"Erica Hahn" (Brooke Smith) cut from "Grey's Anatomy" cast.
 

No one is putting up "Grey's Anatomy" weekly threads but here's something interesting.

From eonline


Grey's De-Gayed: Brooke Smith Axed; Melissa George's Role Rewritten


It's true. Sources confirm that Brooke Smith, who plays Dr. Erica Hahn (a doctor who recently realized she is gay), has been axed from Grey's Anatomy.

Executive producer Shonda Rhimes has issued a statement tonight about her dismissal (see below).

I'm also told by insiders connected to the ABC series that some of the gay-themed storylines are being downplayed and even erased from upcoming scripts.

And that goes for the series' latest newcomer, Melissa George of Alias, who joins the show this month...

Melissa came on to the show as a bisexual character and love interest for Callie (Sara Ramirez), but a reliable insider tells me, "They changed the script, and now she isn't. She starts off flirting with Callie but it never goes anywhere."

Melissa plays Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) best friend and a new intern at Seattle Grace.

Grey's has included a prominent bisexual/lesbian storyline this season in the blossoming (and complex) relationship between Hahn (Smith) and Callie (Ramirez). I'm told that storyline will end in this Thursday's episode, which will be Smith's last appearance on the series.

"They don't really give her a goodbye," an ABC source tells me. "It ends rather abruptly."

Update: Executive producer Shonda Rhimes issued the following statement tonight:

"Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian. Clearly it's not an issue as we have a lesbian character on the show—Calliope Torres. Sara Ramirez is an incredible comedic and dramatic actress and we wanted to be able to play up her magic. Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke's character would sustain in the long run. The impact of the Callie/Erica relationship will be felt and played out in a story for Callie. I believe it belittles the relationship to simply replace Erica with 'another lesbian.' If you'll remember, Cristina mourned the loss of Burke for a full season."

E.W.'s Michael Ausiello first broke the news of Brooke's dismissal today. "I was very excited when they told me that Erica and Callie were going to have this relationship," Brooke told E.W. "And I really hoped we were going to show what happens when two women fall in love and that they were going to treat it like any heterosexual couple on TV. And so I was surprised and disappointed when they just suddenly told me that they couldn't write for my character any more."

ABC also demoted Rebecca Romijn—who plays transgender Alexis Meade—from a series regular to recurring status on Ugly Betty at the end of last season. Could this be a new trend with the network, or is it a solely creative decision that we should try to understand?.

Eh, won't really be missed by me. Never really liked the character to begin with.

Wow. I'm a little shocked by this, especially after she just got her "glasses" this past week.

:)

Awesome news. I couldn't stand the character and I have never liked the actress much either.

They probably let her go because she's the least attractive member of an already mostly unattractive cast.

Don't care how unattractive she was she still wasn't worse then the show lead.

Yeah, but you can't get rid of Meredith Grey on a show called "Grey's Anatomy". Unless they plan on making Lexie the main character.

Yes, there is another. That's always the fail-safe in case Ellen Pompeo starts with really high salary demands. Then again, they'll have to roll the dice if Lexi got the call up for the majors if Pompeo was sent packing for high salary demands.

I'm still amazed that Katherine Heigl is still on the show, given her comtempt for the writers last season.

Also, perhaps the show producers were concerned that the show was turning into "Gay's Anatomy". :D

Some of the posters after the article were commenting on how ABC is showing a fear of Gay characters. I don't necessarily buy that, but some of the posts point out other Gay characters on ABC shows that have been taken off for one reason or another.

I like Brooke Smith as an actress and it was cool to see her in a role other than the, "Good friend to lean on when you're having a rough life", she so often plays. Anyway, I've always thought that her character was an interesting strong female character even without the gay angle.

This is shocking because it seems very abrupt - since their story is still developing. I am confused about the "chemistry" thing. Callie & Hahn had way more chemistry than Callie & George ever did.

