Kevin McKidd Directed A Huge Amount Of Grey's Anatomy Episodes

They say, "the grass is always greener on the other side," and that may be the reason why many actors on different TV series opt to step behind the camera and give wearing the director's hat a try. This has been the case for the talented Kevin McKidd as he decided to take on the position of authority in the very show he stars in, "Grey's Anatomy," all the way back in Season 7. But unlike plenty of actors who have given this change of employment a shot, got it out of their system, and then spent the rest of their career on-screen spitting out dialogue, McKidd has continued to hone his directorial skills. This choice is probably why producers continue to ask him to come back for more.

That said, McKidd isn't the only "Grey's Anatomy" performer who has given directing a chance. For example, Giacomo Gianniotti yelled "action!" in an episode of the series not too long after his character, Dr. Andrew DeLuca, met his demise. (It helped him say goodbye to DeLuca.) But unlike Gianniotti's one-go at the position, many fans may be shocked to learn that since McKidd first directed a "Grey's Anatomy" installment, he has added 35 more episodes to his growing résumé. In comparison, plenty of professional directors (who have zero acting experience) have fewer directorial credits than McKidd does. And he doesn't show any signs of stopping.

Most know Kevin McKidd from his international breakout movie role as Tommy in 1996's "Trainspotting." Afterward, his acting career continued at a steady pace and still holds strong today. Of course, most recently, McKidd is known as Dr. Owen Hunt for over 300 episodes of "Grey's Anatomy," after first debuting in 2008. McKidd's character came on to the show with a lot of emotional baggage, as he is a former Army soldier who was honorably discharged after his entire platoon was killed. A couple of years into playing the role, McKidd got his very first taste of directing, although it was more of an appetizer than the whole meal. The Scottish actor called the shots on a few webisodes of "Seattle Grace: Message of Hope," which focused on the "Grey's Anatomy" hospital following a deadly shooting.

These webisodes laid the groundwork for McKidd's eventual first go at directing a network TV episode when, in 2011, he directed "Grey's Anatomy's" Season 7, Episode 13 "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)." "I'm in my late 30s and I love acting, but I wanted to shake things up a bit in my career," he told The Wall Street Journal back then. "I had a hunch that my personality type would lend itself to directing and to be able to communicate to a crew. I've got the right temperament for dealing with a lot of pressure." Well, McKidd surely proved himself correct with the impressive number of episodes he's since directed under his belt. And even though he's still a fan favorite on the series, it must be great for him to know how established he has become on both sides of the camera.