How Grey's Anatomy Prepared Star Kim Raver To Be A Director For Season 19

With Hollywood consistently being male dominated, women in the industry often need to support each other. Thankfully, ABC's long-running drama "Grey's Anatomy" pushes women forward on screen and behind the camera. At least that was the case with cast member and now director Kim Raver, who plays Dr. Teddy Altman, the new Chief of Surgery.

Recently, Raver was tasked with directing a pivotal Season 19 episode titled "Training Day," which aired in March 2023. It seems that her directorial debut on the show was a long time coming. According to an interview with the Associated Press, Raver had been working with several directors on set alongside learning from Debbie Allen, who has several roles on the show including executive producer, director, and actor, playing Dr. Catherine Fox.

While Raver was learning from the best, she received her inspiration from the myriad of women working on the show in varying positions, relating it to the dynamic of a hospital and the medical professionals within it. "There's this thing that we say on 'Grey's' in terms of in medicine, 'see one, do one' and that's what doctors do, right?" she analogized. "That's what the interns do with the attendings. There are many women doing many different roles on set. So 'see one, be one,' right? I see other female directors, I see female editors, I see female boom operators, I see female camera operators and female [directors of photography]."

Kim Raver added that the women in substantial creative and leadership roles also inspire her because they prove to her that anything is possible for women in the industry. She specifically names Debbie Allen, creator and head writer Shonda Rhimes, and executive producers Meg Marinis, Krista Vernoff, and Betsy Beers.

In addition, the episode Raver was assigned was particularly significant both thematically and technically. The episode tackled the ongoing debate between those in favor and against abortion rights within the United States. The episode also featured some technical challenges for Raver which included a couple of stunts involving a brick to Dr. Benson Kwan's (Harry Shum Jr.) head and Dr. Addison Montgomery's (guest star Kate Walsh) fall.

Regarding the episode, Raver was not only pleased that she was assigned an episode that tested her capabilities but was touched to find that the crew cheered her on. "It wasn't like, 'Oh, well, you know ... let's give her a tiny little episode and see,'" she explained. "They gave me a huge episode with like two stunts, a birth ... [guest star] Kate Walsh came back. It was massive. And all the while they were like, 'You've got this. We know you can do it.'"

For women in the entertainment industry, or in any industry dominated by men, it's important to have that support and camaraderie amongst your peers. It's quite wonderful to see that Raver was being supported, mentored, inspired, and empowered by those on the set of "Grey's Anatomy."