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{{Short description|American television producer and writer}}{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}{{Pp-blp|small=yes}}

factoids

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.| death_date = | death_place = Dartmouth College|University of Southern California}}

• Television producer
• screenwriter{edih}| years_active = 1995–present| children = 3

}}Shonda Lynn Rhimes,WEB,weblink Shonda L. Rhimes '91 (Doctor of Arts), Dartmouth College, June 8, 2014, October 9, 2014, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|CBEh}} (born January 13, 1970)NEWS,weblink UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, United Press International, January 13, 2021, February 27, 2021, February 27, 2021,weblink live, ...TV producer Shonda Rhimes in 1970 (age 51)…, is an American television producer and screenwriter, and founder of the production company Shondaland. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame,WEB, Giardina, Carolyn, April 14, 2015, NAB: Shonda Rhimes Inducted Into Broadcasting Hall of Fame,weblink February 19, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, Rhimes became known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2005–present), its spin-off Private Practice (2007–2013) and the political thriller Scandal (2012–2018), becoming the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100 episode milestone.WEB, Goldberg, Lesley, April 13, 2017, With 'Scandal,' Shonda Rhimes Notches Rare Third 100-Episode Milestone,weblink February 19, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, She has served as the executive producer of the ABC thriller series How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020), the Netflix period series Bridgerton (2020–present) and (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story) (2023), and drama Inventing Anna (2022). She has been nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, and received special honors at the British Academy Television Awards and International Emmy Awards.In 2017, she was inducted as a Chair's Appointee of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences‘s executive committee.WEB, June 5, 2017, Shonda Rhimes, Susanne Daniels, Mark Gordon Join Television Academy's Executive Committee,weblink February 19, 2024, Variety (magazine), Variety, WEB, Shonda Rhimes, Chair's Appointee {{!, Executive Committee |url=https://www.emmys.com/academy/organization/executive-committee/212636 |access-date=February 19, 2024 |website=Television Academy}} She is also part of the USC Film Council and the Writers Guild Inclusion Committee.WEB, Haring, Bruce, February 2, 2023, Ryan Coogler, Tracy Oliver Join USC School Of Cinematic Arts' Board Of Councilors,weblink February 19, 2024, Deadline Hollywood, WEB, Robb, David, November 22, 2022, Showrunners Sign WGA West Pledge To Make Workplaces "Safe & Inclusive",weblink February 19, 2024, Deadline Hollywood, In 2007, 2013, and 2021, Rhimes was named by Time to the Time 100, their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.MAGAZINE, Oh, Sandra, The Time 100, Artists & Entertainers, Time,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070505050617weblink">weblink dead, May 5, 2007, 2007-05-05, May 3, 2007, WEB, Sinay, Danielle, Time releases its 100 most influential people list,weblink The Independent, Indy100, November 13, 2021, en, September 15, 2021, As of 2023, she is one of the richest women entertainers in America, with a net worth of $250 million.WEB, Here Are The 15 Richest Women Celebrities In America,weblink June 1, 2023, Forbes, June 1, 2023, In 2015, she published her first book, a memoir, Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person. In 2016, Rhimes formed The Rhimes Family Foundation whose mission is to support arts, education, and activism.