I dont watch the show but it's ashame ABC chickened out on this storyline since they do usually let shows portray gays on their shows like Ugly Betty and Brothers and Sisters.
From what I have read, the releationship was not very realistic and the dialogue was really bad. Maybe that is why.

Yeah, the sad thing is one could say that about most of the "grey's hook ups". So for them to be so pro active in "fixing" this is really weird. I mean they're firing an actor to fix this? They've run out of ways to "write the character"? When has that ever stopped them from keeping a bad thing going on for too long on this show? Come on....

Agreed. Especially since the way they have set up the storyline thus far with Callie being a reluctant lesbian and more "bi", while Erica realizes she is full-blown lesbian. I thought that created an interesting conflict for their relationship and it was not something I have seen explored on TV before.

Just seems odd they would stop it like that. Why not just have Callie break Erica's heart and run off with a guy or something? They would still work together and Erica would have to deal with that at the same time coming to terms with her newly realized sexuality.

Personally, this season is further proof that Grey's Anatomy isn't the hot show that it used to be. The firing of Brooke Smith is just adding to the lameness of Season 5 (and save for a few episodes in 4, namely the episode with Addison), most of Season 4 too.

Shame.

Yeah, but who has had chemistry with George? The only one I thought worked was when he was with slutty nurse Olivia, but they had other stupid ideas for him.


I was encouraged by the prospect of more Dr. Hahn, but I quickly learned that most of my fondness for her character was a result of her rivalry with Burke. I think it was a mistake to go the direction they did with her character. It was kind of like viewers assumed she was a lesbian because of her gruff attitude and the writers decided to go with that rather than actually create a character. I would have liked to have seen them work more with her God complex. I think it would have been cool to have a female version of Greg House or Robert Romano.

ha! So Callie has a romance with George who's a gay actor playing a straight character and then Hahn who is a straight actor playing a gay character!

She should just keep sleeping with McSteamy!

The main problem is they have never known what to do with Callie. First, she was living in the hospital. She then became rich. She fell in love with George offscreen. They had no chemistry. She's had some chemistry with Sloan, but he's another character who is rudderless. This relationship with Hahn was rushed. Now, Rimes is saying Callie is a lesbian. Ramirez is too good of an actress to be the recipient of such nonsense.

just be truthful. Brooke Smith is not attractive and Torres is built like a middle linebacker. Of course there was no chemistry. Compare the scenes with these 2 with that of "13" and her gal pal on House and well...there is no comparison.

Guess she didn't put the lotion in the basket.

Won't make much of a difference too me, always FFwed over that whole storyline.

BTW - what happened to the Izzy/George romance? Don't get me wrong, I am glad it's over, but its like it never happened. I like Izzy with Karev anyway.

I don't think they are getting rid of Hahn because of her being a lesbian, I think it has more to do with her inability to teach at a teaching hospital. The chief has pretty much let it be known that she needs to work on her teaching ability, and after last weeks episode where Bailey pretty much laid the smack down on Hahn, I think she is either going to end up quitting or she will be fired by the Chief and that is how they will get rid of her. Her personal relationship with Torres will have nothing to do with it. They've already setup the storyline in my opinion.

Did you even read the article? This has nothing to do with some preplanned story arc about the character; they're firing one of the leads mid-season and altering future scripts. Shondra Rhimes herself said that the abrupt change was based on a lack of "magic and chemistry" with Callie (if you believe her).

And I don't

Neither do I; Shondra's public statements about past controversies (ie. Isaiah Washington) have a tendency to put a "it was a creative choice" spin on past behind-the-scenes/network issues.

Wow... I never realized this until you just pointed it out, but your 100% right on. I mean I can completely understand why she does that, you have to be as PC as possible when your running a series that is always in the top 3 for the week. I just wish the real stories would eventually come out. I was never a huge fan of the characters, but I think its weird she is going to more or less disappear. Plus the fact she was playing a lesbian (or atleast lesbian-curious) role and at this exactly moment in time she's being fired with the recent anti-gay legislation being pasted in California, Florida, and Arizona - its fishy.