcher laying in a hospital bed alongside Meredith laying in a hospital bed, and the two do look alike. 

One fan wrote “I [absolutely] love that actor and everything he’s in as well. Really excellently cast.” It seems like in general, fans are happy with how fans cast Grey’s characters.  

Many ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ family members look alike 

This isn’t the first time fans have commented on how alike family members on Grey’s look. There are a lot of family filtering in and out of Grey Sloan Memorial, including brothers and sisters, kids, and parents. Most of them are cast perfectly. Fans think that the entire Shepherd family looks related, including Amelia and Derek Shepherd.

One fan wrote “Also Derek and Amelia while they don’t have much screen time together if you see a picture of them side by side they look so much alike. This show usually does pretty good with making families look alike.”

Recently, Alex and Izzie were reunited. It turned out that Izzie gave birth to Alex’s twins years ago, without telling him. Fans were amazed that the casting directors were able to find two kids that look just like a combination of Alex and Izzie. A reddit fan commented “I’m usually never able to notice it but once the scene with Alex and Izzie’s twins came on it was so obvious, the two kids looked exactly like their parents.”

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