Early life and education

Rhimes was born in Chicago, Illinois, as the youngest of six children of Vera P. (née Cain), a college professor, and Ilee Rhimes Jr., a university administrator.WEB, Paskin, Willa,weblink Network TV Is Broken. So How Does Shonda Rhimes Keep Making Hits?, The New York Times Magazine, May 9, 2013, May 9, 2013, Stated on Finding Your Roots, January 19, 2016, PBS Her mother attended college while raising their six children and earned a PhD in educational administration in 1991. Her father, who holds an MBA, became chief information officer (CIO) at the University of Southern California, serving until 2013.WEB,weblink USC selects new vice provost and CIO, news.usc.edu, June 11, 2013, February 26, 2016, March 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160303224543weblink">weblink dead, Rhimes lived in Park Forest South (now University Park, Illinois), with her two older brothers and three older sisters. She has said she exhibited an early affinity for storytelling.Shonda Rhimes profile, hollywood.com; accessed January 28, 2015. While in high school, she served as a hospital volunteer, which inspired an interest in hospital environments.NEWS, Maureen, Ryan, Shonda Rhimes, creator of 'Grey's Anatomy' and a Chicagoan of the Year, The Watcher, December 21, 2005,weblink January 21, 2008, June 21, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090621165401weblink">weblink dead, Raised Catholic, Rhimes attended Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois.BOOK, Shapiro, Marc, Welcome to Shondaland, An Unauthorized Biography of Shonda Rhimes, Riverdale Avenue Books, 2015, 978-1-62601-239-4, United States, At Dartmouth College, she majored in English and film studies and earned her bachelor's degree in 1991.WEB,weblink Television's Wonder Woman, Apr 2015, Jennifer Wulff '96 {{!, Mar-|website=Dartmouth Alumni Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-04-02}} At Dartmouth, she joined the Black Underground Theater Association. She divided her time between directing and performing in student productions, and writing fiction.WEB,weblink Shonda Rhimes '91, 'Scandal' producer, to address graduates, thedartmouth.com, April 22, 2014, Zac, Hardwick, October 9, 2014, October 16, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141016065637weblink">weblink dead, She also wrote for the college newspaper.WEB,weblink The Quiet Mystery of Shonda Rhimes, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 June 2011, en, 2019-04-02, After college, she relocated to San Francisco with an older sibling and worked in advertising at McCann Erickson.WEB,weblink 'Grey's Anatomy's' Shonda Rhimes Turns Up The Heat In New Series 'Scandal', The Hollywood Reporter, June 26, 2011, Stacey, Wilson, October 9, 2014, She subsequently moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California and study screenwriting. Ranked at the top of her USC class, Rhimes earned the Gary Rosenberg Writing Fellowship. She obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.While at USC, Rhimes was hired as an intern by Debra Martin Chase. Rhimes credits her early success, in part, to mentors such as Chase, a prominent African-American producer. Chase later again served as a mentor to Rhimes on The Princess Diaries 2. Rhimes also worked at Denzel Washington's company, Mundy Lane Entertainment.WEB,weblink Shonda Rhimes Opens Up About 'Angry Black Woman' Flap, Messy 'Grey's Anatomy' Chapter, and the 'Scandal' Impact, The Hollywood Reporter, October 8, 2014, Lacey, Rose, October 9, 2014,

Career

Career beginnings: 1995–2004

After graduation, Rhimes was an unemployed scriptwriter in Hollywood. To make ends meet, Rhimes worked at a variety of day jobs, including as an office administrator and then a counselor at a job center that taught job skills to people with housing instability and mental illness. During this period, Rhimes worked as research director on the documentary (Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream) (1995), which won the 1995 Peabody Award. In 1998, Rhimes made a short film, Blossoms and Veils, starring Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jeffrey Wright, which is her only credit as a film director. New Line Cinema purchased a feature script of hers. Rhimes received an assignment to co-write the HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), which earned numerous awards for its star, Halle Berry.In 2001, Rhimes wrote Crossroads, the debut film of pop singer Britney Spears.WEB,weblink Britney's heart into 'Crossroads,' outtakes from flick appear on Britney, Corey, Moss, MTV. MTV Networks, November 6, 2011, July 15, 2011, Despite being panned by critics, the film grossed more than $60 million worldwide.MAGAZINE,weblink 2012-02-15, Entertainment Weekly, Time Warner, Snetiker, Marc, Crossroads Tenth Anniversary, 2012-03-09, 2014-10-16,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141016153118weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink Crossroads Daily Chart View, Box Office Mojo, 2002-02-15, 2002-02-15, Rhimes next worked on writing Disney's sequel to its popular movie The Princess Diaries (2001). Although (The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement) (2004) did not score as well at the box office, Rhimes later said that she treasured the experience, if only for the opportunity to work with its star, Julie Andrews. In 2003, Rhimes wrote her first TV pilot for ABC about young female war correspondents, but the network turned it down.

Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal and other projects with ABC

Rhimes is the creator and currently executive producer and head writer of Grey's Anatomy. The series debuted as a mid-season replacement on March 27, 2005. The series features the surgical staff at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital (later to be named Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital), in Seattle, Washington. The series features an ensemble cast with Ellen Pompeo serving as titular character Meredith Grey, who provides narration for a majority of the series' episodes.WEB, ABC Fall 2006 Schedule, 2006-07-11,weblink Zap2it, 2006-10-25, 2012-05-24,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120524054650weblink">weblink dead, In 2007, Rhimes created and produced the Grey's Anatomy spin-off series Private Practice, which debuted September 26, 2007, on ABC. The show chronicles the life of Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) as she leaves Seattle Grace Hospital for Los Angeles to join a private practice. The series also features an ensemble cast, including Tim Daly, Amy Brenneman, Audra McDonald and Taye Diggs among others. The first season was shortened because of a writers' strike; it has nine episodes. In May 2012, ABC picked up Private Practice for the 2012–13 television season with 13 episodes. The series finale aired January 22, 2013.{{Citation|title=Private Practice (TV Series 2007–2013) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0972412/episodes?year=2013|access-date=2019-03-02}}In 2010, Rhimes created a new pilot for ABC called Inside the Box, a female-centric ensemble drama set in a Washington, D.C. network news bureau. The lead character is Catherine, an ambitious female news producer who, with her colleagues, pursues "the story" at all costs while juggling their personal animosities and crises of conscience.NEWS,weblink HollywoodReporter.com, Indira Varma to star in ABC's 'Inside the Box', March 4, 2009, Nellie, Andreeva, It was not picked up by the network.WEB,weblink Tweet on Shonda Rhimes's Twitter Account, Twitter, November 28, 2014, In 2011, Rhimes served as executive producer for the medical drama, Off the Map, which was created by Grey's Anatomy writer, Jenna Bans. It focuses on a group of doctors who practice medicine at a remote clinic in the Amazon jungle.WEB,weblink ABC's fall TV schedule, night by night, Hanh Nguyen, May 18, 2010, Zap2it, May 18, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100521160557weblink">weblink May 21, 2010, The series was officially cancelled by the ABC network on May 13, 2011.weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110516102211weblink">Updated: "V" Canceled; "Brothers & Sisters", "Mr. Sunshine", "Detroit 187", "Off the Map", "No Ordinary Family" Canceled, Too, TV By the Numbers, May 13, 2011In May 2011, ABC ordered Rhimes' pilot script Scandal to series. Kerry Washington starred as Olivia Pope, a political crisis management expert. The character is partially based on former Bush administration press aide Judy Smith.NEWS,weblink The Wall Street Journal, Amy, Chozick, Shonda Rhimes on Owning Her Characters And Her New Show, May 13, 2011, Abrams, Natalie, "ABC Picks Up Charlie's Angels, Tim Allen Comedy, Cancels Brothers & Sisters, V", TV Guide, May 13, 2011. The series debut aired on April 5, 2012.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120113064839weblink">weblink dead, January 13, 2012, 'Cougar Town' Tentatively Slated for March Return; 'Scandal' Premieres April 5, Bumps 'Private Practice' to Tuesdays at 10 + 'Don't Trust the B----...', Seidman, Robert, TV By the Numbers, January 10, 2012, January 10, 2012, In 2012, Rhimes developed a pilot for a period drama, Gilded Lilys, but it was not picked up to series.MAGAZINE, James Hibberd,weblink Shonda Rhimes period drama 'Gilded Lillys' gets pilot order, Entertainment Weekly, January 13, 2012, March 9, 2012, NEWS, Lesley Goldberg,weblink 'Gilded Lillys': ABC Orders Shonda Rhimes's Period Drama Pilot, The Huffington Post, January 13, 2012, March 9, 2012, In December 2013, ABC ordered a pilot for a new Rhimes series, How to Get Away with Murder.NEWS,weblink ABC Orders Shondaland Pilot 'How To Get Away With Murder', 2013-12-19, TheWrap, 2017-08-14, en-US, Actress Viola Davis joined the cast as the lead character in February 2014.WEB,weblink Viola Davis to Star in ABC Drama 'How to Get Away With Murder', The Hollywood Reporter, February 25, 2014, Lesley, Goldberg, October 9, 2014, It was officially picked up to series on May 8, 2014.MAGAZINE,weblink ABC Picks Up Shonda Rhimes 'How To Get Away With Murder', John Ridley's 'American Crime', Comedy 'Black-ish' To Series, Andreeva, Nellie, May 8, 2014, Deadline.com, May 9, 2014, In March 2016, ABC premiered The Catch, a comedy-drama led by Rhimes based on a treatment by British author Kate Atkinson. It stars Mireille Enos and Peter Krause.NEWS,weblink How ABC's 'The Catch' Mixes 'Scandal' With 'Ocean's Eleven', The Hollywood Reporter, 2017-08-14, en, Later that month, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and Grey's Anatomy were respectively picked up for their sixth, third and 13th seasons. The following year, it was announced that Scandal would conclude after its upcoming seventh season, while The Catch was cancelled after its second.

Netflix deal

On August 14, 2017, Netflix announced that it had entered into an exclusive multi-year development deal with Rhimes, under which all of her future productions will be Netflix Original series. The service had already purchased U.S. streaming rights to past episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos described Rhimes as being a "true Netflixer at heart" since "she loves TV and films, she cares passionately about her work, and she delivers for her audience".Of the deal, Rhimes said that[Sarandos] understood what I was looking for—the opportunity to build a vibrant new storytelling home for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach provided by Netflix's singular sense of innovation. The future of Shondaland at Netflix has limitless possibilities.The deal was considered to be a coup for Netflix due to Rhimes' prominence at ABC; it was also considered to be a counter toward the effort by Disney, ABC's parent company, to reduce the availability of their content on Netflix in favor of a planned subscription streaming service of their own.NEWS,weblink Netflix Signs Shonda Rhimes in Counterpunch to ABC and Disney, Koblin, John, 2017-08-14, The New York Times, 2017-08-14, en-US, 0362-4331, As of October 2020, she was working on more than 12 projects for Netflix, including the period drama Bridgerton.WEB, Shonda Rhimes Opens Up About Leaving ABC: 'I Felt Like I Was Dying',weblink 2020-10-22, People, EN,

Personal life

Rhimes adopted her first daughter in June 2002 and adopted another daughter in February 2012.MAGAZINE,weblink Shonda Rhimes adopts second baby girl, April 7, 2012, Essence (magazine), Essence, In September 2013, Rhimes welcomed her third daughter via gestational surrogacy.TWEET, 380480456694980608, shondarhimes, Been AWOL from Twitter. I totally have a good reason: TINY HUMAN #3 is here and she's perfect! Babies are good. Life is good. #2shows3kids, shonda rhimes, 18 September 2013, In 2014, Rhimes gave a commencement address at her alma mater, Dartmouth College, where she received an honorary doctorate.WEB,weblink TV Producer Shonda Rhimes '91 to Speak at Commencement, Sundberg Seaman, Kelly, April 21, 2014, Dartmouth College,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141007092108weblink">weblink October 7, 2014, dead, October 9, 2014, In September 2015, Rhimes revealed she had lost {{convert|117|lbs}} via exercise and dieting.WEB,weblink Shonda Rhimes reveals 117-pound weight loss, admits she 'hated' dieting, today.com, October 2015, 2015-11-12, WEB,weblink Shonda Rhimes reveals airplane incident that sparked her 117-pound weight loss, today.com, 9 November 2015, 2015-11-12,

Activism

In April 2017, Rhimes joined the national board of Planned Parenthood.NEWS, Williams, Vanessa, Shonda Rhimes, creator of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Scandal', joins Planned Parenthood board, en-US, The Washington Post,weblink 2021-04-20, 0190-8286, Later that same year, Rhimes and Katie McGrath co-founded Time's Up, and both of them donated the funds to hire its first seven employees.NEWS, Meg James, Time's Up has kept #MeToo in the spotlight and raised $22 million. Now it wants leadership and focus,weblink 5 November 2022, en, Los Angeles Times, 25 October 2018, Seven full-time staff members were hired with seed money from two of the co-founders, television producer Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and producer Katie McGrath, In 2019, Rhimes joined the organization When We All Vote as a co-chair.WEB, 2019-11-12, Michelle Obama Announces 7 New Co-Chairs Joining When We All Vote,weblink 2021-04-20, Look to the Stars, en, This organization was founded to get out the vote prior to the 2020 general election.

Shondaland

Shondaland is the name of Rhimes's production company.NEWS, Jordan, Lebeau, The Angry Black Women of Shondaland: What The New York Times (and Slate) Got Wrong,weblink The Boston Globe, September 22, 2014, September 23, 2014, Shondaland and its logo also refer to the shows Rhimes has producedWEB,weblink About Us, The Shondaland Source, 2014, September 23, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141014040752weblink">weblink October 14, 2014, dead, mdy-all, and to Rhimes herself. Shows included in Shondaland are:

• Grey's Anatomy (2005–present)
• Private Practice (2007–2013)
• Off the Map (2011)
• Scandal (2012–2018)
• How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)
• The Catch (2016–2017)
• Still Star-Crossed (2017)
• For the People (2018–2019)
• Station 19 (2018–2024)
• Bridgerton (2020–present)
• Inventing Anna (2022)

Filmography{| class"wikitable"

! rowspan="2" style="width:100px;"|Year! rowspan="2"|Title! colspan="4"|Credited as! width=65 |Creator! width=65 |Director! width=65 |Writer! width=65 |Producer style="text-align:center;" style="text-align:center;"1995 (Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream)| {{no}}| {{yes}}Credited as Research Director.| {{no}}| {{no}} style="text-align:center;"1998 Blossoms and Veils| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{yes}}| {{no}} style="text-align:center;"1999 Introducing Dorothy Dandridge| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{no}} style="text-align:center;"2002 Crossroads| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{no}} style="text-align:center;"2004 (The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement)| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{no}} style="text-align:center;"2005–present Grey's Anatomy| {{yes}}| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;" 2007–2013 Private Practice| {{yes}}| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;"2009 Inside the Box| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;"2009 (Seattle Grace: On Call)| {{yes}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;"2009 (Seattle Grace: Message of Hope)| {{yes}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;"2011 Off the Map| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;"2012 Gilded Lilys| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align:center;" 2012–2018 Scandal| {{yes}}| {{no}}| {{yes}}| {{yes}}style="text-align:center;" 2014–2020 How to Get Away with Murder| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align: center;" 2016–2017 The Catch| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{no}}| {{yes}} style="text-align: center;"| 2017 Still Star-Crossed| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{Yes}} style="text-align: center;"| 2018–2019 For the People| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{Yes}} style="text-align: center;"| 2018–present Station 19| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{Yes}} style="text-align: center;"| 2020–present Bridgerton| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{No}}| {{Yes}} style="text-align: center;"| 2022 Inventing Anna| {{Yes}}| {{No}}| {{Yes}}| {{Yes}} style="text-align: center;"| 2023 (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story)| {{Yes}}| {{No}}| {{Yes}}| {{Yes}} style="text-align: center;"| TBA Notes on LoveWHITE >FIRST1=PETER URL= HTTPS://DEADLINE.COM/2019/09/SHONDALAND-NOTES-ON-LOVE-NORMAN-LEAR-STEVE-MARTIN-NETFLIX-1202743382/ DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD>ACCESS-DATE=SEPTEMBER 24, 2019, September 24, 2019, | {{TBA}}| {{TBA}}| {{Yes}}| {{Yes}}

Bibliography

• Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person, November 2015. New York: Simon & Schuster. {{ISBN|978-1476777092}}. {{OCLC|1026348497}}.

Essays and reporting

• MAGAZINE, October 10, 2016, Scoop Dreams,weblink Work for Hire, The New Yorker, 92, 32, 64, Online version is titled "My Summer of Scooping Ice Cream".

Awards and nominations

Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2006 for Grey's Anatomy, Rhimes won the International Emmy Founders Award and the Special Award at the British Academy Television Awards. She also received special honorees for her works at the Costume Designers Guild Awards, Directors Guild of America Award, ICG Publicists Awards, Writers Guild of America Award and Producers Guild of America Awards.WEB, Complex, Valerie, December 4, 2023, Black Reel Awards Honorees Include Samuel L. Jackson, Colman Domingo, Shonda Rhimes And Ruth E. Carter,weblink February 15, 2024, Deadline Hollywood,

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

{{External links|section|date=January 2018}}{{Commons category|Shonda Rhimes}}

• {{IMDb name|722274|Shonda Rhimes}}
• {{TED speaker}}
• {{"'}}Grey Matter' Writer's Blog" on ABC.com
• Interview with Shonda Rhimes ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091211212709weblink |date=2009-12-11 }}) on The Tavis Smiley Show
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20061001154958weblink">Writers Guild of America profile
• New York Times profile, September 18, 2014
• Shonda Rhimes ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623033231weblink |date=2017-06-23 }})—Video produced by (Makers: Women Who Make America)

{{Shonda Rhimes}}{{NavboxesList of awards and nominations received by Shonda Rhimes>Awards for Shonda Rhimes|list ={{Black Reel Award for Outstanding Writing, Drama Series}}{{International Emmy Founders Award}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series}}{{Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television}}{{Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement}}{{2017 Television Hall of Fame}}}}{{Authority control}}